The Brickyard

What I learned as an intern at Ingenex Digital Marketing

I never imagined that I would be working in a field related to the Internet, and in the few short months that I interned with Derek and Ross, I have learned so much and now am pursuing a career at an interactive agency! The following is a list of some things I learned during my experience…

1. Search Engine Optimization-
• SEO means using key tag words related to your product or service which, when searched on Google, appear at the top of the results page because there is little competition. SEO is part of Search Engine Marketing (SEM), which includes various practices that ultimately increase awareness and drive more users to a site. This includes: online press releases, using key tag words, being a link on other web sites, or having bloggers talk about the product or service.

2. The overall importance of the Internet-
• Think about all the popular social media networks like Facebook, Linkedin, Myspace, Twitter, and various blogs. The Internet is a good source for putting ideas out there, networking, gaining feedback, communicating ideas, keeping in touch, sharing and finding information about interests, passions, and current events. The Internet is not going to disappear, and it’s important to understand the changes happening right now in order to take advantage of the Internet’s ability to reach so many people.

3. Brand strategy-
• This describes the brand’s competition, what makes the brand unique, who their audience is, and other descriptive characteristics that give an overall image of what the brand is about and their future goals.

4. Connections and links-
• To increase awareness, web sites should become an external link on A-list blogs which are credible and read by many online users.

5. Much of the Internet is indefinite-
• The advice I learned is to jump in, research, and figure things out through experience. Sometimes you stumble upon helpful information, while other times you might search forever without the intended results. Either way, you have to live and experience it to learn and really understand the Internet.

6. Insight-
• Besides the obvious information available on sites, there is so much insight that can be found on blogs, Facebook groups, and other social network sites that provide key direction and a new perspective on brands.

7. What makes a good web site-
• Keep it visually simple, warm, inviting, and include pictures and testimonials that support the brand’s overall image. A more professional looking site is more likely to have more visitors and users.

8. Be proactive, take initiative, and figure things out on your own.
• However, don’t be afraid to ask questions or for suggestions from someone with more knowledge, experience, and a different perspective.

9. Put your ideas out there-
• No matter how bad I thought my ideas were, I learned to not be shy and give my opinions. No idea is a bad idea- if anything, it can spark ideas in others.

10. It’s all about awareness-
• Whether it’s a press release, Facebook group, getting a blogger to mention the brand, using key tag words related to your services, or being a link on a web site, it’s all related to advertising, getting your brand’s name out there, increasing awareness, and starting a conversation. The Internet provides the ability to create and build relationships between the brand and users.

NOTE: Jenna graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2008 and has since accepted a job at Digitas Chicago.