Marketing and SEO termsUpdated
Social Selling Index (SSI)
Also called: SSI, LinkedIn SSI score, social selling
Definition
The Social Selling Index (SSI) is a LinkedIn score from 0 to 100 that estimates how effectively someone uses LinkedIn for social selling, based on establishing a professional brand, finding the right people, engaging with insights and building relationships.
The four areas
LinkedIn doesn't publish the exact formula, so treat descriptions of how each area is scored, including the ones above, as a guide rather than a rulebook.
| Area | Roughly reflects |
|---|---|
| Establish your professional brand | How complete and credible your profile and content are |
| Find the right people | How well you identify and reach relevant prospects |
| Engage with insights | Sharing and discussing content that's useful to your network |
| Build relationships | Growing and strengthening connections with decision makers |
Where to see it and how to read it
Signed-in members can view their score on LinkedIn's Social Selling Dashboard at linkedin.com/sales/ssi, which also compares it with people in your industry and in your network. LinkedIn's sales blog said the SSI was opened to anyone interested, not only Sales Navigator users.
Use it as a trend line. A rising score usually means more consistent activity; it doesn't measure revenue, and pushing the number up with low-value connection requests misses the point. Scores also vary by role and industry, which is why the dashboard compares you with your industry and network rather than a single standard.
Your website is part of the same professional brand. A profile widget gives visitors a direct path from your site to your LinkedIn profile.
Sources
Related terms
- LinkedIn connection degrees
- Connection degrees show how far another member is from you on LinkedIn. 1st-degree members are directly connected to you, 2nd-degree members are connected to your 1st-degree connections, and 3rd-degree members are connected to your 2nd-degree connections.
- LinkedIn follower
- A LinkedIn follower is someone who has chosen to see your public posts and articles in their feed. Following is one-way: unlike a connection, it needs no acceptance and doesn't make either of you part of the other's network.
- Social proof
- Social proof is evidence that other people trust, use or recommend you, such as testimonials, reviews, client logos, follower counts or endorsements. Visitors lean on it as a shortcut when deciding whether a business or person is credible.
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What social selling means
Social selling is using a professional network to find buyers, understand them and build relationships before and during a sale, rather than relying only on cold calls and emails. LinkedIn created the SSI as a way to measure that activity on its own platform. It overlaps with marketing, but it's done by individual sellers through their own profiles and conversations rather than by a brand account.