Meet Frances Atkinson, our Social Ape Fall 2019 Intern. Frances graduated from the University of Alabama in May, majoring in Public Relations with a minor in Art History. Frances was born and raised in Florence, SC and is a recent transplant to the Queen City. She is loving her time here at Social Ape and is excited to gain as much knowledge as possible as a new member of our team. After her internship, she plans to continue working in the PR field and make a career out of her love for social media.
Get to know Frances a bit better by reading more below!
What are your favorite things about Charlotte so far?
I love exploring parts of the city I have never been to. I live in the SouthPark area, but I’ll occasionally venture to other neighborhoods when I have the time. So far, my favorite areas to pay a visit to are Dilworth and South End. I’ve been a foodie for as long as I can remember, and both of these places have so many great breweries, bars & restaurants. Oh, and did I mention Jeni’s Ice Cream? It’s a must-visit if you are a dessert enthusiast like me.
Why do you love social media marketing?
In college, I fell in love with the social media marketing industry. My final class as a PR student (and by far the toughest I might add) was a class where we created a social media campaign for a real client. My group conducted research, planned and implemented a full campaign that we were so incredibly proud of. From that point on, I knew I wanted to focus my career on educating business owners on how to use social media tools to effectively promote their messages to their consumers.
What do you do at Social Ape Marketing?
At the beginning of the week, I start by researching and drafting our weekly newsletter. Once that is done, I occasionally write blog posts for the website and find news articles to share on our Twitter account. I also help the team with social media influencer pitches and conduct research for our clients. Although I have only been apart of the team for a short time, I’ve learned so much about the PR industry and am continuing to sharpen my writing skills.
If you could give advice to people who want to enter this industry what would it be?
Network. Network. Network. I was a little late to the game on this one. After graduation, I knew what I wanted to do, but didn’t know how to get there. I realized I didn’t utilize all of the resources given to me in college, so make an effort to join clubs pertaining to PR and go to your professors for advice. I found it useful to add your professors on LinkedIn and find more connections that way.
What do you like to do when you’re not at the office?
Although I enjoy spending time in Charlotte, I love to travel on the weekends. My hometown is only two hours away, so I like to spend time with my family when I have the time. I also am an enormous Alabama fan and will RUN, not walk, back to Tuscaloosa to watch a football game. I grew up visiting Boone, NC and I can’t wait for cooler weather when I can head up to the mountains for a ski trip.
It’s been a treat to have Frances on our team the past few weeks and, lucky for us, she’ll still be around for a few more! Keep up with Frances’ adventures on Instagram at @francesatkinson.
