I’ve never been a fan of being in front of a camera. So, if you told me a year ago that I would be making 2-3 TikToks a day, I probably wouldn’t believe you. But here I am now, working as a paid intern for a company I’ve always believed in, loving what I’m doing, and learning many new skills along the way.
I used Bambino throughout high school to make extra money. When I saw their Instagram post looking for a Marketing intern, I applied without believing that I might actually land the role. A few weeks later, I accepted the position.
I remember making my first TikTok and how unnatural it felt to film. Researching trends and being on camera was something I had never done before, and it was evident. The views for growth just weren’t there. The noticeable change happened when I started to hone in on the content specifically for our target market, young adults interested in babysitting. As a babysitter in college myself, I asked myself, “would I stop my FYP scroll and watch this?”
After a while, the views started to reflect my effort. We celebrated our first five-hundred views, then a thousand, then ten thousand, and finally one-million views. The challenging thing about working in social media is the unpredictability of how your content is going to be received. That video, the first one to hit one million views, was one I made at 11 PM while sitting on the couch watching “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” relaxing after I put the kids I babysit to bed. The lighting was terrible, and I was nowhere close to “camera ready,” yet the video blew up and has almost three million views today.
At the beginning of my internship, I thought I would make Bambino the next Duolingo of Tiktok, and every video would go viral. Eight months and over three hundred TikToks later, I have realized that success on social media, just like in life, is not a one-size-fits-all. Every single video may not have gone viral, but I have helped a brand I believe in reach a larger audience while learning key social media skills along the way.
My top advice to other social media interns is:
- Be consistent and keep trying different forms of content. You never know what is going to stick.
- Put yourself out there. Don’t be afraid to try something new and bring new ideas to the team.
- It’s okay to make mistakes. You are still an intern and you are still learning.
As my first school year working with the Bambino marketing team comes to a close, I am proud of the work I have produced. I am proud to be working with a brand that not only helped me find babysitting jobs back in high school but is now an accelerator for my career. Most of all, I’m proud of the girl I was eight months ago, who finally stepped out of her comfort zone and in front of the camera.
Author: Maile Bartow
Ready to get started babysitting? Download Bambino Sitters in the app store to create your sitter profile and start accepting jobs!