Are you a college student in Newport News or Norfolk looking to gain hands–on experience in social media marketing and content strategy while earning extra college credits? We might have a spot for you! 

About Us 

iSocialPR, is a marketing agency helping businesses thrive online. We’re on the hunt for a passionate, creative, and self-driven intern to join our team. This is a part–time, unpaid internship with stipends and invaluable experience in the fast–paced world of social media marketing. 

Why Join Us? 

You’ll get the chance to: 

1. Hone your creative skills by crafting engaging content that makes a real impact 
2. Develop your writing skills by creating compelling social media posts, blog articles, email newsletters, and more
3. Collaborate with a dynamic team of professionals who love what they do
4. Build your resume with experience in social media management, content creation, and digital marketing

What We’re Looking For 

We’re searching for an enthusiastic, organized, and detail–oriented individual who: 

1. Is a “people person” with a positive, “can-do” attitude.
2. Enjoys content creation and would love to make a living from it
3. Understands the tricks and treats of mobile photography and video editing
4. Has a knack for writing and can engage a reader with words
5. Stays ahead of trends and knows what’s buzzing on Instagram and TikTok
6. Is comfortable being on camera and thrives in a team setting
7. Has strong organizational skills, is proactive, and keen on details

Responsibilities 

As a Social Media Intern at iSocial PR, you’ll: 

• Create attention–grabbing Reels, TikToks, and videos for iSocialPR clients
• Research and stay updated on social media trends and gists
• Write compelling captions, blog posts, landing pages, email copy, and other written content
• Engage with audiences and manage responses across platforms/communities Collaborate closely with the Social media team and report directly to iSocialsPR content strategist
• Assist the content strategist in planning and executing strategies to drive growth for us and our clients

Perks & Benefits

• College credits
• Flexible hours (10-20 hrs/week)
• Mentorship and networking opportunities
• Real-world experience in a growing industry
• Letter of recommendation upon successful completion

Skills & Requirements 

• Must be a current college student in Virginia
• Experience with social media platforms, particularly Instagram and TikTok
• Video editing and content creation skills are essential
• Strong writing skills for social media captions, blogs, and other content
• Comfortable working independently and with a team while meeting deadlines
• Flexible hours to accommodate your class schedule (5-10 hours per week to start)
• Practical experience in a fast-growing industry
• Mentorship and networking opportunities Stipends to cover some expenses

If you’re excited to be a part of a forward–thinking team and love blending creativity with results, we’d love to hear from you!

Take the first step toward your future in social media and digital marketing.

APPLY TODAY

The post We’re Hiring! Social Media Marketing Intern appeared first on iSocialPR.

Here are 10 lessons I’ve learned over the last decade:

1⃣ The Importance of Giving First Chances
When I graduated, I struggled to find a job in marketing because I had zero experience. But one person gave me a shot, and that chance changed my life. Now, I make it my mission to bet on people. Through internships and entry-level roles, I give others the chance to thrive—with the right mentorship and support.

2⃣ The Importance of Pivoting
Ten years ago, Facebook didn’t really have an algorithm, and organic growth was easy. But as organic reach started to decline, we had to pivot. I didn’t want to trick the algorithm—I wanted to embrace change. Adding Facebook and Instagram ads to our services helped us stay competitive and deliver growth for our clients.

3⃣ Invest in the Right Team Members
Most people try to hire the most experienced candidates they can afford. My approach? I look for people who are coachable, curious, and ambitious. Those are the ones who grow with the company, make their role their own, and bring fresh ideas to the table. I also made a point to invest in their personal growth with courses, conferences, and mentorship opportunities.

4⃣ Always Overdeliver
I learned early on that when my clients succeed, I succeed. Some clients were ready to scale right away; others needed help closing leads. Whether it was adding a free email drip campaign or coaching them through their lead pipeline, we made sure to do what was necessary to push them forward.

5⃣ Ending Bad Relationships is Okay
I once heard that cutting off bad client relationships is the “most millennial thing ever.” And you know what? It’s true. I prioritize my team over clients. Rude, condescending, or aggressive clients? Not a fit for us. I’ve learned that no amount of money is worth a toxic relationship that drains our energy and makes us question our value.

6⃣ Establish SOPs So You Don’t Stop the Show
As my company grew, I realized I couldn’t be everywhere at once. Creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) allowed me to delegate effectively and continue growing the business without being the bottleneck.

7⃣ Work with Clients Who Value You
If someone doesn’t value your services when they hire you, they won’t value them when the project ends. I’ve learned to set boundaries and only work with clients who respect what we bring to the table.

