As technology continues to advance, so does our ways of living. And with everything going to mobile, social media presence is bigger than ever before. As students and young people, in-tune with today's technology, we're all online. But a presence on social media is just as important for businesses, especially in sales.

Reanne Ramos, a social media entrepreneur for Market America and Shop.com, says social media has brought growth in sales. This is because it helps spread the word out to the digital world.

It allows us to utilize social media to create free advertising for all the companies that we're affiliated with, she says. This year alone, we had an 80 per cent increase in sales.

Social media in sales

Websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, have allowed the online social scene to become more active than ever, particularly in the sales industry. Ramos says that if today's companies aren't present on any social media platforms, then they don't entirely exist.

People don't listen to commercials or advertisements anymore, so it's the only effective way of getting your word out there [on social media] and getting business moving forward.

Ramos adds that social media is only powerful for the people who are using it. Although it's free exposure, she compares social media in sales with the most powerful form of advertising: word of mouth.

In terms of people, you would trust your own friend to give you advice on where and what to shop for because the main instinct of people now is to ask their friends, she explains. If your friend puts up a picture of something they bought [that you like], you'll comment on it and ask them, then most likely purchase the same item. That's why it's important in sales.

Responsibilities

Working as a social media entrepreneur sounds simple and fun, but when you've got a large follow-base, Ramos says the key is to be consistent when posting.

Make sure you're posting quality content because it's not about posting products or partner stores to make sure you're pushing out revenue or products, she says. It's more about making sure you have a voice out there and that there's people tuning into your content. Social media is just a way for you to work with people.

Another responsibility of being a social media entrepreneur is making sure everything is well prepared before posting. Without preparation, they're putting their reputation on the line.

Sales Is everywhere

As much as you don't realize it, sales isn't just part of a lifelong career. It's also a part of our everyday lives.

Ramos says that students looking into a career in sales can be compared like being interviewed. In general, everyone needs to know how to talk.

If you know how to talk, you essentially know how to sell, she says. You have to be a people person and be really knowledgeable in whatever you're trying to dive into. It's about knowing your stuff.

In fact, Ramos assures students that selling isn't as hard as it sounds. As long as you're friendly and care about people's interest [students will succeed]. Some people are so scared of it, but it's as easy as helping someone out.

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