What is Social Selling and How to Use It

In today’s digital age, the landscape of sales and marketing is continuously evolving. Of course, one of the biggest changes to the 21st-century marketing universe has been the rapid growth of social media. 

For the past two decades, online marketers learned how to adapt to a whole new environment to reach customers where they are. And just to be clear – where they are is on social media platforms. 

Revolutionizing Sales in the Digital Age

The meteoric rise of social media platforms has completely revolutionized the way businesses interact with their target audiences. Popular platforms, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok offer unique opportunities for sales professionals to meet prospects, share valuable content, and engage in real conversations with potential clients. 

Social media provides a rich ecosystem where customer-business relationships can flourish and brands can position themselves as industry thought leaders. As a result, social selling has emerged as a powerful sales strategy that harnesses the potential of social media platforms to connect with customers in meaningful ways that drive business growth. 

This article will provide a comprehensive guide to social selling, its impact on the sales industry, and the key components and strategies that can help you find success in this exploding marketplace. We will also discuss examples of social selling, the pros and cons of various platforms, and the future of social selling as we know it. 

The Definition of Social Selling

It is a modern approach to selling that leverages the power of social media to engage with prospects, attract them to your brand, and nurture them through the buying process. 

This contemporary sales strategy involves using social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram to research, identify, connect, communicate, and build relationships with prospects, as well as engage in industry-wide conversations.

Social selling emphasizes relationship-oriented selling versus transactional marketing. Rather than relying solely on traditional sales methods, social selling excels at creating trust, credibility, and rapport with potential customers by sharing valuable content, providing insights and expertise, and taking part in honest dialogue. 

Social selling is about more than making sales pitches on social media. It’s about establishing yourself and your brand as a trusted authority within your industry and forming authentic relationships with the people who buy your products.

By sharing relevant and helpful content, participating in industry discussions, and connecting with prospects and customers in genuine and personalized ways, social sellers aim to create a strong online presence and a wide network of personal contacts. It’s this well-earned social status and ongoing active participation in their online communities, rather than direct pitches, that leads to future sales.

​​What Social Selling is Not

Social selling is not about bombarding strangers with unsolicited Tweets and DMs. That’s called spam. Please don’t do it. Not only is it annoying – it’s neither productive nor profitable. Furthermore, many private and public groups consider these actions as reasons for canceling your membership. 

Social selling also isn’t about endlessly adding new contacts to your contact list. “Having a big rolodex” isn’t really a thing anymore. If you’re not developing relationships with your contacts, their numbers and emails are worthless. 

Social selling isn’t even about attracting new customers through direct pitches. If you learn the right ways to conduct social selling, that part will take care of itself. 

Social selling is about making meaningful interactions by creating relevant content that presents your brand as an intellectual leader in its industry. When you create quality content, you’re more likely to build interest in your brand naturally. By focusing on building relationships with other industry leaders and demonstrating expertise in your field, social sellers position themselves as a guiding light for modern consumers who are overwhelmed by too many choices. 

That’s where social selling is different from social media marketing or advertising. It’s not a sales pitch. It’s really all about relationships and knowledge. By creating content that highlights the value of your products and drives discussion in your industry, the right target audience will come to you. From there, successful social sellers concentrate on building real relationships with real people who have a real reason to connect with you and your brand.

It’s important to note that social selling is not a replacement for traditional sales techniques, but rather an effective and necessary marketing strategy meant to complement them. By integrating social selling into their overall sales efforts, businesses and sales professionals can enhance their reach, visibility, and effectiveness in today’s digital age.

Why Social Selling?

Traditional sales methods are limited by two major factors: the one-way communication of advertising and the unwanted solicitation of cold calling. 

The evolution of sales and the rise of social media

The emergence and growth of social media platforms have changed the dynamics of buyer behavior and expectations by providing a level playing field on which all people and businesses can connect. As social media has become the number one way people communicate and take in new information, consumers have come to expect immediate access and personalization in their relationships with the companies they buy from. 

Having a vibrant social media presence is no longer a bonus – it’s a requirement of any serious business endeavor. But don’t just take our word for it. Look at these statistics. 

Considering the sheer volume of people currently using social media, the potential for brands to make social sales is huge.

