糖心Vlog

I learned the hard way that “posting everywhere” isn’t a strategy.

A few years ago, a founder asked why our content wasn’t moving the pipeline. I pulled the reports and saw prospects were researching us on social long before they ever hit a form, but we were scattered.

Since then, working as a content strategist for B2B SaaS companies, I’ve rebuilt social selling from the buyer’s point of view — where they research, how they engage, and what actually triggers outreach.

This update reflects what I’m seeing in 2025 plus new data on where sellers research prospects and where social drives real responses. It’s not a pitch. It’s a practical “pick your battles” guide so you can stop spreading effort thin and start building trust on the feeds they check daily.

Table of Contents

• Best Social Selling Channels
• How Consumers Actually Use Social in 2025

HubSpot's 2025 Sales Trends Report

This in-depth report includes sections, covering:

• How buyers are becoming more self-informed
• How sales teams are using AI and automation
• Adapting to tighter budgets
• And more!

Download the Free Report

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Best Social Selling Channels

1. Facebook

In 2025, Facebook has continued to dominate as the top platform for researching prospects, and shows no signs of stopping for 2026. highlights how 59.3% of buyers use it to check businesses and individuals before engaging.

Unlike faster-moving platforms, Facebook feels like a directory meets community center — real names, local credibility, and active Groups make it easy for people to verify who you are. For sellers, your profile and community activity often serve as the first impression.

That said, the same platform trusted for buying is facing skepticism among marketers. In 2025, one in five marketers plans to completely cut investments in Facebook.

That creates opportunity: If many step back, those who stay active with trust-first outreach — Groups, meaningful comments, community posts — will capture attention at lower cost. Your consistency could make you one of the few reliable voices buyers still see.

Consumer perspective: Shoppers still see Facebook as their go-to for trustworthy social proof. Even if the in-app shopping tools aren’t always seamless, real profiles, reviews, and communities bring transparency. That sense of authenticity nudges them from browser to buyer.

贬耻产厂辫辞迟’蝉 Social Media Trends report reveals why people use different social media platforms. Here’s how people use Facebook.

2. Instagram

Instagram holds its ground in 2025 as a high-intent social selling channel, with 49% of buyers using it to research prospects and businesses. Its visual-first design makes it easy for people to validate credibility — through grids, carousels, Reels, and Stories. For sellers, that means every post is a chance to show proof: results, process, and behind-the-scenes context.

Investment is climbing: 24% of B2B marketers and 31% of B2C marketers increased spend on Instagram this year.

That growth signals stronger competition, but also more acceptance from buyers who are primed to engage with credible, proof-based content.

Consumer perspective: Buyers say Instagram delivers the best in-app shopping experience. The good news is that 75% of marketers feel comfortable posting here, which means prospects are used to seeing brand-led content and don’t view it as intrusive.

3. TikTok

TikTok isn’t the top research destination yet — only 19.1% of buyers use it to research prospects and businesses — but its role in discovery is expanding fast.

Short, specific demos and authentic behind-the-scenes clips get saved, shared, and circulated in ways that influence buying conversations later.

Marketers are betting big on this shift: 26% of B2B marketers and 34% of B2C marketers increased investments in TikTok in 2025. For sellers, it’s a chance to meet buyers earlier in the journey — before they’re actively searching.

Consumer perspective: While trust in TikTok still lags compared to Facebook and Instagram, its engagement rates are among the highest of any platform. That means even if people don’t come here first to “research,” they often encounter products and services in their feed and then take the extra step to validate elsewhere.

4. LinkedIn

LinkedIn continues to be the anchor for professional credibility in 2025 and is likely to do so in 2026. Nearly 32% of buyers use it to research prospects and businesses, making it a smaller share than Facebook or Instagram but one that carries outsized weight in B2B sales.

When decision-makers want to validate expertise, they scroll profiles, check mutual connections, and scan recent posts.

Marketers recognize this split focus: 45% of B2B companies use LinkedIn regularly, compared to 38% of B2C companies. For B2B sellers especially, a strong LinkedIn presence is the credibility layer that makes outreach feel earned.

Consumer perspective: Unlike other platforms, buyers here aren’t in shopping mode — they’re in learning mode. That’s why B2B sellers who show up with insights, POV content, and proof of outcomes earn more replies than those who pitch cold.

5. X

X (formerly Twitter) holds a modest but meaningful place in prospect research, with 20.6% of buyers using it to check businesses or individuals in 2025. Its strength lies less in polished brand content and more in real-time signals — what people are saying, who they interact with, and how they respond in public threads.

For sellers, this makes X a powerful channel for listening. Tracking live conversations, using advanced search to surface buying signals, and adding value in threads can open doors in a way that polished ads or posts can’t.

Consumer perspective: For buyers, X offers quick context. They scan replies, recent posts, and follower networks to get a sense of how credible or connected someone is. While it’s not the first stop for most, it’s often where they validate thought leadership or uncover unfiltered opinions before engaging.

How Consumers Actually Use Social in 2025

Social media isn’t just a top-of-funnel awareness channel anymore — it’s the first place buyers go to research, validate, and even purchase.

• 59% of consumers prefer to conduct their own product research rather than talk to a human.
• Social is the #1 product discovery channel, with one in four consumers buying directly from a social app in just the past three months.
• 47% of social users already feel comfortable buying through social apps (up from 41% last year), but trust remains fragile — only 45% are confident in sharing credit card details on platforms.
• Influencers are more powerful than ever: Over 20% of consumers bought something in the last three months because of a creator’s recommendation, and most of those creators had fewer than 10K followers.
• Communities are sticky: 27% of consumers actively participated in an online community in the last three months, showing the power of niche spaces for building loyalty.

People increasingly want to research on their own, which means your content has to be easy to find and clear enough to stand on its own without a sales pitch.

They also put more weight on authenticity than on brand messaging — peer reviews, creator posts, and active communities shape perception far more than polished campaigns.

And when they’re ready to purchase, they expect it to feel seamless. A simple, trustworthy in-app buying flow builds confidence, while any friction in checkout risks breaking the momentum entirely.

Over to You

Social selling has matured into a core part of how buyers make decisions. The data shows they’re researching, comparing, and often buying without ever leaving their feeds.

That shift raises the bar for sellers: It’s no longer enough to post consistently — you need to show up where buyers actually research, build trust through authentic proof, and remove friction when they’re ready to act.

The opportunity is there, but so is the competition. The question is whether you’re adapting fast enough to meet buyers in the way they now expect.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2023 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

HubSpot's 2025 Sales Trends Report

This in-depth report includes sections, covering:

• How buyers are becoming more self-informed
• How sales teams are using AI and automation
• Adapting to tighter budgets
• And more!

Download the Free Report

Download Free

All fields are required.

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.