Updated on 12 November 2026 by Nicolas Finet, CEO of Sortlist. We have rewritten this guide for UK sales and marketing teams: what social selling is, the main categories of tools, current LinkedIn Sales Navigator pricing in pounds, how to choose a stack and the UK rules on outreach. The earlier version listed tools with generic benefits and unverified success stories, so we replaced them with selection criteria and a short decision table.
Social selling is using social platforms, mainly LinkedIn for B2B, to find, research and build relationships with prospects before and during the sales process. Social selling tools help with prospect search, lead tracking, content scheduling, social listening, engagement and CRM integration. They support relationship building but do not replace it: the aim is to be useful and relevant, not to automate spam.
Key takeaways
- Start with a platform account and a CRM, then add only the tools that solve a specific problem (finding leads, tracking signals, scheduling content, measuring results).
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator in the UK is listed at about £94.99 a month for Core and about £130 a month for Advanced per user, excluding VAT; Advanced Plus is quoted per team. Prices change, so check LinkedIn.
- Automation tools that scrape data or send mass messages can breach platform terms and UK data protection and PECR rules.
- Measure meetings booked and pipeline, not connection requests sent.
- B2C social selling uses different tools: social commerce, messaging and creator platforms.
Categories of social selling tools
| Category | What it does | Examples | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prospecting and lead intelligence | Finds and filters people and accounts, alerts you to job changes and activity | LinkedIn Sales Navigator | You sell to defined B2B roles and companies |
| Social media management | Schedules posts, manages profiles and reports | Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Buffer | You publish regularly across channels |
| Social listening | Tracks mentions, topics and competitors | Brandwatch, Mention, Talkwalker | You need to spot buying signals or reputation issues |
| CRM and sales engagement | Records interactions and automates follow-up | HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive | You need one record of every lead |
| Content and employee advocacy | Helps staff share approved content | Employee advocacy platforms | You want to extend reach through your team |
| Analytics | Measures engagement and attribution | Platform analytics, social analytics suites | You report on pipeline influence |
LinkedIn Sales Navigator pricing in the UK
| Plan | UK price per user (ex-VAT) | For |
|---|---|---|
| Core | About £94.99 a month, or about £959.88 billed annually | Individual sellers |
| Advanced | About £130 a month, or about £1,499.88 a year | Teams needing collaboration and CRM features |
| Advanced Plus | Quoted per team | Larger organisations with CRM integration and onboarding |
Some pages show lower figures such as £74.99 or £79.99, which look outdated or tied to annual billing. Add 20% VAT and confirm the live price on LinkedIn's compare-plans page.
How to choose tools
- Define the process. Map how a lead goes from first signal to meeting.
- Identify the bottleneck. Is it finding prospects, staying consistent, responding quickly or measuring results?
- Check integrations. The tool should connect to your CRM and email.
- Check compliance. Data location, processing agreements and platform terms.
- Trial with real tasks. Measure time saved and meetings created for 30 to 60 days.
- Train the team. Tools without a playbook go unused.
A simple social selling routine
- Optimise your profile. A clear headline about who you help, a short summary with proof, and contact details.
- Build a target list. Use saved searches by role, sector, company size and location, and follow the accounts.
- Engage before pitching. Comment thoughtfully on their posts for a couple of weeks, then connect with a short personal note.
- Share useful content. Post insights, case studies and answers to common questions, not only offers.
- Respond to signals. Job changes, funding news, hiring and content engagement are cues for a relevant message.
- Move to a conversation. Offer a call or a resource when interest is clear, and log everything in your CRM.
- Review weekly. Which messages, topics and accounts led to replies and meetings?
A realistic target for a small team is a handful of quality conversations a week, not a high volume of cold messages.
UK rules and platform terms
- UK GDPR. You need a lawful basis, usually legitimate interests for B2B outreach, with a clear privacy notice and an easy way to object.
- PECR. Rules on electronic marketing differ between individual subscribers and corporate subscribers. Check ICO guidance before sending direct messages and emails at scale. Penalties for PECR breaches rose to UK GDPR levels under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
- Platform terms. LinkedIn restricts scraping and some automation. Using prohibited tools can lead to account restrictions.
- Advertising rules. Sponsored or employee-advocacy content must be identifiable as marketing where required.
Sortlist editorial note: if a tool promises hundreds of connection requests a day on autopilot, ask whether you would want to receive them. Relevance, not volume, books meetings.
Sortlist editorial team
B2C social selling tools
- Social commerce. Shops on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok Shop with in-app checkout.
- Live shopping. Live video demonstrations with direct purchase.
- Messaging. WhatsApp Business and Instagram DMs for service and sales.
- Creator tools. Affiliate and creator platforms, with clear ad labels.
Whichever tools you pick, agree who owns them, how data flows into your CRM and what you will stop doing if the tool does not deliver within a quarter.
How to measure social selling
| Metric | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Connection acceptance and reply rates | Shows relevance of outreach |
| Meetings booked from social | Closest to revenue |
| Pipeline and revenue influenced | Business value |
| Content engagement by target accounts | Signals interest |
| Time spent per meeting | Efficiency |
Frequently asked questions
Is LinkedIn Sales Navigator worth it?
It can be for teams selling to defined B2B accounts and roles, if used consistently with a CRM. For occasional prospecting, a free or Premium account may be enough.
What is the best social selling tool?
It depends on the process. Many teams combine LinkedIn, a CRM and a scheduling tool.
Is LinkedIn automation allowed?
LinkedIn restricts many automation tools and scraping. Review its terms and the data protection implications.
Is social selling legal under UK GDPR?
Yes, with a lawful basis, transparency and respect for objections.
Want help building a social selling process? Post your project on Sortlist and compare UK B2B marketing agencies for free.
Sources: LinkedIn, Sales Navigator compare plans, Hublead, Sales Navigator cost calculator, Emelia, Sales Navigator pricing, Kael Tripton, Sales Navigator UK. Prices change; confirm on LinkedIn and check the ICO for PECR guidance.
