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Online And Social Selling
July 10, 2026
Ken Klein
July 25, 2025
In the past few weeks, we’ve been examining the four key realms of selling: brick and mortar, online and social, community, and networking and referrals. Last week, we covered brick and mortar selling, the traditional human-to-human interaction between seller and customer. This week, we’ll be focusing on the online and social quadrant of selling.
Social media is the newest of the four realms, but it has quickly grown to be an effective, powerful and significant means of selling and sales. It can be used to network with prospective customers and partners while exploring the industry from a new angle.
Social networking can be an excellent tool for building and cultivating relationships that can be nurtured in the real world with a brick and mortar method.
How do online and social selling work? What are the benefits and how can you use it as a sales tool?
Creating relationships
Consider why you want to use social media. Are you looking to grow your network? Foster current customer relationships? Create awareness and visibility around your business?
What you get out of social media depends on what you put in. When running your social media accounts, you want to have a clear objective about what your strategic objectives look like.
Ultimately, social media is an effective to reach out to prospects. You can follow someone’s profile and comment on their posts, so they get used to seeing your name and business pop up. This creates a level of rapport and trust simply by creating more impressions.
After engaging with someone for a while, you can message them directly to start to cultivate a relationship. You’ll be able to see if they’ve read your message, and they can reply in a more casual way. This informality helps build a communicative and collaborative relationship from the beginning.
Let’s use LinkedIn as an example. You can use it to connect with people that you share value with—whether that means you’re looking to provide value, receive it, or both. If they accept the connection, thank them with a note that shows your interest and provides some sort of value right off the bat—like a relevant article you found. This can show your relevance as part of their network, and kick off the conversation.
With that you can start to comment on their posts or articles. Ask questions. Put in your two cents. Share their posts on your own pages, if you truly see value. Showing this level of engagement and interaction with their brand demonstrates a dedication that they might want in a business partner.
Social and online as a tool
You want to use online methods as a tool for digging deeper into business. Think of it as a long-term sales strategy. Expecting immediate results can lead you to come off as too aggressive.
Because social is a long-haul sales strategy, it’s a great way to host a larger list of prospects. Even if a prospect isn’t ready to be sold right now, they might be ready in a year. You can use online methods to keep up with them, so you remain top of mind for when they’re eventually ready to buy. You’ll constantly have their live feeds so you can identify opportune moments to make contact.
There are three key ways you can use social media as an online selling tool.
First, use social media to support and cultivate your network. Networking isn’t about having one group of stagnant associates. It’s about building new connections. Social media is a great method for expanding your network.
Second, focus on engaging with others’ content. I recommend an 80/20 ratio, where you comment and share others’ content 80% of the time and post your own content 20% of the time. This puts you in the middle of the industry conversation without overselling yourself.
Third, use social media as a means to an end—not the end itself. Social is a good way to foster relationships, but it’s a hard way to make the final sale. You’ll want to have a follow-up method for interactive contact. This could include a phone call, walk in, or email off of social media.
Utilize online methods as a stepping stone to more personal interactions.
Fostering relationships
Make a point of bringing your online relationship into the real world. If there is value to be had in the partnership, invite the other person to coffee or lunch to take your professional relationship to the next level. Adding a human touch amplifies your social impact.
How do you use online and social media tools to sell? Comment below with your thoughts and strategies.
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