Social Ape Marketing gives students and new PR professionals alike the opportunity to dive into the industry and learn more about the ins and outs of what makes a company successful. This internship has given me so much insight into interacting with clients, social media marketing and public relations as a whole. It gave me the tools and experience I needed to be successful in my future career. I’ve summarized my key takeaways into “3 C’s,” items which will stay with me in future positions:
1 – Communication is key.
Having rock solid communication skills will get you pretty far in the social media marketing and public relations industries, but also in life. At Social Ape, we communicate with clients on a regular basis. Whether it’s through daily emails, check-in calls or monthly meetings, having an open and clear line of communication ensures that both the team and the client are on the same page.
While communication is crucial with clients, it’s equally as important amongst the Social Ape team. Most days, the team would assign new tasks for me — brainstorming pitches, drafting social media content, etc. In the beginning, there were plenty of times I found myself unsure of how to execute the assignment and was afraid to speak up. Don’t worry, I got over it quickly! I learned when to ask for guidance and when to take a few minutes to figure out a problem on my own. Realizing that it’s alright to ask questions is a crucial lesson I have learned in my time here.
2 – Culture always wins.
This motto is uttered regularly at Social Ape and is one of the core values that the company was formed on. President and Founder, April Smith, understands how important a company’s culture is when it comes to producing the best ideas, content and results for their clients. April’s definition of Culture Always Wins is, “we work hard, but also like to have fun and make work enjoyable each day,” and it shows. Interning at Social Ape didn’t feel like work. When you enjoy being with your coworkers, have a cozy and inviting environment AND get rewarded with treats, you come to work eager to learn and tackle whatever the day may bring. One of the biggest takeaways I have learned from my time here is how much there is to gain from creating a happy and fun work environment.
3 – Check for errors, then check again.
On the first day of my internship, I knew my writing skills needed improvement. In college, when it came to team projects, I was the person with a creative vision. Whether it was coordinating a photoshoot, executing events or envisioning social media campaigns, I rarely was the one in charge of the copy. In so many words, my editorial skills were a little rusty. Here at Social Ape, I was pushed out of my comfort zone by drafting the weekly newsletter and blog post. At times, I was so proud I finished the assignment, that I neglected to double-check it for errors. I learned that checking for small grammatical mistakes is a critical part of the writing process that can take your writing from average to phenomenal.
During these three months at Social Ape, I have gained an incredible amount of knowledge about the Social Media and PR industries. I am forever grateful for the lessons that this hands-on experience has taught me, as well as the friendships I’ve developed with the Social Ape team. My internship has equipped me with proper content creation skills, editorial proficiency and relationship-building that I know will stick with me.
Keep up with Frances’ adventures on Instagram. Find her at @francesatkinson. Thank you for everything, Frances! We can’t wait to see where your career takes you next!
