I have never participated in an internship before or had a job. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it ended up being better than I thought. Interning at Aronson was the best decision for me, and made me learn an intense amount about marketing. Being at Aronson, I found more profound independence in myself. I recognized how I could learn quickly about concepts I never knew existed. I wish I didn’t have to go back to school (sorry to my school, but it’s true), and this experience will never leave me. The people I’ve met and what they have taught me will carry through into my career in a few years.
Learning How Google Ads Work From The SEM Team
My first week, I walked in a little shy as most people would be, but soon became comfortable once I realized how welcoming everyone was. I wasn’t sure what to expect yet; I knew that I would be working from team to team learning about what everyone does and how it all intertwines in the end. First, I sat down to talk with Charlie, who’s part of the SEM Team. He showed me how Google Advertisements work, what software they use to watch their budgets on the ads and their leads, and more. It was quite interesting to learn about because I see these types of advertisements on a daily basis when I search the web. I never knew until Charlie told me, that “remarketing” is the term used to describe ads following you on other web pages once you’ve visited their site. I knew cookies were not actual cookies, but I didn’t realize how beneficial they are to companies trying to increase engagement with users.
Learning What Ranks Your Website With The SEO Team
After my time with SEM, I moved over to talk with Jeff from the SEO Team. He showed me the essential foundations for optimizing your chances of having the client’s web page appear high on organic search results. From prior knowledge, I knew that Google ranked web pages by relevance to your search. Still, I wasn’t initially aware of how relevant keywords and the quality of the web page was in getting your page to rank.
Learning The Effectiveness of Writing With The Content Team
Afterward, I worked with Kayla from the Content Team. Before meeting with her, I realized that the content of a page is super relevant and is key to what draws in your user. She showed me how they plan out their content and how they schedule editing. I was able to write two content pieces for the top and middle funnel of the purchase process. I enjoyed this actually, and I was a little nervous at first because I don’t give myself much credit to my writing skills. Writing content and doing research on the dealership and vehicles, showed me how the material could be a make or break moment. For example, if the user doesn’t like what they’re reading, they might leave the page and not fill out a form or eventually buy a car from the dealership. I was also given the task of editing. While doing so, I recognized the need for attention-grabbing style and pizzazz for the content to be effective. To receive the positive results Aronson is striving for, you must create engaging content.
Learning How to Keep Websites Up to Date With The Web Management Team
Next, I moved to work with Jess from the Web Management Team. The importance of her role in the Digital Department stood out to me because when I sat down to talk with her about what she does, she kept getting calls and emails. It was fascinating how unpredictable and hectic things can be. Some of the main concepts I learned from her were that you have to manage and look over websites frequently to make sure elements are current and working correctly. I was able to do website audits with her and learn what sorts of components you need to look out for when checking that elements work. She also showed me how to make changes on dealership’s web pages on Dealer.com and CDK. From what I observed, her job seems to be very involved with the Account Executives and Account Coordinators, and even the clients when dealing with page migrations. I liked her job the best because of how engaging it is. It seems like you wouldn’t hit the wall because there’s always something to do.
Learning How to Post my First Tweet With The Social Team
Lastly, I worked with Alex from the Social Media Team. I learned how necessary his role is in marketing because of the age we live in and the influence of social media. Surprisingly, I don’t have Twitter or Facebook, so I felt cool that I was able to make my first ever tweet and Facebook post! It was really interesting learning how advertisements on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Google My Business, and Instagram work, because these are things I’m influenced by everyday, but don’t know exactly how they work. The business side of social media is so much more in-depth than the personal usage of them. From Alex, I learned that it’s incredibly important to stay on top of your posts when managing these accounts because the platforms reach such a broad audience. So, you want to make them the best they can be. The content of your posts is super relevant too because you want it to be eye-catching, but short and sweet, so it captures the attention of the user.
Wishing I Had More Time…
As you can see, I learned a lot. I don’t think three weeks is enough time for me to spend here, and I wish I could’ve stayed longer. I want to thank everyone at Aronson for welcoming me and making this such a great experience. Even if I didn’t get to work with every single person, or meet them, I noticed how busy and valuable all their roles were. I’m sure it’s weird having an 18-year-old walking around the office, but I completely valued all the time I spent here. I’m honestly super sad about having to leave, but I hope I can come back soon and maybe even during college to learn so much more. I can’t wait to brag to all my friends about everything I’ve learned and taken this experience with me throughout my next steps in life.
