Time flies: What I’ve learned from Allée

Oh, how the time flies! Three short months ago I jumped on board the Allée ship as the social media and community engagement intern. Since then I have gained a wealth of knowledge and have had the chance to get my hands on an assortment of tasks.

Through previous internships, I’ve been able to dabble in the many different areas of the PR world. At Allée, I felt I was able to take it a step further. Over the last three months, I was given the freedom to really brainstorm and proactively assist with projects and create material.

While interning at Allée I gained valuable knowledge and experience with various types of PR and communication strategy. From traditional print media to the “new” media of the digital world, I was able to get a taste of it all during my time at Allée. I learned how to effectively and efficiently research and compile relevant media contact lists and was able to gain more practice with pitching, something I was able to do on multiple occasions. I am grateful for the experience I’ve gained with contacting the media and learning how to best tailor and personalize pitches. And I can’t forget! I also learned the importance of following up on pitches.

Blogging turned out to be a very fruitful endeavor, as well. There were several posts were I was given the opportunity to conduct my own research and interviews with reporters, journalists and even some of my instructors from college. I’ve always loved writing so blogging was not only fun but also turned out to be a great learning experience!

One of my favorite aspects of the internship was being able to immerse myself in social media. Always a personal passion of mine, it was wonderful to see how social media can act as an important tool in the PR toolkit. Allée is a great example of how social media can be used successfully for a business. Through Twitter, for example, Melissa creates a warm and personable, yet professional, voice around Allée. She genuinely engages people through social media and has demonstrated the many benefits that outlets such as Twitter and Facebook possess for a brand and/or company. But just like other more traditional forms of media, I learned that it is just as important to have a strategy and goals in place when using this “new” media. It was easy learning these lessons from Melissa, as she leads by example. She was a wonderful resource and offered great guidance with each new assignment. I am thankful for the wealth of knowledge Melissa has shared with me!

Overall, my internship with Allée has been a great and irreplaceable experience. I feel like I have accomplished so much and grown both personally and professionally in these last three months. With this in mind, I am very excited to see where the next three months will find me. Thanks, Allée!