Extern
Creative services.
social media strategy email marketing brand strategy
copywriting graphic design video editing
Extern is on a mission to help students worldwide elevate their careers.
How? By partnering with leading brands to offer fully remote internships (externships).
Problem: bUILDING bRAND aWARENESS
To achieve our mission, we had to seriously boost our brand awareness. Pioneering a whole new kind of professional experience isn't easy; we needed to educate people, build credibility, and most importantly, reach our target audience—students ready to transform their careers.
Solution: Meeting Gen Z Where They Are
We knew we had to meet Gen Z right where they hang out—in the digital world. Our game plan? Harness the power of newsletters, social media, and all things digital to engage and grow our audience.
step 01
a digital facelift
In a world ruled by TikTok and trending audios, we knew where our audience hung out. So, we started there, emphasizing a completely new look, content strategy, and brand voice—one that felt like the cool older sibling showing them the ins and outs of the professional world. We revamped our digital graphics and content to resonate more with Gen Z, embody a modern feel, and positioning ourselves as a forward-thinking, dynamic brand. Take a look at the transformation.
step 02
the faces of Extern
Students craved authentic connections and genuine stories from their peers. So we got to work, launching a series on LinkedIn and Instagram called "Humans of Extern." We interviewed our students to share their incredible stories. From Tibetan refugees now working for Congress to first-generation students making a difference in conservation and being nominated for international awards, these are the faces of Extern.
But it didn't stop there. Our partners at National Geographic and The Nature Conservancy were so inspired that they decided to highlight our externs in their own series.
The results? A real sense of community. And the numbers showed it—our engagement rates skyrocketed across all platforms. On Instagram, we saw a 150% increase in likes and comments. LinkedIn engagement grew by 200%, with more shares and discussions sparked by our posts. Those weren't the only numbers growing; we experienced a massive uptick in followers and post likes. Our Instagram following doubled, while our LinkedIn page gained over 20,000 new followers.
step 03
read all about it
Social media was taking off, but we were still hungry for more. Sharing stories and professional experiences wasn't enough; we wanted to be the ultimate resource for students entering the workforce. After all, we had a world to change. So, why stop there?
Spoiler alert: We didn’t. We went ahead and created a weekly newsletter.
After iterations and consumer feedback , we nailed down a format that truly delivered—with sections like "Student Spotlights," "Industry News," and "Expert Advice," making each newsletter a go-to resource for our readers.
In just 14 months since it's conceptualization, our subscriber base skyrocketed to over 100,000, with open rates consistently high at 30-40%.
Our newsletter quickly became one of our top three recruiting and conversion channels, proving we could turn engaged readers into active participants in our programs.
