Finding Ways To Add Value in the Digital Media Marketing Field

“You want to take every opportunity that’s available and show value beyond what is asked of you.” - (Michel, 2022).

That quote is one of the biggest and most important pieces of advice that I learned throughout my time in the marketing seminar class at George Brown.

That piece of crucial advice came from one of the first speakers in our class, the Performance Marketing Manager at Harry Rosen, Paul Michel. Not only did he provide us with insight into a career in marketing I didn’t even know existed, he also put our minds at ease as we all embark on our own digital media marketing internship journeys.

Paul explained that we all have value to add, especially since the digital marketing field is so new and ever-changing, and so we should never be afraid to share our good ideas and voice our opinions because they matter and can lead to an incredible and educational internship experience.

Ask Questions, Come Prepared, and Add Value

Paul was not the only one who expressed and validated the importance of sharing good ideas when the opportunity presents itself. Almost every speaker that came to our seminars explained that one of the best ways to learn and grow in the digital marketing field is to share, speak your mind, and ask questions. However, Paul was the first one to bring all of this to my attention, which led me to follow him on LinkedIn and reach out to say thank you for the inspiring speech.

My Career Aspirations

In terms of career options, Ashley Walsh and her career in Influencer Marketing inspired me to look for internships in that field. I really hadn’t learned much about Influencer Marketing from my other courses so being able to listen to Ashley speak about what a job in that field looks like, was very stimulating to me. I ended up following Ashley on LinkedIn and messaging her alongside Paul, to thank her for opening my eyes to an opportunity I didn’t even know existed.

Using LinkedIn To Your Advantage

After messaging both Paul and Ashley, I found that LinkedIn became the resource I wanted to use moving forward in terms of building a network of people within the digital media marketing industry. Below is a short list of ways that LinkedIn can benefit you, as it has me:

• Provides easy communication with digital marketers and professionals in the field.

• Allows you to find potential job opportunities more easily and in greater quantities.

• Gives you the ability to research experts in the field (like those that spoke in our seminars) and understand their career paths.

All of these things can provide inspiration for potential job opportunities and allow you to begin to create the building blocks for a career in digital media marketing.

My LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn has also been the number one place that I’ve used to seek out internship opportunities. I find that LinkedIn can be extremely useful since I already have my professional profile set up on there (as seen above), which potential employers can look at, and also provides an easier and more efficient way to reach out to companies and people in the industry regardless if they are hiring or not.

*Hot tip*: I find that sending a quick message over LinkedIn does wonders in terms of connecting with people, as it is a platform that makes it extremely comforting to do so. Even just telling people who you are, introducing yourself, and giving them some information on your qualifications can be extremely beneficial and has led to many interesting and helpful conversations.

My Success Story: Relationship Building Through LinkedIn

The encouraging words from Paul, as well as many other speakers in our seminar class, eventually led me to accept an invitation to join a group of female copywriters on LinkedIn (as seen below). I ended up attending one of their virtual events, which was extremely beneficial for networking with fellow copywriters who had a lot of good advice to give and allowed me to form relationships with others in that field.

Copywriting Networking Group I'm Apart Of

This opportunity was also very helpful in creating a strong number of contacts who are willing to help find work for me, which will be very valuable for me down the line. If I decide that this is a career path that I want to take in the future, I will surely stay in contact with this group of writers and not be afraid to ask for help, as I’m sure they’re more than willing to provide it.

The most important thing that I learned from this experience, is that you have to start somewhere and by putting yourself out there even just that one time, an abundance of support and value can come from it.

Networking Breeds Success

I am currently still on the hunt for an internship placement, but I’ve found that networking has been the most helpful in terms of placing myself on the right path for success. I would not have had the same helpful conversations and insights into the digital media marketing industry without networking and the marketing seminar series. I now feel so much more comfortable when reaching out on LinkedIn after listening to speakers like Paul and Ashley explain that if you show your determination, people are extremely willing to put in the time and effort to get you where you need to go.

To Conclude

All in all, I’ve gained a lot of networking and digital media marketing confidence over my time in the marketing seminar course. I now realize my worth as a digital marketer is abundant and will take that with me into whatever internship or job opportunity that comes my way.

For whoever is reading this and if you are in the same boat as me, remember that you have value to add no matter how young or new to the digital media marketing industry you are and if you put in the time and the work, you will find success. In the words of Paul Michel, “learn as much as you can, be curious, and take really good notes.” (Michel, 2022).

References

Michel, P. (2022, January 26). Pandemic Pivots: Growing Sales Through Digital Channels [PowerPoint Presentation]. Pandemic Pivots: Growing Sales Through Digital Channels, Toronto, Canada. https://georgebrown-ca.zoom.us/rec/play/Lj66A1JjHuCPX_ytpp-RebhjfX0sz5Dim68AnsD4Nxbn30KETlq0LCu4l68x0DzVyEavM34imq99yTVH.wQQwDRzkuQZ_cV1Z