8⃣ Choose Clients Who Align with Your Values
The first time we made a client $1M in sales, I was thrilled to see the positive impact it had on their business. But it also made me think: What if that success went toward something we didn’t align with, like private prisons? That moment taught me to be more selective about who we work with. We focus on partnering with businesses that pour into resilient communities and provide opportunities for others.

9⃣ Invest in Education and Resources
If you don’t seek knowledge, it won’t fall into your lap. I made a commitment to constantly learn, whether through conferences, courses, or other resources. Staying ahead of industry trends is how we stay innovative and deliver the best results for our clients.

Being an Entrepreneur is About Serving
I gave and gave with what I had. If someone couldn’t afford to hire us, I connected them with resources, encouraged them, and reminded them that they can do this. I truly believe being an entrepreneur is about serving others. I feel closest to God when I’m walking in my purpose—and this journey has been such a blessing.

Looking back, I’m so proud of how far we’ve come and grateful for every lesson along the way. Here’s to the next decade of growth, giving, and serving!

The post 10 Lessons from 10 Years in Business: My Journey with iSocialPR appeared first on iSocialPR.

Outsourcing content marketing might seem like a big step, but it could be an excellent opportunity for you and your business. Here are 5 reasons why you should outsource to a content marketing agency:

1. More focus on your core business: As a business owner, you can spend your time efficiently growing your business. Your focus is on generating revenue building and handling day-to-day tasks. By outsourcing content marketing, you can get one task off your hands.
2.  Leave the content to the experts: there are actual experts out there who solely focus on writing. And not just any type of writing – content marketing writing. These specialists ensure you’re always getting a high-quality copy that represents your brand’s tone, vision, and goals. Leave content marketing to the experts by outsourcing. 
3. Boost brand loyalty: Putting out great content is about more than getting leads and new customers. It’s also about establishing your brand’s credibility. The more quality content you produce, the more search engines will recognize your website, and the more potential customers will start recognizing your name, logo, and style. They will come to trust you as their go-to source of information when you outsource to experts.
4. Regular, quality content: Another reason you should start outsourcing your content marketing is to ensure you’re consistent. You may have the best intentions in writing and sending out your content, but until you have a team planning, scheduling, and managing these tasks, it’s too easy to let them fall through the cracks.
5. Gain new perspectives: An outsider’s view always helps drive innovative ideas and strategies. By outsourcing writers, you bring in a fresh pair of eyes and a new way of thinking. As an employee, you end up being too close to the brand and might overlook the customer’s perspective.

The post 5 Reasons why you should outsource to a content marketing agency appeared first on iSocialPR.

Why is there so much noise about running ads for your business?

Do you ever wonder if all the ads that you see across social media are effective? 

The short answer is “YES!”

Now let us get into the long answer, here are some reasons why running ads for your business is important:

• Increase brand awareness

The number one benefit of running social media advertising is that it has a huge impact on brand awareness. It makes it possible to reach people who have never heard of your brand on social media before. The most effective way to reach them and increase brand awareness is by targeting your potential customers and target audience with your social media ads.

• Increase Content Visibility

Social media ads allow your business to promote your brand’s content. You can run ads to promote blog posts, videos, or other content that you have already published on your brand’s social media profiles. This in turn improves your content visibility and engagement.

• Increases Conversion Rate

This list of reasons why running ads for your business is important will not be complete without mentioning this. There is no doubt that ads will have a positive effect on conversion rates. The reason for this is that if you are reaching a bigger, more relevant audience and driving high-quality traffic generated via ads to your site, you will also see an increase in your conversion rates through social media advertising.

Every business in every niche and category can benefit from running social media ads with the right campaign tactic, ad placement, format, and creativity. Tracking and optimizing ads is the best way to improve and get great results!

The post The Importance of running Ads appeared first on iSocialPR.

The short answer is “You can engage directly with your existing and potential customers!”

Social media aims at connecting, engaging, and growing your business. Here are some reasons why making your social media posts engaging is important:

• It Builds Brand Awareness

People who do not know about your brand cannot become your customer. Social media helps you reach out to a larger audience with little time and effort.

• You Get To Establish a Reputation

Customers are always particular about what a brand has to offer. What would they find on your website when running a quick search? Bulking up social media profiles with relevant content builds your brand’s reputation and creates the right impression on potential customers.