• 4.8 billion people worldwide are active on social media in 2023. (Data Portal) 
• Social media platforms gained 150 million new users in the past 12 months.

According to LinkedIn:

• Businesses that are leaders in the social selling space create 45% more sales opportunities than brands with a low social selling index.
• Businesses that prioritize social selling are 51% more likely to reach their sales quotas.
• 78% of businesses that use social selling outsell businesses that don’t use social media.

And this isn’t just a “potential” marketplace. It’s a thriving business ecosystem teeming with possibilities and growing at an exponential rate. 

• In the last six months of 2020, one in four Americans ages 18 to 34 made a purchase via social media. India, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand all saw approximately a third of the same demographic make a purchase via social media in that same timeframe. (Statista)

Now, let’s take a look at the customer traffic on some of the most popular platforms.

• 200 million Instagram users visit a profile at least once a day and 81% of Instagram users are researching products and services on the platform.
• 18.3% of American Facebook users made a purchase via Facebook in 2020.
• 70% of YouTube users have bought a brand’s product after seeing it on YouTube.
• 96% of B2B content marketers use LinkedIn for organic marketing. Facebook is the next most popular platform, used by 82% of B2B content marketers.

As you can see, this is a revolution already well underway. So, whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned social-selling veteran, let’s look at some of the key components of this highly profitable marketing trend.

Key Components of Social Selling

1. Identifying your audience

Social sellers utilize advanced search features, AI, and data analytics to identify potential customers who align with their target market. These are the people you’re going to try to build relationships with. You’ll want to put time into finding your perfect audience, but as you create and share more content, the AI algorithms will naturally connect you with those who have similar interests. 

2. Quality content creation 

Valuable and relevant content establishes credibility and attracts prospects to engage with social sellers. Your aim is to create quality content that draws your audience to you. This is also known as inbound marketing. Your content is your marketing. By positioning yourself as an expert in the field, your content helps you sell yourself as well as your products and services.

3. Building a strong personal brand

Social sellers cultivate their personal brand by sharing expertise and actively participating in industry discussions. This is sometimes called “thought leadership”. The more relevant, engaging content and discussion you generate on social media, the better you position yourself as an industry leader. As you grow the reputation of your brand, your words gain value, and people will listen to what you have to say. Essentially, you become an influencer. 

4. Connecting with prospects

The greatest strength of social media is its ability to connect people. Meaningful and personalized interactions with prospects through social media channels foster trust and nurture relationships. By replying to a DM or comment, or simply liking a post, you are letting people know that you see them and respect what they have to say. Whole new worlds can open when you connect with your customers directly on social media. 

5. Leveraging social listening 

Nowadays, we have software called “social listening tools” that allow users to monitor, track, and analyze social media conversations. By actively monitoring conversations, social sellers can gain valuable insights into customer needs, pain points, and preferences. This can be incredibly useful for businesses that want to keep an eye on what people are saying about their brand or industry online. It may sound like a communist plot from George Orwell’s dystopian novel, “1984”, but it’s real and it’s part of the social media business model.

Strategies for Effective Social Selling

Social selling, like any sales and marketing strategy, takes time to master. It requires a balanced, thoughtful approach that emphasizes strong content and authentic connection. To maximize the impact of social selling, sales professionals should consider the following strategies.

1. Develop a clear value proposition

Understanding the unique value a product or service brings to customers is crucial in social selling. Articulating this value proposition helps attract and engage prospects. By knowing your product inside-out, you can clearly present its usefulness and desirability to your prospective customers.

2. Understand the needs of your prospects

If you want your customers to feel like you already know them, then you must understand the specific needs and challenges your prospects are facing. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. What type of content and connection would you be looking for on this social media platform? If it has value to you, it probably has value to others. 

3. Build trust and credibility

By consistently providing quality content, sharing industry insights, and engaging in meaningful conversations, you establish credibility with your prospects. When they know you are a trusted source and expert in your field, they will naturally come to you seeking answers to their problems. This presents the perfect opportunity to sell them a solution. 

4. Personalize messages

Tailoring messages and interactions to meet the specific needs and preferences of prospects creates a personalized and memorable experience. These little flourishes can make all the difference in a sale conversion. If you take a few minutes to get to know your customer by perusing their social media pages before you reach out, you may be able to connect with them in a way that genuinely resonates.

