What You Should Know About Online Internships

Last fall, I was going to community college to prepare for transfer to the university I now attend. I dabbled as an editor for college newspaper. I worked part-time as a graphic designer at a custom t-shirt shop. Though a busy bee by appearance, I lacked creative stimulation. Thus, I decided to peruse the web for an internship to build my skills as a copyeditor.

With little time and effort expended, I found my glass slipper: a copyediting internship based around my other interests and founded in a bustling city with a telecommuting capability. Perfect.

Dim the lights. Cast the curtains. Cue Bach's "Come Sweet Death." It was that bad.

What began as a fortuitous writing gig led by a laxe group of young business people soon morphed into a stressful conglomerate of missed Skype calls and vague deadlines. I should've known better. I e-mailed my two-week notice after only a couple months on the job. 

Landing a fitting job or internship is tough enough without the internet -- abundant with scams, technical issues and miscommunication -- as a confounding variable.

Avoid my mistake and follow these tips to avoid a scam, discover a trustworthy company and ensure you land the right internship for you:

• Is the company legitimate?

You can check the Better Business Bureau and Ripoff Report to find out.

• Does the company’s website contain important contact information?

Look for an address, phone number, e-mail address and names of important employees.

• What kind of person is the company looking for?

Does the internship call for experience with a certain program? Should the intern work well with deadlines? What personality traits are associated with the position?

• What are the responsibilities of the internship?

Ask for a list detailing expected duties to avoid being saddled with "fine print" jobs, like cleaning up the company e-mail inbox or sending out B2B mail.

• Is the internship paid or unpaid?

• If the internship is paid, what’s the payment method?

Hourly? Pay-per-word? Pay-per-click?

• How long does the internship last?

• How many hours per week are expected?

• Does the internship count as college credit?

Some universities offer actual "classes" to fill with internships. Other times, you have to submit an internship for approval by your school before any college credit is accepted.

• Do interns go through a training process?

• Will you work alone, with another intern or with employees?

• How will you be interacting with employees or other interns?

E-mail? Skype? Phone calls?

• How often will you interact with employees or other interns?
• Is there a contract? Is there an NDA?

Usually, you'll have to sign some kind of paperwork before you start working as an intern. This can including a background check request and a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

• Who retains ownership rights of the content you produce?

Usually, whoever you work for retains full ownership rights of anything you produce, including blog posts, graphic designs and videos. Ask what the company policy is.

Would you ever pursue an online internship? Why or why not?

Leave a comment below or reach out to The LC Studio on Twitter.

 

The AP Style Cheat Sheet for Bloggers

The makings of a word whiz combine both knowledge and skill. While creative ability may link to our DNA, translating artistic thought requires study and practice.

Bloggers, journalists and copywriters from all industries turn to the Associated Press for its golden writing rule book, the AP Stylebook. I compiled a list of the most common AP style rules I utilize when writing blog posts and marketing copy. Bookmark this page to refer back to in times of a copywriting crunch, or download it for free here! Happy blogging!

The AP Style Cheat Sheet for Bloggers

Capitalization

• Capitalize proper nouns: Bill Clinton, New York City, Baby Boomers
• Capitalize days of the week + months of the year
• Capitalize product names: Styrofoam, Band-Aid, Dumpster, Frisbee, iPod, Jell-O, Kitty Litter, Scotch tape, Vaseline, Velcro, Windbreaker
• Capitalize races, but not colors: Caucasian, white; African American, black
• Capitalize the first word following a colon if the word begins a complete sentence
• For book titles, games, movies, poems, etc. capitalize main words, conjunctions and prepositions of four or more letters and the first and last words

Numbers

• Write out numbers one through nine
• Write numbers 10 and above numerically
• Always use numerals with address, ages, clothing sizes, dates, dimensions, money, percentages, recipes, speed, sports, temperatures, times, weights and years: size 8, 100 degrees, 21 years old
• Write out million, billion and trillion
• Spell out percent
• Use numerals for amounts less than a dollar and write out cents: 22 cents
• Use the $ sign and decimals for amounts more than a dollar: $2.50
• Write out fractions of less than one: one-half, one-third
• Use numerals with fractions larger than one: 1 ½
• Write odds with the smaller number first: 1 in 100
• Use numerals with dimensions, but write out units: 6 feet tall, 11 inches wide

