Are you thinking to do a marketing internship? The marketing industry is all about people – you will always be focussed on your customers, your clients, your work colleagues and your employers. Every facet of marketing is people-focussed, so having an awareness of all the different departments and aspects within a marketing firm will be very beneficial now that you are embarking on an internship in this industry.
The purpose of an internship is for you to learn as many professional skills as you can under guided supervision. There is going to be a lot for you to learn, so in order to make the most out of your internship and put your best foot forward in your chosen company, here are some tips to take with you:
Understand marketing language and the differences between important marketing concepts.
Here are some examples :
Mobile Marketing: customers are using their mobile phones for product searches more and more. Mobile Marketing is the concept of enhancing marketing strategies specifically targeted towards mobile use.
Web marketing: is all online marketing – think about websites and how they are all structured and targeted at consumers.
Digital Marketing: is the umbrella term for all things digital, whether it be on the internet, mobile and computer use, display advertising or any other marketing campaign using digital means (which is A LOT of marketing campaigns these days!).
SEO: is an acronym for ‘search engine optimization’ and this is plays a hugely important role in online and digital marketing. Understanding how to implement key catchwords and phrases into your websites and product information will ensure the best results for your client as their product will be located by consumers more frequently and efficiently.
B2B vs. B2C: ‘Business to Business’ versus ‘Business to Customer’ are two very important distinctions you should understand before beginning your internship. You need to know whether your company markets products towards other businesses or if they are a customer focussed marketing firm.
Numbers and graphs are friends
First things first, get used to numbers and graphs. Your job is to analyse – and yes, even if you plan on becoming a ‘social media marketer’ – your job is to provide ways of combatting any issues and problems with your data to get the best results for your client.
You are not just a marketer
In today’s marketing sector, employers are not only looking for the best marketers, but they are also looking for employees who can double up and act as copywriters, statisticians, public speakers, graphic designers, editors, writers and mathematicians. Your job is going to be versatile and the more general knowledge you have of other fields, the more valuable you will be to the company.
Understand the basics of HTML and CSS
You definitely don’t need to be the next coding genius, but understanding how coding works on a basic level will be of great benefit to you. HTML is an acronym for ‘HyperText Markup Language’, which is the language of building websites. CSS stands for ‘Cascading Style Sheets’ and is what you use to give your website funk and charm, such as fonts, graphics and colours. These two programs combined create the foundations for every website ever created.
What happens when you need to make a slight adjustment to a client’s website but your web designer is away sick? The more understanding you have of all of the aspects of the marketing business, the more efficient you will be as a worker and the more valuable you will appear as an employee.
Understand the basics of programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Final Cut
Ok, so you’re not a coder, nor are you a graphic designer! But going back to our earlier point – your employer will want to hire you if you can demonstrate a wide-variety of skills in your internship. Many marketing companies will be looking for interns and young professionals who have knowledge about other areas of the business, such as graphic design. If you have the know-how and relevant experience in these programs, you are going to be a valuable asset to the company.
The marketing industry is a fast-paced and exciting business to be in and your internship should expose you to as many areas of the business as possible. Since you are only just embarking on a marketing internship, your employer will know that you will have much to learn. But the more research and preparation you do before you commence your internship, the more likely your employer will want to hire you. So, what are you waiting for? Let the excitement begin!
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