When I accepted an internship at KWSM: a digital marketing agency last spring, I diverged from the path that many of my fellow journalism classmates took by not working at a TV station, radio station, or newspaper. I took it because I was intrigued by the world of social media marketing and because I wanted to learn and apply skills that I couldn’t practice in my journalism classes. 
I finished up my three-month internship at KWSM in August, and I learned plenty about the business and day-to-day responsibilities of a digital marketing agency.
Here are four of the biggest takeaways from my summer at KSWM:
It Didn’t Matter That I Didn’t Have Traditional Marketing or Advertising Experience
In fact, I think it made me a greater asset to the team. My background and experiences before this summer were mostly in journalism, including stints as a reporter, editor, and digital editor at Syracuse University’s student newspaper. Journalists, like digital marketers, work to tell stories and spark conversations. Drawing on my experiences and skills beyond marketing helped me write more relevant blogs and strategies for clients, among other things. I learned that well when I used my news judgment to write a blog off of a trending topic in California — that blog quickly became one of the client’s website’s most-clicked pages.
There Is No “One Size Fits All” Digital Marketing Strategy
Flooding all social media channels with content isn’t necessarily the best way to get results for a client. I learned at KWSM to analyze each social media channel for its strengths and weaknesses depending on the product or service each client provides, and what each client’s goals were. For example, I learned that Twitter is a great channel for a business to contribute to national conversations, but a small business with a more regional focus might not see as much success.
It’s Important to Learn More About Your Tools
I came to KWSM with a basic knowledge of the tools I’d be using over the summer. But every few weeks, we gathered as a team to do a group workshop on tools like Google Analytics and LinkedIn Ads. Staying current on the best practices for the tools and platforms I used helped me put together more effective content and reports for clients, and knowing how to navigate those tools saved me time and effort during the workday.
A Good Team Is Important
Everyone at KWSM brings different skills and experiences to the team, which is what makes the team so effective. If someone on the team had a question, there was almost always someone else who had an answer. My managers and coworkers trusted me with projects and valued the opinions I offered in meetings and discussions. Collaboration is key in digital marketing, which is why KWSM does such great work.
Would you like to join the KWSM team?
Check out our careers page, and learn about what we do and we offer our team!