Days + Dates

• Days of the week are written out: Monday, Tuesday
• Abbreviate months that preface a specific day: Feb. 2, 2015
• Never abbreviate months with five letters or less: March, April, May, June and July
• Write in a time-day-place format: Around noon last Saturday, I was sitting in Starbucks…

States + Addresses

• Abbreviate states only when they follow a city: Detroit, Mich.
• Never abbreviate states with six letters or less: Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Utah, Texas, Iowa, Idaho and Ohio
• Write out street, avenue, boulevard and lane when present without a number: Main Street
• Abbreviate street, avenue and boulevard when present with a number: 123 Main St.

Punctuation

• Place commas and periods inside quotation marks
• Use a comma to join independent clauses with a conjunction: I like pizza, but I also like burgers.
• Use a comma after a dependent clause and before an independent clause: Because it rained, I didn't go out for pizza.
• Use a comma after an introductory word or phrase: All of the sudden, pizza fell from the sky.
• Use a comma to introduce a quote of one sentence: He said, “I really love eating pizza in my PJs.”
• Use a colon to introduce a list or join two similar clauses: The time has come: I need pizza.
• Use a semicolon between two independent clauses instead of a conjunction
• Use a dash for a dramatic pause: Oh no – what happened to the pizza?
• Use a dash instead of commas to interject a sentence: She ate pizza, chicken strips and – to top it all off – a big bowl of ice cream.
• Use hyphens between two compound modifiers: the much-loved teacher

Titles*

*Please note that my use of italics here only follows my pattern of italicizing rule examples. None of the below examples should be italicized in practice. 

• Use quotation marks for titles of movies, books and TV shows: “The Walking Dead,” “How to Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Hunger Games”
• Names of magazines and newspapers need no special punctuation: The New York Times

Common Confusion

• Who vs. that: Use who for people and pets with names; use that for everything else
• Who vs. whom: Use who if the sentence would use he/she, whom if the sentence would use him/her
• Less vs. fewer: Use fewer with things you can count individually: I need fewer sweaters; Use less with things you can’t count and that aren’t pluralized: I need less furniture
• Affect vs. effect: Affect is a verb, and effect is a noun: Global warming has affected us so much, it’s resulted in an effect of more recycling

Check out these handy references to make the most out of your writing potential:

The History of AP Style

The Eight Parts of Speech

2013 AP Stylebook for $12 on Amazon
Download my AP Style Cheat Sheet

5 Ways Data Tracking Improves Your Life

Facebook appeared at the forefront of online privacy paranoia in late 2011 through early 2012 according to a timeline of articles over at Huffington Post. It must have been a slow news day for reporters at the publication and others like it -- Mashable, USA Today and Business Insider covered the controversy as well -- because cookie tracking is in no way ripe gossip. Despite the nativeness of internet cookies, which first developed in 1995, the scrutinizing headlines echoed panic into the online community. A 2012 survey found 70% of Facebook users don’t trust the $200 billion company with their personal information.

A fear epidemic of near dystopian proportions has ensued since, targeting various big name brands like Apple and Google. An article on Australian pop culture site Junkee confirmed just how parasitic the outrage has become when it discussed the tracking patterns of Google Maps. Reporter Elizabeth Flux writes, “Knowledge [of tracking] is easy to drown out by shoving in some headphones… until everything stops being 1984.”

Chad Little, CEO of Fetchback, responded to criticism of data tracking by emphasizing its key role in marketing and advertising (which I’ll comment on later). He writes, “Consumers need to understand that it is the voice of a few that make the negative perception of behavioral tracking a much bigger issue than it really is.”

