I interned at Semgeeks Digital Marketing Agency for four weeks during the summer of 2020. This, of course, was the summer of COVID-19 and, as such, I could not go into the Belmar office. Instead, I had to do my internship remotely from home. The fact that this internship wasn’t canceled altogether like so many of my peers, is a testament to how committed Semgeeks is to their internship program and how well planned and executed their agenda is. I consider myself extremely lucky to not only have the opportunity for summer employment but to have had such a rewarding experience. I learned so much useful and practical information that will help me in both my studies and in my future employment. I also enjoyed my (virtual) interactions with each of the team members.
My specific assignment was with the Content Team, however, I was given opportunities to meet with team members in other departments to gain an idea of their functions, as well. This was very helpful in giving me insight into how the whole company delivered its services to its clients. I was assigned tasks and projects that enhanced my knowledge of social media and taught me the importance of digital marketing. I enjoyed working closely with members on the Content Team because they were always available and easily approachable. They made me feel that my internship experience was important to them, which made me feel valued.
Before my internship, I had a general idea of what digital marketing was, but I didn’t realize how much data collection and analysis truly went into it. Being able to utilize what I learned in the classroom in practical applications with real clients was a unique and invaluable experience for me. I gained important skills such as how email automation works, how hashtags are researched, and how to create social calendars for media platforms. These were all things I had been curious about previously so it was gratifying to finally understand how they apply in real-world situations and how they drive engagement.
Something I never paid much attention to beforehand was email marketing. I never realized the amount of detail that went into the email. That being said, during my time at Semgeeks, I was able to learn how to design an email that drives users to open the email and click through it. I also learned how to write blogs, banner ad copy, and landing pages. On a daily basis, I would log into different clients’ social media accounts to boost engagement and drive awareness. I also gained experience in various applications such as MailChimp, Canva, Sprout Social, and Facebook Ads Manager.
One thing I loved about Semgeeks was how I was able to attend daily meetings where I took notes and learned about the intricacies of each service and how they complement an entire digital strategy. Having weekly meetings with the other service teams enabled me to gain experience in multiple fields such as account management and PPC. I also liked how I was able to work with a ton of different clients and wasn’t stuck in one specific industry. As a result, I learned how to overcome the challenge of successfully changing the tone of voice when it comes to different clients.
My favorite project that I worked on was the “intern project.” Semgeeks assigned me to make an entire digital campaign on a brand of their choosing, which was Swedish Fish candy. I had to create an entire digital strategy for Swedish Fish including a social media audit, paid search campaign, automated emails, landing pages, and graphics. It was a great way for me to exhibit the skills I have learned throughout the internship.
Overall, the future of marketing is digital, so everything I learned at Semgeeks will benefit me in the future. I’m very grateful to everyone I worked with at Semgeeks for giving me such an amazing opportunity. Although I am sad to see my internship come to an end, I am excited to continue to further my knowledge in the digital marketing field using the lessons learned during my time at Semgeeks.
