Reflections on #AgencyLife

Posted September 9, 2016 by swimcreativeIntern_Nametag

I can’t believe how fast time has gone. Three short months ago, I began my internship at Swim Creative. And in that time, I’ve learned so much from my time here. Here are just a few insights from my summer at Swim.

Be Adaptive

Working in an agency is fun, but you have to learn to be flexible. I learned the importance of being able to handle multiple projects across many different departments, and how to work in a fast-paced environment.

Over the summer, I contributed to a broad spectrum of client work. For example, one day I’d sit in during meetings and meet marketing professionals from St. Luke’s and Duluth Experience Tours. The next, I’d be creating analytical performance reports and recommendations for clients and setting up Facebook Ads & Google AdWords campaigns.

In between these tasks, I’d be updating the Swimterns Twitter account and writing a few blog posts about my experience. All in all, I really loved gaining all the marketing experience.  

Find your focus

The beauty of working on such a range of projects is I got to figure out what I really enjoyed doing. For me, that was the digital aspect of marketing. Digital marketing is a fast-growing and essential aspect to all businesses.

With digital technologies advancing every day, there is always more to learn when it comes to marketing products and services on the internet, mobile phones, display advertising and any other digital medium.

Digital marketing is a must if you want to catch-up with or stay ahead of your competitors.

Become a Google Partner

I’m officially a Google Partner! After receiving my Google AdWords Certification, I was able to create analytical performance reports. This is something I would suggest any marketing professional do, you learn so much valuable information.

By using Google AdWords and Google Analytics, I was able to analyze the past performance of our clients’ marketing campaigns and give recommendations to make their campaigns more effective. I also used Google AdWords and Facebook Manager to create Facebook and AdWords campaigns.

Stay Social

swimternlogoEveryone already knows this, but keeping up with social media is key. I loved manning the Swimterns Twitter for the summer.

I was able to research and share different marketing blogs and articles, as well as help create a new “Swimterns” logo for the Twitter account, which is the image to the right.

By updating frequently and sharing content that was relevant to those interested in marketing, I gained many followers over the summer and grew the Swimterns Twitter presence quite a bit.

Details, details, details!

It’s crazy how many little details go into creating an effective marketing campaign. When you see an advertisement online, on TV or in a magazine, you don’t think twice about all the work that went into creating that advertisement.

First, the client has to explain the message they’re trying to get across, and the audience they want to speak to. Then, our creatives have to create a marketing plan to bring their message to life. After that, we could be developing a website, creating a logo, creating a commercial, or setting up a Facebook Ad, depending on the strategy.

From there, your Marketing Analyst looks into the nitty gritty details of how these ad campaigns performed, what worked well and what didn’t work so well. From there, we can optimize the current campaign and prepare for the next year. Meaning more effective campaigns all around.

People Make a Difference

One of the things I loved about working for Swim Creative was how great the people were! They taught me how important having good people on your team is. Everyone always comes to work with a smile on their face and is excited and passionate about the work they have ahead of them.

Because it’s only an 18-person team, everyone knows everyone. They get along and hang out outside of work. Everyone really made me feel welcome here and helped me make the most out of my experience.

There Is Never a Dull Moment

Coming into this internship, I had preconceived thoughts about the responsibilities I would have, but soon found out every day was different and you never knew what to expect. That’s the great thing about working for an agency, you never know what client may walk through the front door!

Just when you get a good grasp on a marketing campaign in healthcare, the next day, you might get to work on a brand new campaign for the airline industry. There is always something new to learn here, and it may sometimes be hard to keep up, but that’s the best part: you’ll never get bored.

What’s Next for Me?

Although my summer and time at Swim Creative has come to an end, I cannot thank Swim Creative enough for this opportunity and allowing me to be a Swim’r for the summer.

You may be asking, what now? I will be finishing my final semester at the University of Minnesota Duluth this fall.

Following that… who knows! I am keeping my options open and will be looking for positions in digital marketing or fashion merchandising in the retail industry. I also might head over to Europe for a while after graduation and do some traveling. I am not sure where I’ll end up, but I am excited to find out!

danielle-enga-profile
2016 Swimtern: Danielle Enga
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