How to Develop a Marketing Internship Program at Your Business

Are you constantly looking for more hours in the day to get things done? As a small business owner, that is an all too common challenge, especially when the budget may not allow for hiring a full-time assistant. One great option is to hire an intern, especially for the marketing projects you’ve had on the back burner since last year (it happens to the best of us!). It’s mutually beneficial, since the intern will receive hands on experience and you will be able to improve your marketing efforts. We’ve put together a few tips on how to secure an intern and what you might want to have them work on during their time! 

How to Find a Marketing Intern

There are many ways to search for an intern. Most schools have a job fair at least once a semester and many students attend with a resume in hand. This is a great chance for a face-to-face interaction that can help you decide if you want to invite an internship candidate into your establishment for an interview. External job websites can be useful. Students are always surfing the web for new job opportunities. Consider posting your marketing internship on popular sites like LinkedIn, Internships.com, Indeed, and SimplyHired. Keep in mind - if your establishment is 21 and over, and your intern will be working onsite, you will need to hire someone that is at least 21 years old.

Typical Day of an Intern (Responsibilities)

When a marketing intern is hired, their typical day-to-day responsibilities vary based on the needs of the business. Here are some that could apply to the newly hired intern:

Digital Marketing

• Manage multiple social media accounts
• Website optimization
• Write and post relevant blogs
• Monitor social channels and respond to feedback, questions, and concerns
• Advertise online
• Perform research and market analytics
• Assist with website copywriting, proofing, and updating as needed
• Ensure proper messaging is being executed online
• Prepare weekly updates and reports to track growth and success rates of campaigns
• Keep up to date and informed on new social media trends and adapt accordingly
• Seek and analyze competitor marketing material and digital content

 Traditional Marketing

• Creating posters, flyers, newsletters, business cards, and other traditional marketing materials to promote your establishment throughout the area
• Creating displays
• Schedule/coordinate various events
• Other relevant tasks that you might need to assist with

Paid vs Unpaid

Some marketing internships are paid, and some are unpaid. Many paid internships offer $10 - $15 dollars an hour. If you do not have the funds to pay an intern, then your internship must follow the strict rules of the Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act. For some internships, student can even receive academic credit for the time spent learning on the job.

Full-Time vs Part-Time

Some students will be available for full-time internships, while others will only be available part-time. Typically, interns have busy and out of the ordinary schedules, so employers need to be flexible with their required hours. Usually, summer internships are catered to full-time interns because they do not have classes. Part-time internships are frequently during the fall or spring semesters due to the students attending school.