Social media is evolving rapidly, and the future belongs to brands that embrace social selling and social support (or what we call social care).
These two areas are no longer optional add-ons; they are essential components of a successful customer experience strategy.
Why? Because they directly impact revenue, customer retention, and overall satisfaction. Brands that prioritize real-time engagement, personalized interactions, and seamless customer service on social media will thrive.
Let’s dive into why social selling and social care are shaping the future of social media.
Customer Expectations Have Changed
Let me ask you: Are you willing to wait on hold or send an email for support? If you said yes, you’re an outlier. Because, today’s customers expect real-time responses and personalized interactions.
And they expect them where they are most active: social media.
Consumers now:
- Use direct messages (DMs) to ask product questions.
- Expect quick responses on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
- Prefer self-service options through AI-powered chatbots.
- Engage with brands through comments and replies rather than formal support tickets.
Brands that fail to meet these expectations risk losing customers to competitors who offer a smoother and more responsive social experience.
Trust Drives Purchases (And Social Selling!)
Consumers buy from brands they trust. And guess what?
Trust is built through engagement, authenticity, and responsiveness. Social selling isn’t about cold DMs or aggressive sales tactics; it’s about creating relationships through valuable content and genuine conversations.
However, most of you aren’t doing this.
Here’s how you can build trust through social selling:
- Active engagement: Responding to comments, DMs, and mentions promptly.
- Social listening: Monitoring brand mentions and industry trends to jump into relevant conversations.
- Content that educates and informs: Sharing valuable insights instead of just promotional content.
- User-generated content (UGC): Showcasing real customer experiences to build credibility.
The more authentic and transparent your brand is on social media, the more trust it earns, leading to higher conversion rates.
Customer Care is the New Marketing
Customer service is no longer a back-office function; it’s now a public-facing marketing strategy. When brands handle social support well, they create a ripple effect of positive word-of-mouth marketing.
Why is social care so powerful?
- Public visibility: Good (or bad) interactions can be seen by thousands of potential customers.
- Brand reputation: Quick and helpful responses showcase a brand’s commitment to customer experience.
- Customer advocacy: A well-handled complaint can turn an unhappy customer into a loyal brand ambassador.
A brand that prioritizes customer care on social media will naturally increase engagement, loyalty, and even referrals.
As an example, take a look at two opportunities to care with our luxury appliances client. Those results are typical – YES, NORMAL! – when brands choose to focus on social care and social selling strategies.
The Buying Journey is Digital & Conversational
Traditional eCommerce is evolving into social commerce, where the entire buying process happens within social media platforms.
Consumers now:
- Discover brands through social posts, influencer marketing, and ads.
- Ask questions via comments and DMs before purchasing.
- Complete purchases directly through social platforms (e.g., Instagram Shop, Facebook Marketplace, TikTok Shop).
Brands need to adapt by integrating chatbots, direct messaging, and social commerce features into their social media strategies.
Data and AI are Enhancing Personalization (And Social Selling!)
AI is transforming how brands approach both social selling and social care. With AI-powered insights, you can:
- Analyze customer behavior to deliver highly targeted offers.
- Predict customer needs and provide proactive solutions.
- Automate responses for common customer inquiries.
For example, AI-driven chatbots can handle 80% of routine inquiries, freeing up human agents for high-value customer interactions.
If you want to understand more about how brands are using AI to help with social media support and social selling, check out our State of Social Care Report for 2024.
[Read the State of Social Care Report, 2024]
Social Platforms Are Prioritizing Commerce & Customer Experience
Giants like Meta (Facebook & Instagram), TikTok, and LinkedIn are heavily investing in native shopping — also called social commerce — and customer support features.
Social commerce is when buying and selling happen directly on a social media platform—no extra steps, no redirects, just seamless shopping.
Instead of social media being just for discovery, it becomes the whole journey. Shoppers can go from “Ooh, I love this!” to “I just bought it!” without ever leaving the app.
It’s frictionless, fast, and built for the way people already scroll and shop.
Here’s how social commerce features are evolving:
- Integrated checkout: Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have added checkout functions to allow users to shop without leaving the app.
- Product tagging: Instagram and TikTok have added product tagging to help users find products.
- Ecommerce tools: Instagram and TikTok have added ecommerce tools to help users shop.
But perhaps the most important stat you need to pay attention to is the one from Accenture below.
Furthermore, the algorithms on these platforms favor engagement. Which means brands that invest in social selling and social care will get more visibility than those just running ads.
The ROI of Social Selling & Social Care is Undeniable
Finally, social selling and social care aren’t just trends; they’re profit drivers.
Brands that do them well see:
- Higher customer lifetime value (CLV): Engaged and supported customers stay longer and spend more.
- Stronger brand loyalty: Customers who have positive interactions with brands return and recommend them.
- Increased revenue: Personalized social selling converts more effectively than traditional ads.
20-40% Growth or 15% Churn? Your Choice!
A study by McKinsey & Company found that brands that respond to customer inquiries on social media see an increase in customer spending by 20-40%!
From the report:
Customers also spend 20 to 40 percent more with companies that respond to customer service requests on social media. And companies that don’t respond to customers on social channels are losing customers year after year, with a 15 percent higher churn rate versus businesses that do respond.
Despite the growing business case for a dedicated customer service presence on social media, leveraging social platforms for this purpose comes with unique challenges, including different customer engagement expectations across platforms, the need for fast response times, unpredictable spikes in demand, skills gaps, and complicated workflow and technology investment choices.”
Brands Must Invest in Social Selling and Social Care Now
If you want to stay ahead, your social support and social selling strategy absolutely must do the following four things.
- Train teams on best practices for social engagement.
- Use AI-powered tools to scale customer interactions.
- Implement social commerce strategies for seamless purchases.
- Prioritize fast and personalized customer support.
If you ignore these shifts you risk will losing revenue, customers, and market relevance to competitors who embrace them.
Pssst! We can help! Chat with me, Brooke Sellas, CEO of B Squared Media today (it’s completely free!).
Final Thoughts: Social Media’s Future is Selling and Supporting
The future of social media isn’t just about content and ads—it’s about building relationships that sell and support.
Brands that focus on authentic engagement, social care, and conversational selling will see:
- More sales through organic interactions.
- Higher retention rates and brand loyalty.
- A stronger brand reputation in the digital space.
Social media is no longer just about posting content; it’s about conversations that convert. (You thought I was going to say Conversations That Connect, didn’t you?!)
The brands that recognize this shift NOW will dominate the future of digital marketing.
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