If you haven’t yet caught on, I pursue the unpopular opinion on digi-data tracking and consider it a blessing rather than a curse. Maybe that’s because my millennial status groomed me to perceive technology as [beneficial]. Maybe, instead, my studies of mass communication in college have taught me to approach online issues from a business standpoint. Or maybe I just feel obligated to root for the underdog.

Metadata tracking established a new era of life online catered to each individual user. If that in itself doesn’t induce gratitude, check out the 10 ways data tracking is making your life better right now:

1. PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS

Amazon and many other online retailers promote a spending environment by recommending similar products viewed by other users. Amazon is the number one "e-tailer" in the world, serving 19.5 million customers every day.

2. STREAMING SERVICES

Like online retailers, streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora and Spotify develop a user profile based on your interests and suggest movies, music and TV you may like. Netflix boasts over 53 million members, validating the popularity of the cord-cutter movement.

3. ANALYTICS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Small businesses that operate blogs generate 126% more traffic than their blogless counterparts, according to an infographic from Social Media Today. Web analytics services, free and paid, like Google Analytics, Optimizely and Twitalyzer track site visitors and gauge the effectiveness of different marketing tactics.

4. ACCOUNT SECURITY

Banks and e-mail carriers use activity location to verify the security of your accounts. A few months ago, my Gmail used compiled data of all my login locations to prevent someone on the other side of the world from hacking into my account.

5. ADVERTISMENTS

Most free websites like Facebook  do sell users' browsing behavior information to advertisers in order to make money, but this controversial practice keeps our favorite internet havens open to all. In absence of advertisements, webistes would rely on income from donations, premium services or membership fees -- remember Ello?

HAVE NO FEAR -- 1984 IS NOWHERE NEAR

I’ll let you in on a little secret: The world’s most beloved companies all use some sort of metadata collection to change the way we live our online lives, and the methodology is much less “Big Brother” and much more “Big Sister” – that edgy yet compassionate chick who lends you her iPod, teaches you what staple pieces work best with your wardrobe and stays in with you on Friday night to binge watch Orange is the New Black after your date stood you up. 

Next time she interjects into your mandatory Pinterest and potato chips hour to tell you dinner is ready, swallow your complaints and thank her for all she does for you. Trust me, it's not easy being a busybody.

In what way has data tracking affected you? Do you find it harrowing or harmless? Comment below!

Innovative Marketing with Tidy Cats' Kitten Therapy

  Purina cat litter brand Tidy Cats released a YouTube video Tuesday to promote their Los Angeles-based campaign "Kitten Therapy."  The company sought out stressed passersby on the city's streets, asked about their emotional burdens then encouraged them to step inside a glass box to relax. After a short period of guided meditation, participants encounter the real therapeutic value of the experiment: a swarm of playful kittens that dash in from hatchways in the wall.  

Screenshots courtesy of Tidy Cats' "Kitten Therapy" YouTube video.

I stumbled upon the ad while video-surfing YouTube's "Most Popular" section and couldn't resist a peak. Tidy Cats and SoulPancake, the creative agency in charge of the campaign concept, surpassed my expectations both as a cat enthusiast and an advertising geek. I'm not alone; in just four days, the video has accumulated over 1 million views and launched coverage by Huffington Post, Yahoo and People Magazine, to name a few. Like Google and The Walking Dead, Tidy Cats' advertising campaigns illustrate an expert understanding of marketing in the digital age. Attention paid to a few key strategies separates Kitten Therapy and the Tidy Cats brand from competitors.

1. Tidy Cats Gives for the Sake of Giving

My marketing idol Gary Vaynerchuk would classify the Kitten Therapy video as one giant "jab" -- a non-intrusive commercial message that doesn't ask for or demand consumer action ("buy this litter," "print this coupon," "share this photo") but builds brand equity with the simple act of giving. Tidy Cats executed the Kitten Therapy campaign to bless strangers with a few minutes of uninterrupted fur fun. Of course, the video's virality constitutes priceless PR, but the glass box experiment yields a pretty low net benefit in and of itself.