• It Creates Engagement

Do not underestimate the effect of a social media post. Engaging customers is one of the perks of social media marketing. Interaction builds a relationship with customers; in turn, you get loyal customers. Q&A sessions and polls are ways to create engagement.

• It Helps To Grow Your Audience

Social media marketing aims to get your target audience to engage with content on your business profile. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, etc. are an effective means of growing an audience.

Above all, effectiveness is key, you must develop a strategy for social media marketing to create engaging posts.

The post The importance of making your social media posts ENGAGING appeared first on iSocialPR.

The world is rapidly changing; it is becoming a global village. Social media has been useful in several areas and businesses are not left out of this race. Research has it that there are over 3 billion social networks across the globe and business owners use these platforms to engage with a targeted audience. This begs the question ‘how can social media benefit my business?’

The short answer is “You can engage directly with your existing and potential customers!”

Social media aims at connecting, engaging, and growing your business. Here are some reasons why making your social media posts engaging is important:

It Builds Brand Awareness
People who do not know about your brand cannot become your customer. Social media helps you reach out to a larger audience with little time and effort.

You Get To Establish a Reputation
Customers are always particular about what a brand has to offer. What would they find on your website when running a quick search? Bulking up social media profiles with relevant content builds your brand’s reputation and creates the right impression on potential customers.

It Creates Engagement
Do not underestimate the effect of a social media post. Engaging customers is one of the perks of social media marketing. Interaction builds a relationship with customers; in turn, you get loyal customers. Q&A sessions and polls are ways to create engagement.

It Helps To Grow Your Audience
Social media marketing aims to get your target audience to engage with content on your business profile. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, etc. are an effective means of growing an audience.

Above all, effectiveness is key, you must develop a strategy for social media marketing to create engaging posts.

The post Why you don’t get enough social media engagement appeared first on iSocialPR.

What are hashtags for?

Initially, hashtags were created to allow social media users to easily find posts under a certain topic. Do you like cats? Check out all the posts under the hashtag #cats or #catsofinstagram. As Instagram continued to promote hashtags, it also allowed its users to follow certain hashtags and keep up with the topics they care about.

Tip: Check out accounts that are similar to yours and see what tags they’re using. If they are successful, get inspired!

Do hashtags really work?

In this day and age, relevant hashtags can open you up to a whole world of followers and potential customers. When used correctly, hashtags can enable the right people to find and engage with your content. The key is using the right ones. For instance, if you are in the soap-making business, using #buildabear won’t get you far.

Tip: What about your business appeals to your audience the most? Hashtag #ecofriendly or #vegan to highlight this feature of your brand and attract an audience that cares about the planet.

Instagram vs TikTok

Hashtags have proven to be very successful on Instagram. People actually conduct hashtag searches and even follow them! Not all platforms are the same. TikTok, the platform best known for its young audience and trendy dances, does not work the same way. Because of the way the algorithm is set up, the app does not promote your content based on popular ones. Adding #fyp to your video’s description does not guarantee millions of views. Your video will get its chance regardless of the tags you use.

Tip: Use popular tags on Instagram, but don’t bother with them on TikTok. Instead, post consistently. For more personalized social media advice, request a Social Media Audit!

The post The Power of Hashtags appeared first on iSocialPR.

Social Media Strategy

This package includes a social media content plan. You will receive a comprehensive plan full of individual posts and ads that will help you reach your goals. The strategy is broken down into simple steps that will make it easier to understand and follow.

Social Media Management

Want to take it a step further? Let us run your social media accounts! If you don’t have the time for it and don’t want to hire another person just to create posts and reply to comments, this is the perfect solution. We can implement the social media strategy and create daily posts tailored to your audience and brand voice. We also take over all client communication, with your help, of course. Finally, we send you a progress report every month to make sure everything is going according to plan.

Social Media Advertisement

The best way to reach your target audience is through targeted ads on Instagram and Facebook. We can create an elegant social media ad campaign that will allow you to reach your perfect client. It’s easy!

Find out more about our three stages of content marketing here. If you’re not ready to commit to a whole new social media marketing strategy just yet, no worries. Check out our official website and learn more about our services. Reach out to us via email to learn more about what we can do for your brand.

And when you’re ready, we can get started with your half-day strategy session for all three services. Yes, you heard us right, all three! So, book your strategy session today at iSocial VR.

The post Book Your Strategy Session Today appeared first on iSocialPR.

Instagram continues to add features for its users, making it hard to keep up. Here are some features you can master and use to draw attention to your profile and engage with your followers.

