Digital marketing internships are in high demand - which is great news for businesses seeking to amplify their digital marketing campaigns. For starters, it not only means that there are thousands of talented, enthusiastic and hard-working individuals out there, but these people could also potentially become part of your team for the long haul, helping you to future-proof your firm. What’s more, internships also provide the opportunity to create an innovative fusion between education and work.
In fact, internships are so popular, that when asked what they believe would be most helpful for a high school graduate to launch a career, 60% of people would recommend an internship at Google over a degree from a top university such as Harvard. And employers seem to agree with just 11% of executives believing in the work readiness of graduates and many employers starting to see more value in work experience and on-the-job training.
Why you need to stand out from the crowd
However, as much as you’ll be seeking out the best possible interns for your digital marketing projects (a process made significantly easier through online internships!) it’s important to remember that these interns will also be looking for the most reputable businesses out there to intern for. After all, they want to build up their skills and ensure their CVs stand out, whilst at the same time having a high-quality and enjoyable experience, too.
With so many companies and SMEs out there fighting to attract the best interns for their business, it’s more important than ever that your company stands out from the crowd. So, what do you need to do to rise above the competition and attract the best digital marketing interns to your business? Read on to discover four ways to reach out to the top intern talent...
1. Promote your business
So how do you attract online digital marketing interns to your team? Well, it all starts with promoting your business - and one way to do this is by embracing inbound marketing.
Inbound marketing is an impactful and cost-effective alternative to traditional outbound marketing methods. Rather than interrupting your audience with content they don’t want, inbound marketing is about drawing people to your business through content, social media and SEO by leaving a trail of breadcrumbs that allows them to find you.
When it comes to attracting interns to your firm, using inbound marketing tactics also means that you’ll be able to weed out the students who just want to take any old job and instead hire the ones who are actively looking for opportunities and excited about working with your firm.
Some of the ways you can utilize inbound marketing to attract interns to work on your team include:
- Writing and promoting relevant, exciting and useful content
- Social media campaigns - today’s interns are especially active on social media
- Paid social advertising, which will allow you to reach your ideal student/intern demographic
As active consumers of social media and advertising content, if these interns feel the impact of your marketing first-hand, they’ll be more inclined to want to work within your digital marketing department! From HP turning interns into brand ambassadors through a Twitter contest to recruiting interns via Snapchat, when it comes to attracting top-quality talent, it pays to be creative.
2. Demonstrate why you are such a great company to work for
As part of your promotional material and internship project descriptions, you should outline what makes your company unique, how you stand out from the competition - and, most importantly, how this can benefit your potential digital marketing interns. Make sure you include examples of:
Your extraordinary service and how you delivered results
This will demonstrate your positive reputation as a business and therefore make you more attractive to prospective digital marketing interns. Ensure you include some positive client testimonials to back this up, too!
Your company culture and what makes it so great
Ask your current employees what their favourite things are about working within your marketing department. The happier your current employees are, especially in terms of the kind of work they are assigned, the more likely it is that students will want to do this work for you too as an online intern.
Your unique quirks and qualities
Today’s students love quirky and different, so the more you can highlight this and what makes your company unique, the better!
Your personal approach
Even if your internships take place online, it’s important that you show your human side. With so much reliance on technology and automation in the world today - especially in the digital marketing sector - young people are yearning for the “human touch” from businesses. In fact, according to a recent survey, nearly 60% of young people would like a recruitment experience that is focused on human interaction, so it’s important to show them you value relationships and rapport.
Your innovation
Today’s students are creative, innovative, and keen to explore new ideas. This is partly what makes digital marketing internships so popular, as creativity lies at the heart of successful social media campaigns. Therefore, the more open your business up to this, the more likely it is that students will want to join your team as an intern.
3. Highlight how it can benefit them
Online internships can offer businesses a huge number of benefits, from an extra pair of hands for those time-consuming scheduling and data-analysis tasks to new and insightful ideas. What’s more, online interns can also work flexibly, which eliminates concerns around the cost of commuting, desk space and providing equipment.
But when it comes to attracting digital marketing interns to work in your team, it’s not just about the benefits for you; it’s important that you highlight the benefits that online internships will provide them. Some good examples include:
Building their skills and experience
One of the biggest benefits of online internships for students is that it helps them to build a unique and broad range of experience. This means that not only will they stand out from other digital marketing interns, but that they can learn the skills needed for future roles, too.
The chance to work on real projects
Make sure your prospective interns know that they will not only have the chance to work on real, live projects, but that will also be made to feel valued and an integral part of the team, rather than being there to simply “get the job done.” Think of the projects you design for your interns as potential bullet points on their CV; it’s a great way to sell the role to potential candidates!
The opportunity to be creative
As well as building their skills and experience, internships also give students the chance to try new things and unleash their creativity. Giving interns responsibility whilst at the same time encouraging their creativity will make them feel valued and like they want to be part of your team.
Flexible working hours
Without a doubt, one of the biggest benefits of online internships for students is that they can fit it in around their university timetable or even a part-time job. What's more, there’s also the chance to take part in online internship projects all-year-round instead of just in the summer. As long as they get their work done and meet their deadlines, online internships give interns total flexibility whilst gaining valuable experience - so it’s a win-win situation for everyone.
Access to mentorships and support
The best interns are looking for programmers that enable them to learn from executives - and mentoring provides an excellent opportunity to share invaluable knowledge with the talent of tomorrow. There’s also the chance for successful interns to join the team full-time once they have completed their degree, as well as networking opportunities with other companies that will suit their career choices.
4. Employ them online with ProjectSet
One of the major benefits of using ProjectSet, our online internship platform, is that you can share and promote your digital marketing internships and project opportunities with thousands of students across the UK with the click of a button. With zero logistical costs or concerns, you can attract diverse talent and reach out to interns with a variety of different backgrounds from all over the country.
With our online internship platform, you’ll not only be able to share your digital marketing internships and other opportunities with thousands of talented students across the country but also be able to screen them with ease to ensure they’re the right person for the role when they apply.
What’s more, once you have found your ideal interns, the benefits can continue throughout the year as there is the possibility to work on your projects all year round instead of just in the summer. Not only that, but they will also be able to do so without the complications that come with in-office internships, such as travel expenses and supplying office equipment and desk space.
Want to find out more?
Our platform is currently free to use until 31st August 2020, so be sure to sign up here today. If you would like any further information, simply contact the team here.