Even the brand's YouTube account prides itself on creating content for consumer enjoyment. Straight from its "About" section, Tidy Cats says, "Tidy knows you can't get enough cat-related entertainment. So here's an entire YouTube channel dedicated to the awesome times that come along with cat ownership. Just another way that Tidy has your back (and your cat's back too)."


2. Tidy Cats Engages in Storytelling

Screenshots courtesy of Tidy Cats' "Virtual Kitten Therapy" YouTube video.

Consumers are quick to recognize -- and ignore -- the pleas of traditional advertisements. The Kitten Therapy video evaded this problem by pursuing a documentary-style approach with advanced video quality, raw interviews and story chronology. Just like the authors of history's most popular novels, the litter company presented a problem (stressed out consumers), approached a climax (the final moments of the guided meditation) and presented a solution (kittens, kittens and more kittens).


Not only did the brand excel in building a story within the video, but it extended the story by releasing their Virtual Kitten Therapy video the same day (it reminds me of Dawn's virtual volunteer ad released back in June, which racked up 3 million views and also won my heart).

3. Tidy Cats Implements Digital Trends

The brand realizes the route to its consumers' hearts is through the screen -- computer, tablet, smartphone or TV -- and it maintains these digital relationships through its YouTube, Facebook and Twitter accounts. 

The use of hashtags like #kittenweek, #catswin and #helpmejvp propel the brand forward in the digital age of marketing by making content more timely, relatable and shareable. The brand's ability to embrace silliness and genuinity builds the impression of consumer-focused business.

Tidy Cats played off of Discovery Channel's annual summer marathon Shark Week with this ad for their YouTube campaign.

Tidy Cats launched a YouTube campaigned characterized by the hashtag "#helpmejvp," in which Dr. Julius Von Pepperbottom aids people "avoid life's little messes" like slow wi-fi and co-workers' smelly lunches.

Is Tidy Cats' marketing team ahead of the game?

Leave a comment below or reach out to The LC Studio on Twitter.

 

10 Things My Cat Taught Me About Blogging

I admit it: I kind of wish I was a cat. Between the nifty natural fur coat, calm demeanor and 16-hour sleep sessions, I can't imagine a more luxurious lifestyle. I've loved cats for as long as I can remember. Looking back at photos like those below, I understand the reasoning behind the cat club I talked about in my post about introverts and the cat-themed decorating stage I went through at around nine years old. 

Not only are cats one of the most popular American pets (they may even hold the #1 spot), but they also operate a lot like us; human and cats have "practically identical sections of the brain that control emotion." That being said, I compiled a list of 10 lessons my longhaired tabby, Tiger, has taught me as it pertains to being a better blogger.

With my oldest brother's tabby, Junior (left); With a cat at my uncle's Minnesota farm (middle); With our family cat, Mickey (right); approximately five, six and seven years old, respectively.

1. LEARN AS YOU GO.

I adopted Tiger from a local animal shelter called Kitten Ranch Rescue when I was six years old. My extent of worldly knowledge at that time halted at the crossroads of Backstreet Boys lyrics and the alphabet. I knew little about life and even less about caring for another creature. I'm 20 years old now, and I can decipher Tiger's it's-3am-play-with-me-now meows from her how-can-we-already-be-out-of-tuna-it's-only-Wednesday meows. I know what she likes, how she likes it, when she likes it and I know she likes it best from me (my boyfriend of three years, Isaac, has accepted this as unchangeable fact).

Good parenting, even pet parenting, develops over time. No expertise is born overnight (excuse the pun). Even a library's worth of "baby books" on blogging won't guarantee a successful outcome. Raising a blog from infantry to adulthood depends on wisdom gained each day during the process. 

(1) My boyfriend, Isaac, and Tiger bonding over snuggle time; (2) Tiger making herself at home mid-work session; (3) Tiger keeping me on my toes with her strange food indulgences -- sweet potato this time.

2. BE PATIENT.

Cats wear the crown of independence. They do things on their own time and don't bother with the limitations of time, money or social norms. Tiger graces me with her enlightened attitude in the patience department on a daily basis. Her favorite teaching method involves persistent and almost systematic interruption of my work time on my laptop. I think she set a new personal record just yesterday when I had to take her off my lap about seven times in a row when I was working on a blog post. 

