Onwards and Upwards, Chris’ Goals For His Time At Frankman

The graduate paradox.

A problem so many of my fellow university graduates face after spending three years learning about the industry they want to work in, earning a degree and then applying for graduate jobs, to be then hit with the line “Sorry, but you don’t have enough experience”. The paradox we face is: ‘How can we have experience if we can’t get a job where this experience comes from?’ This is made that little bit harder from coming from a little corner of the country in Torquay, Devon. That is why I am grateful to Mark and Maggie of Frankman Design and Marketing for offering me the opportunity to learn about and work in the industry helping to alleviate this issue for me. Working at Frankman is an opportunity to pick up loads of new skills, giving me hands-on experience, as well as develop my understanding of marketing in the real world.I have reflected on a number of areas of development that I would like to work on.

My First Goal - Social Media Strategy

The first thing I see as an opportunity for improvement is my understanding of social media marketing. As a man in my early 20’s, I have grown up with every social media platform and trend going. Early on was Tumblr, playing games on Facebook, and watching videos on Vine (R.I.P). Since then there have been platforms and trends that have come and gone that impacted the marketing landscape. For example, the length of tweets going from 140 to 280 characters changed the way in which Twitter could be used. Also notable are the numerous dance trends and challenges that gave individuals and companies alike an opportunity for engagement. For example, the infamous Harlem Shake in 2013 is something companies such as Red Bull, Pepsi, Nintendo got involved in.

In more recent history, since the COVID-19 pandemic, social media has undergone even more changes. Platforms such as Clubhouse came and went with people’s need for interaction fueling new ways of communicating with each other. Tiktok came to the surface and has taken over. It gave people an opportunity to express themselves throughout lockdown, and is now being used for a wide variety of purposes such as comedy and storytelling. Also recently has been the Twitter takeover by Elon Musk, sparking controversy over the right to free speech and the extent to which this should be allowed. Maybe the most controversial was his idea of being able to purchase a ‘blue tick’, which damaged the reputation and market price of a number of businesses. For example, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly fell by 4.5% after someone impersonated them claiming they would be giving away free insulin.

Love or hate Social Media, it is here to stay (although not in the case of Clubhouse!) and all these platforms, I have noticed, have one thing in common – they are a great marketing tool. Facebook, for example, uses targeted ads based on search history (which is a bit scary!), and we have seen businesses on Tiktok create funny, trend-led videos to engage with their customer base on a more casual and personal level. What I would like to learn is how to best keep up with social media advertising trends, and how to do it in a way that increases engagement and lead generation. This may be through improving skills like graphic design and copywriting, as well as market research.

Secondly... Videos in Social Media Marketing

A second skill I would like to learn, relating to graphic design and social media, is how to create successful video content. With the recent success of Tiktok, and the following success of Instagram Reels, it seems to be hugely important to be good at making videos to be a successful marketer in the modern day. Although I can put together video on a basic level, using TikTok or Instagram, I would love to learn how to make them look more professional and engaging. Simultaneous to this, I would like to be better at using graphic design and video editing-based Adobe platforms, such as Photoshop, Premiere Pro and Illustrator as it would help with a range of marketing activities.

Goal Number Three - SEO

Another key area in digital marketing is SEO (search engine optimisation). Having learnt all about it at university, and the basics of how it works, I would love to put it to use in a real world context and see the success of its implementation. A company’s website, or overall digital presence, is one of the most important things in a company’s marketing strategy. Therefore being one of the first search results that appear when an individual is trying to solve a problem they have is important. If you are an easy solution, then you are likely to be used by the individual. For example, someone may search ‘where to eat in Torquay’. If you have implemented a strong SEO strategy, then you will be one of the first to appear and therefore be high in the customer’s set of options to consider. What I would love to learn are the best techniques and strategies to optimise this.

On a personal level...

In terms of some individual characteristics, I would like to work on my conviction and confidence in my work. I think this will come with time and experience whilst working in the industry, and working with new people on a regular basis. This will also likely lead to increased productivity, another skill I would like to work on, as it’s a great feeling getting to the end of a day or week and looking back on what you have achieved!

I’m excited to find out what my journey at Frankman will lead to, and what I will learn along the way.