5. Nurture long-term customer relationships

When somebody finds something they like on social media, they typically follow it for a long time. This is where engaging content can bring in new customers and keep them coming back. When they’ve been going to you for credible information for years, they are almost certain to trust you with a new product or service.

6. Balance automation and human touch

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to communicate with customers on social media. While this can take a lot of work off of your sales reps, it is not always as effective as a human touch. With this in mind, be sure not to rely on AI too much or you could potentially push your customers away to less robotic sellers. Remember, you always want to come off as personable and authentic in social selling. 

7. Measure and analyze performance

Social media analytics tools allow sales professionals to track and evaluate the effectiveness of their social selling efforts, enabling data-driven optimizations that improve marketing performance. You’ll want to follow these analytics closely to adapt to changing social media trends. This magical insight is the secret power of social selling and it can unlock a level of understanding that was previously out of reach. 

Examples of Social Selling

Before we dive into the pros and cons of each major social selling platform, let’s take a look at a few examples of social selling, just to give you a better idea of what we’re talking about. 

1. AT&T:  Opening a new market

In 2011, AT&T put together a new sales team to rebuild business relationships with a Fortune 100 company in Atlanta. They decided to take an entirely new approach that heavily favored building relationships through social media. 

They began implementing a content strategy aimed at targeted audiences on social media. Within 18 months, $47 million in brand new business was awarded to AT&T, directly attributable to social media outreach.

2. Ocean Spray: TikTok Virality

You’ve likely seen the Ocean Spray skateboarding video that swept the world in 2020, as well as the many reiterations that came after. What you may not know is that this video was created when Nathan Apodaca’s truck broke down and he needed to get to work. So, he hopped on his skateboard, blasted some Fleetwood Mac, grabbed a bottle of cranberry juice, and headed off – creating what would be one of the most viral videos of the year. 

He didn’t create the video “to go viral.” The guy had only 400 or so followers at the time, but the power of social media took his authentic and entertaining content to a new level. Within 36 hours of Apodaca’s TikTok going viral, the CEO of Ocean Spray purchased and delivered him a brand new truck, branded in Ocean Spray red, and filled the truck bed with what appeared to be more than a year’s worth of Ocean Spray cranberry juice.

The video itself doesn’t tag Ocean Spray, hashtag it, mention the brand, or anything. But Ocean Spray’s team was employing social listening tools that picked up on the trend and they reacted while the whole world was still watching.

3. Starface: Social listening to boost your brand

Sarah Lugor posted a video of herself wearing pimple patches from a beauty brand called Starface. She didn’t tag the company in the video, but, as the business pays attention to its target audience on social media, it found her content and reposted it to Instagram. The video blew up. 

With this example, Starface used social listening to discover user-generated content that gave them valuable and engaging social proof that traveled much further than anything they could have created themselves. And Sarah Lugor? Well, she became a minor influencer in her own right. 

4. Hubspot: Inbound marketing from quality content

Hubspot has positioned itself as a sales leader through the creation of quality content to build a reputation as a reliable knowledge source in the sales industry. When something changes in online marketing, HubSpot is there with a guide to help entrepreneurs manage the change. 

By providing superior knowledge and advice for free, HubSpot positioned itself as the best educational resource for the market they serve. In the process, they attracted a huge audience. This now-famous software start-up exploded onto the scene in 2006. Two years later, they hit $2.2 million in sales, and $52 million four years later.

5. Convirza: Gaining traction with a blog

A call tracking service called Convirza practiced a“150 Blog Posts in 50 Days” effort hoping potential customers would be attracted by the content. By producing three unique and useful blog posts a day, two original marketing webinars each week, and monthly case studies, they saw a 400% increase in leads within 90 days.

Pros and Cons of Social Selling Platforms 

While social selling has unlimited potential, it’s important to choose the right combination of social media platforms to fit your specific business needs. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of the most popular platforms for social selling. 

1. LinkedIn: A powerhouse for B2B social selling

LinkedIn has positioned itself as the go-to networking platform for business professionals. While it started out as a place to post a resume or job openings, it’s evolved into a full-on social media ecosystem that cultivates business relationships throughout many industries.