I'm a very impatient person. Children, furry or otherwise, seem to be adept at changing this quality in their parents. I've learned not only to be more patient with other people, but I've also learned to be more patient with myself. I've learned to set realistic deadlines both for actual tasks and for self-improvement. I know I can't learn CSS in one day. I know I can't write this entire blog post in one night, even though I'm going to try really hard to anyway. I also know views, comments and shares of my blog posts and purchases in my Etsy shop take time, just like "all good things" do.

3. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.

As the self-sufficient rebels they are, cats often meander into situations deemed perplexing by human standards. Tiger's antics never cease to amaze me. When she isn't sleeping her life away under our guest bed, she's exploring new lands like Cat Columbus. Since moving into my new apartment, her favorite excavations include the empty space under the TV stand and the tight wedge between the washer/dryer and the wall.

Cat behavior, as extreme as it may sometimes seem, only mimics the unpredictable nature of human behavior. It's hard to predict how -- or if -- an audience will react to something you post. It's even harder to analyze when things like #alexfromtarget and the "The Fox" music video, which tallied over 400 million views on Youtube, explode into virality nearly overnight. In advertising, this randomness is referred to as a stochastic variable, the "dark matter" of consumer behavior. Though this variable also accounts for beneficial virality, like the ALS Ice Bucket challenge that raised $100 million for the ALS Foundation, it mystifies the path to online success. While we alone can't control how users spread data across demographics, we can control the quality of our content to ensure a higher chance of popularity.

4. BE CURIOUS.

Curiosity is a cat's middle name. Tiger embraces the stereotype to its full potential, adopting the ins and outs of furniture and appliances as her mediums of choice. Upon familiarizing herself with her new apartment home, she became hopelessly enticed by the downstairs guest bathroom and would spend upwards of 20 minutes hanging out in it -- day, night, door open or closed (we tested this theory for science).

Great bloggers are also great investigators. Whether researching a new social platform, testing the best jerk chicken recipe or experimenting with the combination of leather and plaid, bloggers wheels are in constant motion to whip out new content. Embrace your own curiosity for whatever topic your hold dear to your heart, and the depth and quality of your content will be justified with an influx of loyal readers.

(4) Tiger's curiosity leads her underneath the Christmas tree every single winter; (5) She may be crazy, but aren't we all a little bit?; (6) I let Tiger fall asleep on my lap sometimes even when I really need to get up to reach the TV remote. I can't resist.

5. FORGIVE + FORGET.

Isaac and I nicknamed Tiger our "fur demon" because of the way she seems to enjoy wreaking havoc around the house. My mom even got in on the joke and bought me the cat owner's perfect guide to handling the chaos. It's called "Is Your Cat Crazy?" and you can check it out on Amazon here. While Tiger certainly fits the criteria, I know her mania isn't rooted in an intent to distress, which is why I find it very easy to forgive her -- and even comfort her with treats -- after an accident.

Forgiveness not only signifies healthy parenting but also an understanding of realistic expectations. I know Tiger makes messes because she's an animal, and I know I make them too because I'm a human being. I forgive myself for the typos, the missed deadlines and the occasionally snarky tweet because it's normal to experience those things every once in awhile. By not being dwelling on what I've done wrong, I grow from my errors and become a better blogger along the way.

6. BE SELFLESS.

About six months ago, I noticed Tiger's health deteriorating. Her voracious appetite, unusually petite frame and sudden excess thirst prompted me to break her decade long vet hiatus. After a batch of tests and hefty withdrawal from the savings accrued from my part-time job, our vet announced her diagnosis: hyperthyroidism, a common condition in elderly cats caused by hyperactivity of the thyroid gland. The solution: prescription hyperthyroid medication, given twice a day, every day, for the rest of Tiger's life. Done. No questions asked.

