Katie Oliver: Placement Spotlight
Hey, I’m Katie, a third-year Business with Marketing Student at Robert Gordon’s University.
Over the last 10 weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to work as a Digital Marketing Intern at Arch 35 Marketing through the Connect to Business programme organised through RGU.
My Journey into Marketing
Coming into this role, I had gained valuable experience in business operations through completing my HND at Northeast Scotland College before progressing to my current studies at RGU, alongside my previous work experience. However, this placement has allowed me to branch into the marketing industry, where I’ve been able to express my creativity and develop valuable skills in a professional setting.
My Experience at Arch 35 Marketing
During my time at Arch 35 Marketing, I undertook a range of responsibilities, including planning and scheduling social media content, designing graphics and shooting and editing video content for a range of clients. I also had the opportunity to attend several clients’ meetings and content shoots, and to gain experience using SEO tools to run audits and identify ways businesses can improve their websites and online visibility.
Working across Arch 35’s range of clients, I have gained a deeper understanding of effective marketing strategies and the importance of taking a tailored approach for each client. A few of the key takeaways I have from this experience include:
1. Building strong client relationships is essential within the marketing industry, as it forms the foundation for clear communication and trust. Through my experience at Arch 35 Marketing, I’ve developed a strong understanding of the importance of collaboration when creating content for a client’s business. Being able to communicate openly, share ideas and utilise constructive feedback allows creativity to be combined with the client’s knowledge of their business, resulting in quality content that is engaging and aligned with their brand image. Arch 35 Marketing has shown me how regular communication is key to maintaining strong client relationships, through meetings, ongoing conversations and regular content shoots. This allows clients to remain involved in the content development process, whilst also building trust in the agency to create content that accurately represents their brand.
2. SEO plays a key role in improving a business’s online visibility and overall digital presence. Before this placement, my knowledge of SEO was minimal, and my interest in the marketing industry focused more on the creative side.
Being introduced to SEO tools & observing how website audits are carried out gave me a better understanding of how SEO marketing is put into practise and supports a business behind the scenes. It highlighted to me the importance of maintaining a well-optimised website for a business to rank higher than competitors on search engines and reach its target audience. Arch 35 Marketing has allowed me to expand my interest in the marketing industry and recognise the importance of SEO within a wider marketing strategy.
3. Consistent posting from a business is needed to build a strong social media presence that captures consumer attention. Digital marketing is continuously evolving, with social media platforms playing a crucial role in how businesses connect with customers and promote their brand. My time at Arch 35 Marketing allowed me to recognise that while results are not always immediate, consistent posting is necessary to build awareness and keep the business visible to potential customers. This highlighted that successful digital marketing is not based on one-off occasional posts but on maintaining a frequent and consistent presence across business accounts.
Final Thoughts
Arch 35 Marketing are a great company that encourages creativity while providing a supportive environment for students to develop their skills. A personal highlight of my time here would have to be taking part in a content shoot for Infinite Power Coaching. Whilst a fellow Arch 35 employee and I volunteered to get in front of the camera and highlight the fantastic service’s IPC through capturing content for their social media page, we certainly had a great laugh when trying out exercises in the youth class and realising they were much more athletic than we were! I would highly recommend a placement at Arch 35 Marketing to any student who wants to gain agency experience in the marketing industry and get to work with a great team and a variety of clients.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to Darren at Arch 35 for this opportunity and for providing guidance and support. A special mention to Serena who I have worked closely throughout the weeks to brainstorm ideas and collaborate on content for clients - I have really enjoyed our daily catch-ups and working alongside you. Both of you have been great mentors, and I’m grateful for everything that I’ve learned as I continue to build towards a career in marketing.
To Kev, Mike and the whole team at Escone Solutions, thank you for welcoming me into your office space and providing such a positive and comfortable work environment. It has been a pleasure getting to know you all!
Lastly, thank you to everyone at Robert Gordon’s University involved in the connect to business route for making this opportunity possible.
