My role
As the Social Media & Digital Marketing Manager, my role was to help activate the company's social media strategy by managing the brand's reputation on social media, and building community and brand presence. This involved creating and executing a social media strategy and online community management strategy, improving the current presence and helping to assess new channels, and creating campaigns that would educate and inspire our audience to take action.
I was also responsible for assisting with the setup, execution, and monitoring of social media campaigns, conducting data analysis and target market research, optimizing and delivering content, reviewing available data and reports related to our social channels, and adapting to maximize future results. In addition, I was expected to stay current on social media and digital content marketing best practices through industry research and learning opportunities, provide insightful input into how we evolve our social media strategy and practice, and act as a brand advocate by ensuring our tone and the quality of our content met corporate brand standards.
Given the nature of the company, I was also expected to have an interest in the personal care/health/beauty and cosmetics industry, and a passion for business and branding. In terms of specific tasks, my expectations included working with Lisa in planning our social content calendar for social channels, assisting with influencer research and partnership programs, creating, adapting, and optimizing content, and helping to deliver exceptional online customer experience while providing an excellent overall brand experience.
Overall, the internship provided me with an opportunity to learn how to craft and execute marketing strategies from the ground up, test data, build on analysis and assist with testing and optimization. It also allowed me to gain knowledge and express exceptional campaign and community management skills to help delight and captivate our audiences from headline to CTA.
Building up my skills
My day-to-day work involved creating and scheduling two posts per week, along with special posts related to holidays or events. These posts were a combination of graphics and photos from the company's product photography, following a strategy of 80% educational/entertaining content and 20% promotional content.
In addition to managing the Pinterest account, I also got the opportunity to organize a photoshoot for some of the products. This initiative allowed me to gain valuable experience in coordinating with photographers and models, as well as in post-production and photo editing.
Another initiative I took on was writing a blog article for the company's website. One in specific was about the psychology of why society is so drawn to long, dark eyelashes. This allowed me to apply my writing skills and provide valuable content for the company's audience as I noticed that QMBeautique is always looking to learn more about the lash industry and lashes itself. Through research, not only did I author an engaging article but I also got to learn more about the history and psychology of fake lashes.
You can read both of my blogs below!
Overall
My internship experience was incredibly valuable and beneficial to my personal and professional growth. I gained practical skills and knowledge in social media management, digital marketing, and product photography that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn in a classroom setting. This experience has also given me a greater appreciation for the importance of having a well thought-out strategy and the impact that a strong online presence can have on a business.
Throughout my time at the company, I experienced changes in my perspectives on the industry and my career goals. I started to understand the importance of networking and building connections within the industry, and the potential opportunities that can arise from doing so. Additionally, I developed a better understanding of what I am looking for in a career and what areas I want to focus on.