Social selling: Why I stopped chasing replies and started building presence

I used to think social selling was something you did after work, a side hustle to the “real” job of cold emails, calls, and forecasting. Then the deals started rolling in, and the story behind them didn’t look anything like the playbook I thought I had to follow.

Two of my biggest wins last year—$110K ARR ($240K TCV) and $120K ARR ($360K TCV) weren’t closed through follow-up emails or cold calls. They happened because the right people were watching my content on LinkedIn. They didn’t reply to my messages. They didn’t ask questions in the comments. But they were paying attention.

That’s when it clicked. Outbound and inbound aren’t separate anymore. They’re intertwined. And the bridge between them? Your presence on social.

People don’t respond to outreach because of what you send. They respond because of who they think you are. And when your posts show them you’re thoughtful, informed, and plugged into their world, you’re no longer just another vendor. You’re a voice they trust.

Social isn’t a side channel—it’s the new front door

You don’t need a DM or a reply to know your content works. You just need to keep showing up consistently, with something real to say. Last year, my content influenced over half a million dollars in pipeline, and most of that started with a silent like or a quiet clickthrough. No flashy CTA. No comment begging.

Buyers don’t act after one post. But they remember you. And when the time comes? You’re already top of mind.

This isn’t theory. This is what’s working today. And if you’re still treating social as just another marketing channel, you’re not just behind—you’re invisible.

Talk about your competition. Seriously.

Here’s something I do that freaks out many sellers: I talk about my competitors by name. I say what they do well. I even recommend them sometimes.

Why? Because buyers are informed. They’ve read the reviews. They’ve seen the comparison pages. You’re not hiding anything. But when you’re the one who brings up the alternatives and helps them navigate what’s best for them, you become a partner, not a pitch.

Your job isn’t to win the feature war. It’s to help the buyer succeed. That might mean they choose you. It might mean they choose someone else. Either way, they’ll remember you if you do your job with integrity. And they’ll trust you.

Employee voices are louder—and better—than brands

B2B brands aren’t the loudest voices anymore. Their people are.

LinkedIn is built for humans. The algorithm prioritises real perspectives over polished press releases. It resonates when a sales rep talks about a real customer challenge or a marketer shares something they learned from a campaign. And that visibility? It sticks.

If your idea of advocacy is just resharing brand content with zero context, you’re doing it wrong. I met with a major cybersecurity company where only 20 employees were active on their advocacy platform, and even then, all they were doing was reposting. That’s not a strategy. That’s a red flag.

The fix? Give your people a system. Support them. Show them how their voice connects to the pipeline. Make it easy. And above all, make it real.

Understanding the distinction: social selling vs. employee advocacy

It’s essential to differentiate between social selling and employee advocacy, as both play unique roles in a comprehensive social strategy. According to an Oktopost blog post, social selling is a sales strategy that leverages social media platforms to cultivate relationships and trust with potential customers. It involves revenue professionals using their personal social media profiles to educate audiences, share industry insights, and engage in conversations to present themselves as thought leaders in their space. The goal of social selling is primarily focused on driving sales, generating more leads from social media, and building personal brands for sales professionals.

On the other hand, employee advocacy is a powerful strategy that transforms employees into active and enthusiastic brand ambassadors. As the blog explains, employee advocacy recognises employees’ influential role in shaping external perceptions. It leverages their voices to extend your brand’s reach beyond your corporate social media pages and traditional marketing channels. Employee advocacy aims to harness the collective reach of your workforce’s social networks to amplify your brand’s message and enhance authenticity.

While social selling concentrates on utilising social media for sales and lead generation, employee advocacy revolves around empowering individual employees to serve as brand ambassadors. Despite their distinct goals and independence, it’s crucial to acknowledge that advocacy is integral to the overarching social selling strategy.

Silence is a signal. Don’t send the wrong one

We’re heading into uncertain waters. Markets are shaky. Budgets are under scrutiny. And when companies go quiet, it doesn’t just look cautious—it looks like fear. Silence on social media is a signal to customers, to your team, and future hires.

That’s why companies like Gong and ClickUp kept showing up—not with big spending but with their people, with honest perspectives, and with presence.

Social selling is no longer optional. When the pipeline gets thin, it’s not a “nice to have” or a Q4 initiative. It’s how deals start. It’s how trust is built. And it’s how you make sure that when someone’s ready to buy, you’re the first person.

Author

By Neill Murphy, Enterprise Account Executive, Oktopost