Since then, she's regained her signature fluff, eats and drinks in moderation and sleeps like a hibernating bear (hyperthyroidism can cause hyperactivity in cats and lead them to sleep less often). I continue to fulfill standard cat owner duties like litterbox cleaning, fur vacuuming and hairball healing on top of a twice daily dosing of Tiger's little pink pill.

The cheapest, simplest and least painful option for us isn't always the best option for others. When blogging, stop and think about what you can do to make others' lives better. Sometimes that means spending your Game of Thrones night conducting extra research for a blog post in order to make it as informative as possible. Other times that means hiring a web designer to aid in creating a comfortable and effortless UX for your site visitors. The heart of selfless blogging is powered by anything that thinks of the reader first.

7. HAVE EMPATHY.

I moved from Austin to San Marcos for college a few months ago. My nervousness about moving Tiger into an apartment with me -- she was an indoor/outdoor cat her whole life -- took precedence to my fear of leaving my lifelong home and conquering a new chapter of my life. I read about the stresses cats endure when moving, and her age only exacerbated my concerns. To my surprise, she adopted the new environment with the utmost cat casualness. I've been less permeable. 

Empathy for readers, like skittish cats, governs attractiveness of brands. I wrote for both my high school yearbook and newspaper, and I won a spot as co-editor-in-chief of the paper my senior year. Working as an amateur journalist then and as a student of communications now instilled me with an understanding of how words and visuals affect readers. Advertising, my field of study, lives for the comprehension of how audiences emotionally respond to messages. I'm even more aware of this notion as blogger. The best content caters to its audience from both an educational and emotional standpoint. Think about the implication of your words before you post.

7. I was really concerned for how Tiger would react to living with stairs, but she mastered it fast. 8. Bathing a cat is no easy feat, but Isaac and I tackle the task whenever Tiger starts to really need it. 9. Cats are natural comedians, am I right?

8. BE COMMITTED.

Though I treat my caring for Tiger as an unconditional responsibility, not all pet owners do. The ASPCA estimates 6-8 million abandoned pets enter shelters each year. I'm grateful I found Tiger through one of those amazing shelters, but it makes me so sad to think of all the ones who aren't as lucky.

Not all those who pursue some sort of content creation online commit for the long haul, either. Stumbling upon an abandoned blog is like starting a new book that ends halfway through. Dedication to blogging through quality content creation, consistent posting and interaction with readers increases your credibility as the face of your brand. It also helps readers develop trust in you and your content.

9. HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR.

The total disregard for human social norms that I mentioned earlier results in a lot of Youtube-worthy moments between Tiger, Isaac and I. One of her funniest habits is getting "stuck" with her tongue out, as seen in two of the three photos in the next photoset. 

Tiger reminds me not to take life too seriously, which I often do. Humor is human, and its that sense of humanity that readers look for in content. Give people something to laugh at on your blog. Give people something to relate to you with. And if they don't -- if they don't respond, or on the offhand you receive negative feedback -- remember that sense of humor and laugh. I value my blog almost as a second pet, but I remind myself not to take it too much to heart.

10. BE GRATEFUL

9. The best reaction to a face like this can only be a laugh. 10. I embraced Tiger here for a photo opp on Easter. 12. Cats on cats on cats. I can't get enough.

I'm consoled through the mishaps and mayhem of cat motherhood with my gratitude for the 14 years of light that my fur demon has instilled in my life. I'm so glad I grew up in a home that welcomed animals -- stray, lost or injured -- with open arms and that boasted the resources necessary to care for them. I also owe a tip of the hat to my DNA for excluding the gene for cat allergies, which Isaac's family suffers from, even though it's cursed me with several other kinds.

Likewise, I'm humbled every day by the circumstances that allow me to write this blog: my right to freedom of speech and press, the existence of a free and open Internet and the unwavering support of my family and boyfriend. In the face of daily stresses, my own mom reverberates this idea to me when she says, "You're too blessed to be stressed." In an ode to her, I request to all you bloggers, creatives and small biz owners reading this to keep gratitude in sight along your road to success, whether it's smooth, bumpy, curved or straight.

"Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for." - Zig Ziglar, author and motivational speaker