At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many firms turned to social media as a tool to boost international sales, with some firms having relied on such social tools to reach new customers.
In a study, appearing in the International Business Review, a group at the University of Eastern Finland aimed at identifying how social media tools were leveraged for business-to-business (B2B) sales process among small and medium-sized firms.
“This paper explores how social media, digital, and traditional sales communication tools are leveraged during the three main phases of the B2B sales process within international SMEs,” the authors wrote in their report.
“The article’s grounded-theory approach illustrates that social media can be particularly helpful in engaging international prospects.”
Researchers began their study by reviewing previous research involving B2B sales and the use of social media tools.
Overall, their findings establish clear benefits for the integration of social media tools for business-to-business sales.
“Our research team has assumed a leading position in research dealing with how B2B firms apply social media in their international sales,” according to one co-author of the study.
“Our findings provide a structured framework for managers on how to best integrate social media into their communication portfolio along the sales process phases for international markets.”
