It was a hard decision to make on whether I was going to take a placement year out from university or not. Now having completed the year I can say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made!
I started my marketing placement at Marketing Purks in October 2021 and over the last 8 months, I have learned so much about the world of marketing. From social media to branding, to website design, I have got to experience it all.
No two days working at Marketing Purks are the same, the role balances the creative and professional working environment, making the job both fun and practical.
I have had the chance to market for various industries, which has allowed me to develop my skills in copywriting, graphic design, website design and social media marketing.
Whether it is technical skills such as navigating marketing software including WordPress, and Adobe InDesign or softer skills such as the ability to work to deadlines, the skills I have picked up are incredibly useful!
Here are a few of the marketing lessons I have learnt over my time here:
1. CREATE THE RIGHT CONTENT FOR THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Content is everywhere! Written content, video content, infographics and more; content is everything a brand produces.
Strong content allows your brand to be seen by a larger audience and everything created for a brand drives more advertising potential. Create a strong TikTok? Perfect, a strong TikTok can go viral! Create strong written content? Great, now your blog blows up!
In the digital age, strong content creates more views, which creates more shares, which creates EVEN more views and the cycle continues.
Creating content that is of high quality is all about knowing the demographics of the audience, and who is buying the product or service.
Know your audience and the content ideas will come naturally to you.
2. SELL THE BRAND IMAGE
Each company obviously sells a product or a service to its customer, maybe it is selling beauty products, or maybe it is selling accountancy services.
That is the product and you want to highlight the product, right?
Yes, but selling isn’t the only path to success. Let’s take a look at Apple. Apple isn’t only selling its products; they are also selling their brand.
People think of Apple as a progressive, environmentally responsible and helpful company.
These are not characteristics of the products; however, they do help Apple sell their iPhones, Apple Watches and their other devices and accessories.
Customers really care about the brand and its values. 64% of customers like to build relationships with brands that share the same values as them, so build a brand image that speaks to your demographic. If a consumer loves the brand they will buy your products or services!
3. SHOW THE FACE BEHIND THE BRAND
In between curating a beautiful Instagram feed, crafting captivating captions and engaging with the online community, it is important to remember to share photos with faces in them, as these are 38% more likely to receive likes and 32% more likely to receive comments.
Showing the face behind the brand can do a lot for your business. It is great for brand recognition; it is important to allow an audience to see faces as it creates a connection to the brand.
Along with this it humanises your brand, showing your community that you are in fact a person! It helps to spark conversation and builds trust with your audience.
There are many ways to show the face of the brand including behind-the-scenes photos or videos, doing a live video or investing in a professional branding photoshoot!
4. CONSISTENCY IS KEY
People like consistency. They want to know you are the expert. In order for marketing to be successful, it needs to offer people a consistent experience.
You need consistent content, images, customer relations and more!
Imagine if Google Search only worked half the time. No one would trust the company. Likewise, if BTs internet cut out every few minutes or if Apple stopped releasing a new iPhone every year.
Once a brand image has been devised, stick to it! Be consistent!
Although my placement at Marketing Purks has allowed me to learn and expand my knowledge of all things marketing, it has also taught me to not be afraid to ask questions, always ensure to keep track of my goals, and take note of everything I learn and to have fun whilst working!
My advice to anyone thinking of taking a placement year is to GO FOR IT! You get to gain some amazing experience and make great friends along the way!
I have truly enjoyed my time at MP, I have learnt so much, got to work with so many amazing clients and got to do it all alongside the amazing MP team. Thank you all for everything!