Public Relations and Social Media Intern [Remote]

Classification: Internship (temporary employee)
Compensation: Paid
Schedule: Part-time for a minimum of 20 hours per week

Start Date: January 2027
Approximate Duration: Mid January through mid July 2027

Location: This is a fully remote position and does not require the candidate to work in Columbus, Ohio, but we may offer opportunities for you to travel occasionally for meetings and events (client/team/professional development).

Description:

If you are a current student looking for an agency experience that will equip you with the foundational skills you need for a thriving career in the fields of public relations and social media, read on. As an intern at Belle Communication, you'll support our account teams across social media, influencer marketing, earned media relations and content development on behalf of our foodservice, restaurant and B2B clients.

This role is perfect if you are a skilled communicator and are highly organized, detail-oriented and a team player who can also excel when working independently. This position is essential to the success of the agency and directly supports our team through excellent content creation, research and task support while building foundational agency skills across our core service areas.

Applicants must be actively enrolled as a student at a college or university during the internship period.

Our Core Belle-iefs:

1. Think BIG: Innovate and strategize.
2. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.
3. Be a team player.
4. Enthusiasm: Bring it.
5. Never stop learning.
6. Adapt to get results.
7. Care.

Primary Responsibilities:

Earned Media Relations

• Conduct media research and proactively identify new reporters and outlets to pitch across regional, trade and national media
• Draft pitches, media lists and other media relations materials
• Support media outreach and follow-up, and track and log earned coverage
• Track KPIs and build reports of media relations outcomes for clients

Influencer Marketing

• Support influencer campaigns by conducting influencer research and vetting audience demographics, engagement and brand fit
• Assist with influencer outreach, tracking of deliverables and compiling campaign reporting

Organic + Paid Social Media

• Assist in the growth of client social media accounts through engagement and research
• Develop and post content across social channels that is brand consistent and creative, with review and approval from your account team
• Use social listening to uncover timely, vertical-relevant news and opportunities for engagement
• Use analytics tools to assist in evaluating and reporting social media outcomes to clients and team
• Research social media trends, hashtags and new tools
• Support paid social campaigns by assisting with ad copy, audience research and budget tracking

Content Development

• Draft blog posts, newsletters, bylines and other client content for account team review
• Research topics, sources, statistics and key messages to support content development
• Proofread and fact-check materials for accuracy, tone and brand consistency

Crisis Communications

• Monitor media and social channels for potential issues and promptly flag them to the account team
• Provide research and drafting support to the account team during issue and crisis situations

Account Management

• Keep a pulse on industry trends for both clients and Belle's service areas, and report on relevant changes and insights
• Assist account teams as needed to support client objectives and deliver results
• May join client meetings to support in presentation, note-taking, and remain up-to-date on client campaigns

Core Competencies:

• Applied Learning - Applies feedback and lessons from one task or project to the next, and shares questions and learnings with the team
• Contributing to Team Success - Participates in team meetings and brainstorms, completes assigned tasks reliably and supports teammates in meeting client goals
• Initiating Action - Acts when the next step is clear and, when it is not, asks questions and checks in with the account team before moving forward
• Work Standards - Takes responsibility for completing assigned work accurately and on time, with high standards of quality and attention to detail

Requirements:

• Working toward a Bachelor's degree in public relations, marketing, communications or a related field
• Coursework or experience in media relations, social media, influencer marketing or content development a plus, but not required
• Minimum 20 hours per week
• Access to a reliable personal laptop and secure internet service, given the remote workplace setting
• Strict attention to detail
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills
• Organized and adaptable, with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple time-sensitive projects
• Ability to learn new tasks quickly and thrive in a fast-paced working environment
• Strategic thinker who consistently brings new ideas and creative solutions
• Self-motivated with ability to work independently in a remote workplace setting
• Team player
• Approaches work with eagerness to learn, takes direction well and applies feedback from account team members
• Ability to conduct research and present information in a clear, succinct and well-written manner
• Previous internship experience within public relations, or in an agency setting, preferred

KPIs:

• Responds to internal and external messages and emails within 4 hours (based on office hours)
• Meets or exceeds all assigned deadlines
• Provides timely and proactive communication on the status of tasks
  • Communicates about the status of work ahead of task due dates
  • Provides daily communication on the status of projects/tasks on scheduled workdays
• Contributes to client media and influencer hits at least monthly through pitching research, pitch drafting and outreach support
• Completes client work within allocated hours (hours vary based on client and project)
• Contributes to client satisfaction scores of 90% or above
• Contributes to maintaining 80%+ rate of client hits or meaningful touchpoints
• Delivers research, drafts and other materials on time, as directed by the account team
• Incorporates feedback from account team members and applies it to future work
• Takes initiative by regularly asking questions and taking ownership of assigned work
• Promptly flags potential issues to account lead or supervisor
• Effectively works across 5-6 client accounts by applying the above KPIs

Belle Life

Belle Communication is a woman-owned and led, award-winning digital PR, influencer, social media and creative strategy firm. Founder Kate Finley launched the agency with the vision to empower meaningful work and thriving relationships. Now with a team spanning the U.S., Belle fuels brands that want fresh ideas and fast results, with creative communication strategies for now and next. The agency has received numerous awards for client campaigns and has been recognized as a top place to work by Inc., PRWeek and PR News.

Specializing in foodservice and B2B, Belle has partnered with more than 80 brands including Dearfoams, Shake Shack, Nestlé and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams to reach target audiences through mass awareness and hyper-local activations.

At Belle, we are intentional about the culture we create. We keep our Core Belle-iefs front of mind to ensure we live out what it means to thrive in both work and life. Our culture is cultivated with the contribution of each team member's thoughts, words and actions. We are each accountable and hold each other accountable in our communication, teamwork and candor.

Belle Communication believes in the value of a diverse workplace. We strive for and encourage a diverse, equitable and inclusive team in all things we do. Learning about different perspectives makes us better people - for each other and for our clients - as we seek to understand others' experiences. Diversity, equity and inclusion are an important part of our culture and Core Belle-iefs.

Belle Communication is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, sex, gender, age, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by the law.