When most individuals hear “marketing internship,” they have visions of hours and hours of cold calling and pitches. But as a person living in a digital marketing internship, let me put this to rest: cold calling is not digital marketing. Rather, the job is a combination of creativity, analysis, and technical know-how that dictates how brands engage with consumers online.

In my experience, the core of a digital marketing internship is learning to optimize content for search engines (SEO), manage social media campaigns, and analyze data to measure campaign success. I’ve spent hours researching keywords, crafting blog posts, and using tools like Google Analytics to track website performance and user behavior. My tasks often include supporting paid advertising campaigns on platforms like Google Ads, where understanding bidding strategies and audience targeting is crucial.

I also work with designers and high-level marketers to come up with campaign concepts and market research, learning what goes into creating effective digital campaigns. Technical skills—such as rudimentary HTML/CSS and proficiency with tools like WordPress or Mailchimp—have been incredibly useful in content management and email marketing.

Ultimately, a digital marketing internship is learning the art and science of online interaction, not cold calling. The actual work is data-led, innovative, and continuously changing—much removed from the worn-out perception of cold calling