Compared to other social media platforms, LinkedIn is seen as the place to put your best professional face forward and facilitate meaningful connections with prospects, clients, and industry influencers. As such, it’s a popular way for entrepreneurs, job seekers, and business-to-business salespeople to connect.  

89% of B2B marketers turn to LinkedIn to generate leads. (LinkedIn)

LinkedIn’s advanced search features allow social sellers to target specific industries, job titles, and geographic locations. Its publishing platform and groups provide opportunities to establish thought leadership and share valuable content.

However, LinkedIn does have some shortcomings when it comes to social selling. With a large number of professionals and businesses present on the platform, the competition can be intense. LinkedIn’s content options are primarily text-based, limiting visual storytelling possibilities. Furthermore, its premium features and advertising options can be costly, especially for small businesses.

2. Facebook: Building communities and nurturing relationships

As the first true social media company to really take off, Facebook is still the number one place for Baby Boomers, Generation X, and older Millennials in the United States to connect. With over 2.8 billion monthly active users worldwide, Facebook offers a massive global audience for social selling.

While many businesses have a Facebook page, it’s not usually the biggest driver of direct sales. Rather, it’s a place for consumers to get basic information about a company and see what they’ve been up to by scrolling through their feeds. 

Facebook is the most-used platform by marketers worldwide (90%). Instagram sits in second place (79%). (Statista)

Facebook Groups provide an online arena for creating communities and engaging with target audiences. The platform supports a wide range of content formats, including text, images, videos, and live streaming which aids in creative storytelling. Facebook’s robust advertising platform allows social sellers to target specific demographics and interests with their marketing content.

Direct messaging on Facebook can still be an effective way to reach people, but it really depends on how active they are on the platform. Younger generations of people under 40 are more likely to use Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, or TikTok when communicating. 

But even Facebook has its drawbacks. Changes in their algorithm have reduced the organic reach of business pages, necessitating paid advertising for broader exposure. Meanwhile, recent privacy and ethics scandals have raised concerns among users, impacting trust and potentially affecting social selling efforts. 

In addition, Facebook’s emphasis on personal connections can make it challenging to maintain a strictly professional presence for social selling purposes. When your customers are called “friends,” there is a risk of blurred personal boundaries and coming across as too invasive with your sales approach. 

3. Instagram: Visual storytelling for product promotion

Instagram is a favorite of younger generations and a go-to social platform for influencers. It is directly responsible for the question: How many followers do you have? 

Instagram’s focus on visual content allows social sellers to showcase products or services in creative and interesting ways. Its high engagement rates and influencer partnerships can amplify brand visibility and reach. Shoppable posts and features streamline the buying process and facilitate direct sales. 

With a predominantly younger user base, Instagram is ideal for businesses targeting Gen Z and millennial demographics.

61.2% of the over 2 billion total Instagram users are between the ages 18 and 34. (Statista)

Like every social media platform, Instagram does have its cons. Instagram restricts clickable links, making it challenging to direct users to external websites or product pages. Businesses in certain industries that rely heavily on text-based content may find it difficult to effectively engage on Instagram. With its popularity, Instagram is saturated with businesses vying for attention, requiring unique and compelling content to stand out.

Unlike other platforms, Instagram’s analytics and reporting tools for business accounts have limitations, making it challenging to measure the direct impact of social selling efforts and calculate return on investment (ROI). Additionally, its emphasis on aesthetically pleasing and curated content may require businesses to invest time and resources in creating high-quality visuals. Consistently maintaining a polished image may be too demanding for some.

4. Twitter: Real-time engagement and thought leadership

Twitter’s greatest strength is its focus on real-time engagement. The platform’s fast-paced nature enables immediate interactions with prospects and customers. This urgent nature has cemented it as the hub of political discussions, memes, and a prime place to go back and forth with brands. By actively participating in industry discussions and leveraging trending hashtags on Twitter, social sellers can establish thought leadership and gain the attention of a wide audience. 

Twitter’s retweets and like features help users increase visibility and engagement, potentially leading to viral exposure. A well-crafted tweet that resonates with users can quickly gain traction, driving brand awareness and attracting new followers. There is also the option for social sellers to connect personally with prospects and industry influencers through direct messaging.