Reels

Reels are Instagram’s version of TikToks. Most Reels you see are recycled TikToks and very few actually originated on Instagram. The reason many users choose to stay on Instagram instead of migrating to TikTok is habit. You can use it to your advantage and speak to your audience through these short videos.

Reels follow the structure of TikTok, meaning they rely on trends. Spend some time every day browsing through Reels to figure out what’s trending this week and what trends you can hop on. The purpose of Reels is to attract attention with fun, 15-second videos rather than share important information. Have fun with it!

Boomerangs

While Reels are a relatively new invention, boomerangs gained popularity a few years ago. This feature allows you to create short video loops. Years later, boomerangs are not only meant for jumping videos or clinking glasses with your friends. You can use these short captivating videos to showcase your products and/or services.

If you want to take it a step further, you can download the Boomerang from Instagram app and create professional boomerangs. This format is especially appealing to millennials. You will rarely see boomerangs as actual posts; they work better with Stories!

Going live

In the age of instant gratification, people want everything now. It all started with Instagram posts. You can make a video and post it immediately, though most people take some time to edit and come up with a witty caption. Stories managed to get closer to real time videos, though they only show a short fragment of your day. With the opportunity to go live on Instagram, you can finally interact with your followers in real time.

Going live can be challenging, as it requires a constant stream of entertainment for a certain amount of time. You have to be quick on your feet and be able to react to comments in seconds. We recommend you to go live when you have a specific topic in mind. You can also use this feature for direct interaction with your followers, like a Q&A session. Be sure to never start your live unprepared!

IGTV

What is IGTV and how is it different from Reels and Stories? There is a clear distinction between Reels and IGTV. Reels focus on shorter videos that are made for entertainment purposes. IGTV, on the other hand, favors longer videos. If you’re going to use Reels to attract your viewers’ attention, you can then use IGTV to talk about your product and offer value to the viewers.

Since IGTV provides a longer viewing experience, it makes sense to invest a bit more into the video and create a high-quality product. You have to catch the attention of the viewer and keep it throughout the whole video, so make sure it’s worth it!

Highlights

We all know Stories; they are little pictures and videos you post that can only be viewed for 24 hours after posting. Sometimes throwing these pieces of multimedia away after a day is a real shame. That’s why Instagram created Highlights! You can add any story you’ve ever posted to Highlights and keep it there forever (or until you feel like deleting it from your Highlights).

Your Highlights will be visible in a line above your posts. You can create different Highlights based on themes, events, dates, or any other criteria. Add as many as 100 photos or videos to one Highlight. Use Highlights for Stories that deserve to be viewed again and again. For instance, you can create a Highlight for an event that you organized or a new product that you’ve been advertising. Make a separate Highlight for all the customer reviews you’ve reposted.

To make your Highlight reel look more organized, choose a cover image for each Highlight. You can do that by selecting the Highlight, clicking on the three dots in the bottom right corner, and selecting Edit Highlight. If you click on Edit Cover, you can choose an image from the Highlight to be on the cover, or go to your phone’s gallery and choose an image from there. If you want to take it a step further and stay consistent with your brand, keep all the Highlight covers in the same design and/or color scheme.

Have you been getting full use out of these Instagram features? If not, you are missing out! Your audience would love to be entertained and simple pictures are not cutting it anymore. Have a look at our services and contact us today if you would like to add these elements to your toolbox!

The post Instagram and Its Many Tricks and Gadgets appeared first on iSocialPR.

The pandemic struck all business owners and individuals by surprise and nobody expected it to last that long. Even though it provided a lot of sorrow, those who didn’t break became more resilient. It’s safe to say that we all mastered video conferencing tools and remote work. What did the harsh times of the pandemic give you in terms of valuable lessons and takeaways?

The pandemic showed us that nothing is ever set in stone. Though planning and organization are valuable skills for any manager, so are flexibility and openness to change. You can plan all you want, but things happen and you have to adjust. What changes have you made to the way you run your business? Will these changes help you make it through another state of emergency, be it a global pandemic or a fast approaching deadline?

Do you think that we will ever go back to normal? Maybe, from the ashes of the pandemic emerges a new normal. We have learned to take better care of our bodies, and made keeping the safety of customers and staff a priority. We now understand the importance of hygiene in the workplace and at home. Finally, we have learned that being able to adapt to the situation is often far more valuable than sticking to the plan.

With our country’s return to normal or the rise of a new normal, we want to encourage you to implement the lessons you learned last year and, most importantly, stay safe!

The post Back to Normal? appeared first on iSocialPR.