You're exploring internships in B2B marketing. Which types will give you the best hands-on experience?

Primarily, have a plan for yourself. Focus on your short to mid-term career goals, particularly the industry and expertise you aim for, and choose a company/brand accordingly. Start with content creation to gain hands-on experience. Creating the right content requires an in-depth understanding of the buyers, the buying cycle, and the product/service. Next, explore opportunities in the demand generation team. Here, you will learn how content performs, what works, what doesn't, and what optimizations are necessary. Finally, join the sales or presales team. Without selling experience, you can't be a good marketer. On-ground experience with customers is the most important learning you can have in any industry, department, or format.

Product Marketing: Dive deep into crafting GTM strategies and positioning. I found this invaluable for understanding how to align products with market needs. Content Creation: Work on developing targeted content and managing campaigns. This helps in honing skills to engage B2B audiences effectively. Market Research: Get involved in analyzing market trends and customer insights. My experience here taught me how to drive data-driven decisions. Sales Enablement: Support sales teams with tools and strategies. This gives you a direct view of how marketing impacts sales performance.

Below are content Goals and examples: ? Brand Awareness: Instagram posts showcasing products in daily life. ? Lead Generation: Free ebook on productivity in exchange for email. ? Customer Engagement: Monthly newsletter with tips and discounts. ? Sales and Conversions: Persuasive product descriptions with CTAs. ? SEO and Traffic: Blog posts optimized for popular travel keywords. ? Thought Leadership: Whitepaper on industry trends and challenges. ? Customer Retention: Loyalty program with exclusive content and perks. ? Educational: Video tutorials on recipes and cooking techniques.

I believe a digital marketing internship would offer the most comprehensive hands-on experience in B2B marketing. This role encompasses a wide range of skills, from content creation and SEO to social media management and email marketing. It allows you to gain practical experience in data analysis, campaign performance measurement, and utilizing digital tools to reach and engage target audiences. A digital marketing internship provides a solid foundation for understanding the evolving B2B and developing the skills necessary to succeed in this field.

I believe a sales enablement internship is at the intersection of marketing and sales, offering a unique perspective on how to equip sales teams with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed. You should definitely look for a role around content development, creating sales collateral, and analyzing sales data to optimize performance. A sales enablement internship would allow you to gain a deep understanding of the buyer's journey, refine communication skills, and contribute directly to revenue generation.

Below is my recommended sales collateral: 1. Product Information ? One-Pagers: Key features/benefits. ? Brochures: Detailed specs/use cases. 2. Customer Success Stories ? Case Studies: Real-world results. ? Testimonials: Customer praise. 3. Technical Documentation ? Datasheets: Technical specs. ? Whitepapers: Industry insights. 4. Interactive/Visual Content ? Demos/Videos: Feature showcases. Infographics: Visual data. 5. Value Proposition/ROI ? ROI Calculators: Benefit estimation. ? Cost-Benefit Reports: Analysis of savings.

So, a salesman came to me about a promising potential client. I dove into their annual report, website, etc. to get a sense of their goals for the year. We then created custom slides tailored to their pain points. It paid off—we won the tender! This shows why marketing and sales need to work hand in hand. Here’s how I approach ABM: ? Customized Outreach: Crafting personalized emails and messages, and making tailored offers. ? Account-Specific Campaigns: Designing campaigns to tackle the unique challenges of each target account. ? Event Marketing: Hosting or sponsoring events specifically for our target accounts.

I always break it down to 3 parts which I call 3C approach: 1. Company ? Core Competencies ? Weaknesses ? USPs ? Brand Positioning 2. Customer ? Personas ? Pain Points ? Journey ? Needs & Preferences: What customers value most. 3. Competitor ? USPs: Competitors' key differentiators. ? Market Position: Share and positioning. ? Marketing Strategies: both online and offline ? Content Strategy ? Customer Feedback And additional categories ? Market Trends: Current industry trends. ? SWOT Analysis: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.