53% of people on Twitter are more likely to be the first to buy new products. (Twitter Business)

On the downside, Twitter’s 280-character limit can be challenging to convey complex messages or detailed product information. Unlike other platforms, Twitter is primarily text-based, limiting the visual storytelling potential. 

It’s also easy for users to get drowned in noise and Information overload on Twitter. The high volume of tweets and rapid-fire nature can make it difficult for social sellers to stand out and capture attention. Furthermore, Twitter’s algorithm prioritizes highly engaging content, making it challenging for social sellers to achieve organic visibility without being controversial. Unless you want to take major risks with your content, this challenge may necessitate paid advertising or influencer collaborations to increase reach.

In addition, Twitter’s open platform is notorious for trolls and negative comments. Businesses that work there must be prepared to handle criticism professionally, address concerns, and maintain a positive online presence. 

5. TikTok – Engagement and virality

As one of the newest kids to the block, TikTok presents both grand opportunities and potential challenges for contemporary social selling. 

TikTok has a massive user base, particularly among younger demographics, offering a vast potential audience for businesses aiming to connect with Gen Z and millennials. Its short-form video format encourages creativity and unique storytelling, enabling businesses to showcase products or services in engaging and entertaining ways. Advanced algorithm and content discovery features have a propensity for content to go viral, providing businesses with an opportunity for significant brand exposure and visibility.

TikTok is the fastest-growing platform with a staggering 100% user growth rate between 2020 and 2022. It now has over 1.5 billion active users worldwide. (Business of Apps)

TikTok’s emphasis on authentic and unfiltered content allows businesses to connect with users on a more personal level, fostering trust and building relationships. Partnering with TikTok influencers who align with a business’s target audience can amplify brand awareness and reach, leveraging their established following and reputation.

On the downside, since TikTok’s user base is predominantly younger, businesses targeting older demographics may find it challenging to reach their desired audience on the platform. In addition, its fast-paced nature and short video format may make it difficult to convey complex product information or detailed messaging within the limited time frame.

TikTok’s restrictions on clickable links within videos make it burdensome for businesses to direct users to external websites or product pages, hindering direct conversion. Moreover, content trends change rapidly, requiring businesses to stay consistently updated and agile to effectively engage with the platform’s user base.

As more businesses turn to TikTok for advertising and social selling, the platform may become saturated with ads, potentially leading to user fatigue and reduced engagement. To leverage TikTok effectively for social selling, businesses should understand their target audience, tailor their content to the platform’s unique style, collaborate with relevant influencers, and stay adaptable to the evolving nature of the platform.

6. Pinterest – The home for niche enthusiasts 

Pinterest often doesn’t get its due when it comes to social platforms, but the platform’s diverse, big-spending audience is among the most dedicated and engaged of any network.

Pinterest is a popular visual discovery and inspiration platform that offers unique opportunities for social selling. The power of Pinterest advertising is well-documented and the platform is the perfect place to uncover new products. 

Pinterest’s visually-oriented platform allows businesses to showcase their products or services in a visually appealing manner. With high-quality images, businesses can captivate users’ attention and inspire them to engage and make purchasing decisions.

Over 450 million people use Pinterest every month. (Pinterest Business)

Pinterest attracts a specific audience, primarily consisting of users looking for inspiration, ideas, and planning for their hobbies and interests. This presents an opportunity for businesses to reach a motivated and receptive audience actively seeking products or services relevant to their lives.

Pinterest serves as a major traffic driver for business websites. By pinning content with direct links to product pages or blog posts, businesses can generate increased website traffic and potentially convert users into customers.

Unlike other social media platforms, Pinterest’s content has a longer lifespan. Pins can continue to be discovered and engaged for months or even years after being posted, providing businesses with a long-term marketing impact.

On the downside, building a strong presence on Pinterest by consistently creating and curating visually compelling content, optimizing boards and pins, and engaging with the community demands a significant investment of time and effort. Furthermore, its primary focus is on inspiration and discovery, rather than direct selling. 

While businesses can drive traffic to their websites, the platform does not provide built-in e-commerce integration or advanced shopping features. This may hinder direct conversion and require users to take additional steps to make a purchase.

