Adam Earnheardt
  • Blog
  • Welcome
  • About
  • Contact
  • Speaking
  • CV
  • Blog
  • Welcome
  • About
  • Contact
  • Speaking
  • CV

3 Jobs For Your Social Media Interns

1/10/2016

0 Comments

 
Follow @adamearn Tweet
Interns are cool.
 
Most are smart, resourceful, and hard working. I know this because I’ve been directing our communication internship program at Youngstown State University, off and on, for the last seven years.
 
During those seven years, we started to introduce social media management courses into the curriculum. Students are now learning social media strategies for businesses. Because of (or in spite of) these courses, we receive a ton of requests for social media interns.
 
The general consensus among many small business owners is pretty simple. Hire an intern and your wildest social media marketing dreams will come true.
 
Of course, this myth leads to disappointment for the business and the intern. When a new request for an intern comes in now, we ask for a job description. That description details what the intern will “do” and “learn.”
 
Let’s be clear about one thing: interns should not be directing your social media strategy, regardless of your business (unless they’re the next Chris Brogan or Jay Baer; those are social media marketing gurus).
 
Interns can be inventive and knowledgeable, but they need to be led.
 
Giving interns a little freedom to practice what they know can be good for everyone. Giving interns a lot of direction (and a chance to learn about your business) is more important.
 
When developing a social media intern job description, here are three surefire tasks to include that will give students some much-needed direction and experience:
 
1. Check Out The Competition
 
Paranoia is a good thing. Lon Safko, author of The Social Media Bible, said “a preoccupation with what your competitors are doing and what people are saying about what they are doing is advantageous. The entire $50 billion market research industry thrives on paranoia.”
 
If your business doesn’t have a tool for researching social media feeds, ask your intern to develop one. It doesn’t have to be costly or extravagant (although there are some good, moderately priced social media listening tools out there).
 
For example, an intern might use something as simple as TweetDeck to check the Twitter feeds of a few competitors. This also helps your intern listen to customers, learn about the business, and start to develop a sense of loyalty to your company.
 
2. Social Media (Mini) Reports
 
Now that your intern is listening to the competition, ask for periodic updates on what strategies other businesses are using. Also, as Safko notes, explore customer posts. Interns can gather and analyze social media posts from customers, and how competitors engage those customers.
 
Knowing what customers are saying about you and your competitors will help shape future social media marketing campaigns.
 
3. Communicate With Customers
 
Interns can help you communicate directly with customers, including tastemakers and influencers. These people are highly engaged, prolific social media users. They drive conversations about your company and competitors. They test your products, use your services, and post those experiences online (good or bad).
 
Ask your intern to develop a comprehensive list of social media users who actively post about your business. Working with your intern, develop a plan to engage those influencers.
 
Your intern can be the communication link between select influencers and your company while you’re off doing other things, like becoming the social media envy of your industry.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Dr. Adam C. Earnheardt is professor of communication studies the department of communication at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, OH, USA where he also directs the graduate program in professional communication.  He researches and writes about communication and relationships, parenting and sports. He writes a weekly column for The Vindicator and Tribune-Chronicle newspapers on social media and society.

    Categories

    All
    Social Media

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly