The life of a HeX Digital Marketing Intern.

Written by Jonathon Hawkins on

University of Nottingham Student, Jonathon, talks through his reasons for becoming a Digital Marketing Intern at HeX, his expectations for the upcoming months, and his experience so far.

As someone who has a passion for Digital Marketing, I was eager to gain an opportunity in an agency where I could apply the skills I have acquired over the years. I also want to create observable and positive change that will benefit both the local Nottingham community, along with the wider community. This is why I became a HeX marketing intern.

Why Digital Marketing?

My strong fascination for online marketing came about at a young age, designing websites using online editors from the age of 13, I have since run social media pages, written content for other brands and played around with brand development.

“I hate the thought of entering a monotonous 9-5 job and becoming complacent. I want to keep encountering new challenges, learn and adapt as the technological market does.”

Marketing allows me to have fun whilst being creative, trying out and learning new techniques on a daily basis, and it also comes with new, interesting and continually changing projects and challenges.

Not only that, it allows you to make positive and observable changes. Be that from boosting online statistics, raising awareness about topics, and even real-world changes: such as increasing the number of people who turn up to an event.

As far as I’m concerned, you can be the very best in your field, but if your marketing isn’t up to scratch and no one has ever heard of you then it doesn’t really matter.

Why HeX Productions?

As an agency that promotes accessible and inclusive websites, an internship at HeX has provided me the opportunity to implement such positive changes surrounding a topic that is of importance to me.

As someone with family members born with Amelia, along with a number of friends who are autistic, partially blind and partially deaf, I understand the importance of making equipment that our everyday lives rely upon, accessible to everyone. Not only that, accessibility is an issue experienced by everyone, 18% of the working population in the UK have a disability, so the likelihood is that you know someone who HeX’s services would benefit.

Studies found that in 2005, 97% of government websites in Europe broke Disability and Accessibility laws due to not being accessible enough.

The online world is currently undergoing a drastic change to make websites more accessible to everyone, and by 2020 all public sector websites will need to meet accessibility guidelines: I am excited to be involved in helping implement changes to make sure that important websites and technologies that we take for granted on a day to day basis, are available to everyone.

What do I expect?

During my time as a HeX marketing intern, I look forward to working closely with the team on a variety of projects.

Firstly, working on building awareness and further establishing HeX as a leading brand in accessible web development: by working closely with Ben to make tweaks to the social media, writing blog, along with other content and assessing the new website to ensure that it has a positive user experience and is accessible to everyone.

I also hope to apply the SEO knowledge I have acquired over the years to ensure that users and potential clients are quickly and easily able to find HeX when searching for website accessibility services.

In addition, I will be able to broaden my knowledge about accessibility services, and the most up to date software technologies used by HeX, such as Umbraco and TerminalFour.

On top of all of this, I am excited to support HeX in their planning of an upcoming Accessibility Nottingham meet-up, as this will allow me to apply some of the skills I have learnt from event management in the past. It also gives me the opportunity to use my marketing skills to make positive change when making the event a success: through the development of a website and online promotion as a means to get as many visitors to the event as possible, allowing the HeX team to enlighten them about online accessibility.

Secondly, I look forward to working with a variety of clients during my time at HeX, allowing me to take a look at prominent and new issues. Such diversity will pose new challenges that will keep me on my toes, learn new things and have lots of fun doing it!

Experiences so far?

My experience of HeX has been nothing but positive so far. The team here are extremely friendly and provided me with a warm welcome since arriving on my first day.

HeX treats interns like all their other team members, and it makes the experience of working here all the more enjoyable. In particular, they allow a large degree of autonomy in day to day tasks and put a lot of trust in their employees. During my time here, this has allowed me the opportunity to be creative, and allows me the diversity that I have always wanted in a job (unlike other boring 9-5 office jobs!)

So far, I have had fun closely analysing HeX’s marketing strategies. Including the current social media techniques used, SEO rankings and a close analysis of the usability of their upcoming new website.

Being new to HeX, I see things through a fresh pair of eyes, I have been able to make new improvements that are invaluable, and I am looking forward to seeing the impact that they have when implemented.

The Takeaway?

To round off my experiences as a HeX marketing intern so far:

  • The Agency as a whole offers services which, given the continuing advancement of technology, are a necessity. Not only that, given recent statistics, it’s likely their services can help you, or someone you know who experiences a disability.
  • The team here at HeX are extremely friendly, allowing a large degree of autonomy, allowing me the opportunity to be creative, have fun and make obvservable change.
  • I am really excited for the upcoming months, the projects and exciting challenges that I will face which will keep me on my toes and I will gain a lot from them!
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