While Pinterest has a dedicated user base, it may not have as broad an audience reach as other social media platforms. This limitation can impact businesses targeting a wide range of demographics or industries that do not align with Pinterest’s user base.

7. YouTube – The pinnacle of visual media

YouTube is the second-largest search engine globally, with billions of active users. It offers businesses an opportunity to reach a vast audience and engage with them through video content, comments, and subscriptions.

YouTube’s video format allows businesses to visually demonstrate products, showcase their features, and provide tutorials or reviews. This immersive experience can effectively communicate the value of products or services, leading to increased engagement and potential sales.

YouTube videos rank highly in search engine results, providing businesses with additional visibility and organic reach. Optimizing video titles, descriptions, tags, and closed captions can improve the chances of being discovered by users searching for related content.

YouTube offers various monetization options, such as running ads, brand partnerships, and affiliate marketing. Businesses can generate additional revenue streams by leveraging their YouTube channel and engaging with their audience effectively.

70% of YouTube users have bought a brand’s product after seeing it on YouTube. (Hubspot)

With millions of videos uploaded daily, standing out among the competition on YouTube can be challenging. Businesses must invest in creating high-quality and engaging video content to capture the attention of viewers and differentiate themselves from others.

Creating and producing high-quality videos requires time, resources, and technical expertise. Businesses need to allocate sufficient resources for planning, filming, editing, and optimizing videos to ensure professional and engaging content.

YouTube may display ads on videos, including competitors’ advertisements or those unrelated to the business. This can potentially divert viewer attention or negatively impact the brand’s image if the ads are not aligned with the business’s values or target audience.

On top of that, YouTube’s open comment section can attract negative comments or feedback. Businesses must be prepared to handle and respond to criticism professionally, monitor comments regularly, and maintain a positive online reputation.

The Future of Social Selling

Social selling has proven to be a transformative sales approach, revolutionizing the way businesses connect with their customers in the digital age. As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, the future of social selling holds tremendous potential for sales professionals.

Looking ahead, social selling will become even more personalized and hyper-targeted. Advanced data analytics and AI algorithms will enable sales professionals to gather rich customer insights, allowing for tailored interactions and customized content delivery. The era of one-size-fits-all marketing will fade away as social sellers leverage behavioral data, demographics, and preferences to deliver highly personalized experiences that resonate with individual prospects.

The power of influencers in social media will continue to grow. Social sellers can collaborate with influencers who have established trust and credibility with their audience, leveraging their reach to promote products or services. Influencer marketing combined with social selling strategies can create powerful partnerships that drive brand awareness, trust, and ultimately, sales.

In the coming years, the integration of AI and automation in social selling is set to revolutionize the sales process. AI-powered tools can analyze vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and provide valuable insights for sales professionals alongside personal recommendations for consumers. 

Chatbots and virtual assistants can enhance customer engagement, streamline communication, and provide personalized experiences at scale. AI-powered recommendation engines can assist in content curation, enabling social sellers to deliver highly targeted and relevant content to prospects.

As customer expectations continue to evolve, social sellers must adapt to meet these changing demands. Customers now expect authentic and transparent interactions, personalized experiences, and timely responses. As we move ahead, successful social sellers will focus on building genuine relationships, actively listening to customer feedback, and providing exceptional customer service across multiple communication channels.

While social selling continues to evolve, ethical considerations will play a critical role in shaping its future. Sales professionals must maintain transparency, respect privacy regulations, and adhere to respected practices when accessing customer data. Building trust and acting in the best interest of the customer will remain paramount to preserving a positive brand image.

To thrive in the future of social selling, sales professionals must embrace a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation. Staying updated on emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices is essential for success. Sales teams should invest in ongoing training, workshops, and certifications to equip themselves with the necessary skills and knowledge.

Conclusion

Social selling promises an exciting and dynamic landscape for sales professionals. With the integration of AI, content creation, and influencer marketing, social selling will continue to transform the sales process in years to come. 

Gone are the days of mass cold calling and door-to-door salespeople. At least for now, a world created by and for social media looks like it is here to stay. 

By embracing emerging trends and technologies in social selling, sales professionals can forge deeper connections with their customers, leverage their knowledge and expertise in their industry, and drive sustainable business growth in the ever-evolving digital world.