My First Three Months Working at a Marketing Agency
We had the pleasure of working with Sofia this semester, and we loved having her on the team! I asked her to write about her first experience stepping into digital marketing, but I didn’t ask for it to be about us. ;)
She did, though, capture what it takes to bootstrap a company. Which is just as important, if not more, than the marketing knowledge. — Hannah
“Optimism is everything” is what the sticker on my new work laptop read as I stepped into the Blue Light Media office for my first day of my internship back in August.
I knew a little bit about the Blue Light team before coming in. I knew they were a fun group of go-getters with a love for social media marketing, but what I didn’t know was just how much hustle it takes to be successful in this industry.
If I’ve learned one thing during my time at Blue Light, (I’ve learned so much from this team, but beyond the data and analytics) it’s that your attitude is everything. Your outlook on life, your willingness to push yourself that extra mile, and putting your heart in the hustle, is what makes you successful.
Your attitude is everything.
Focus on Positivity
Mikhail asked me one morning, “How are you?” and I replied, “Tired, but good.”
After a brief pause, he looked at me and said, “Try this. Instead of saying you’re tired, say you’re excited to get moving today. Find a way to make everything a positive and watch what happens.”
That’s how this team is so successful. They don’t let anything stop them, even if it means waking up at 4 a.m. to take a client call with someone on the east coast, or carving out time to work even though they’re on a well deserved vacation.
I think there’s a misconception of what “social media marketing” is exactly. A lot of people think, “It’s just posting pictures of a company’s product on their Instagram, anyone could do it.”
While I knew there was obviously more to it than simply posting a photo here and there, to an extent, I thought this too. I sure was wrong.
Before you can even post a photo, or a video, or a blog, you have to make sure your vision aligns with the client’s. Between creating content calendars, going out to locations to shoot a video, flying across the country to meet with the client, researching competitors, and tracking engagement and other analytics, sometimes you forget to breathe! And that’s just for one client!
Always ensure your vision aligns with the client’s.
Client Management Is More than Emails
Between the nine companies that Blue Light Media works with, everyone on the team works hard to make sure each client feels like they’re the only client.
No matter what challenge gets thrown their way, this is a team who makes every client a priority, and they do it with a smile on their face, not because they have to, but just because that’s who they are.
So no, my job wasn’t to run around and get everyone coffee. (They actually brought me the coffee most of the time.) I got to create mood boards, write client blogs, run social media accounts, respond to customer emails, take part in shoots, and even join them as a cohost on their podcast.
To say working for Blue Light Media has been a great experience would be an understatement. I’ve learned just how much heart and hustle it really takes to make it.
I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way, and I’ve learned to find the positive in each one of them. I’m lucky that this team took a chance on a 20-year-old girl who slid into their company’s Instagram DM’s asking if they needed an intern.
Every day is a new opportunity to make something great happen.
That blue sticker on my laptop is more than just a blue sticker on my laptop. Every day when I walk into the office, my attitude changes. It reminds me to be optimistic, no matter what may have happened yesterday, because every day is a new opportunity to make something great happen if you want it to be.
— Sofia Caputo
