When Sophie Amering set out to find a social media internship, she was looking for more than just experience. Sophie wanted a place where she could stretch her creativity and turn her passions into meaningful work. We’re proud that Sophie has found that with Agency 29.
From personal brand to passionate social media professional
What began as a creative outlet during quarantine, sharing personal reflections and creative visuals surrounding food, fashion, and self-care, quickly evolved into a lasting interest for Sophie. She discovered a genuine passion for storytelling and having a digital presence through curating and experimenting with content.
Creative, open-minded, and eager to learn, Sophie is excited to take the next steps forward in her social media career with Agency 29.
Q&A with Sophie Amering
What drew you to working with Agency 29?
When I first met CEO and Founder, Maureen Ballatori, I was a little lost in what I wanted my career to look like. At the time, I was searching for a path to take, even though I was struggling to figure out the destination that I had in mind — until she shared something with me that changed everything:
“What is it that you really enjoy doing?”
I was so focused on trying to figure out something that would be ‘practical’ that I completely forgot to consider the fact that I can turn anything I love into a career.
Our conversation really challenged me to think about that, and not long after, I realized that I wanted to do digital marketing.
I have always been passionate about the food and beverage industry, as cooking and having new culinary experiences have been interests of mine.
When I learned about the opportunity at Agency 29, I was drawn to the collaborative team environment, a culture I knew would teach me a lot of important skills like writing with precision, communicating effectively, and looking at multiple angles to find the best solution.
What do you love about social media?
For me, social media has always been a portal for learning through others’ experiences and perspectives, and the inter-connectivity with so many individuals of so many different backgrounds is really something you can’t find anywhere else.
Social media is constantly pushing the boundaries of societal narratives, and I find myself to be inspired by it in new ways every day. To me, social media is a space where people feel safe sharing thoughts and experiences that rarely come up in everyday conversation. I love its ability to reframe and challenge existing concepts.
And the way it’s always evolving? That constant surge of creativity and innovation keeps me excited every time I dive in.
What’s your go-to social media platform and why?
I personally love Instagram for three big reasons:
- It’s a way for me to express creativity and self-identity through images, videos, and other media forms. I find that it’s easier to connect with people that have similar interests as me compared to other platforms because of its ability to be both personal and professional.
- Instagram is always finding a way to challenge the way I see things. And even though it can be entertaining, Instagram is very informative too. It never fails to make me think about my principles and how they influence the way I go about my day-to-day life. Several times I have found myself humbled by the platform and intrigued by others’ perspectives.
- This platform does a great job at recommending me to creators with whom I share similar interests. Rather than suggesting content from individuals that simply have more of a following or posts that went viral, I appreciate the way that Instagram connects me with creators that have a focused niche and modest following.
How do you stay on top of social media trends? Do you have any favorite sources or influencers?
The best way to stay on top of the most recent trends is actively engaging with social media as a personal user. I find that I learn about new and developing areas through my ‘for you’ page, or what the platform is recommending to me.
Even though this content is personalized, I’m still finding that I’m constantly being exposed to new creators and new ideas.
Some of the influencers I have been interacting a lot with recently are Anna Barger, who makes content focusing around travel, fashion, and beauty, and Ryan Nordheimer, a chef who is known for turning their New York City apartment into a cafe or restaurant once a month for brunch and dinner parties.
I admire their originality and how they aren’t afraid to try new things. I also think the way they have a following because of their creativity and passions is inspiring. I also often find myself trying to visit the places Anna went to in France or trying to re-create dishes I see on Ryan’s page!
What’s a social media myth you’ve discovered isn’t true?
I often hear a lot, and even used to think that we couldn’t control what we see on social media.
The truth is, what we see on our “for you” or “recommended” pages is completely influenced by our own personal taste. Social media platforms have algorithms, and this technology was developed to understand user interests by gathering data on content interactions such as watch time, whether they liked the post, commented on it, or followed the account that the post is from.
This data is then pooled together to compare user interests to one another. This allows the platforms to then recommend content they think you would like – which more often than not, you do find yourself to be interested in, and sometimes – inspired by.
So, we actually have more control over social media than you think. Its predictive software is completely dependent on the data that the platform collects from users, which is pretty interesting once I learned about it!
Social media often gets a bad rap. How do you keep your sanity and strike a balance between reality and online life?
Even though social media is a really great tool to connect, and is an outlet for expressing creativity and individuality, social media can easily highlight the negative sides of the world. It’s so easy to get caught up in content that makes you have a bad feeling in your stomach even after you shut off your phone.
When I am engaging with social media platforms, I remember a thought in the back of my head that brings me back to reality – most of the negative things I see don’t show the entire truth.
Becoming conscious of that, as well as recognizing my own personal values in the real world is really helpful in creating a healthy experience when I’m using and enjoying social media.
What’s one social media tool you can’t live without?
Besides my beloved generic IPhone photo app, which is where I do almost all of my photography as well as my video/photo editing, Meta Business Suite is a great tool that I use to organize my content as well as track content analytics (user engagement, reactions, etc.).
I use this app to schedule posts ahead of time on Instagram and Facebook, and I love how the app collects and compares data to past months, so I am easily able to see what’s working and what’s not.
What advice would you give someone looking for a social media internship?
When looking for any internship, the best thing that you can do is be curious and eager to learn.
Yes, if you’re interested in social media, it’s more likely than not that you have some experience and familiarity with it, but there is so much value in having a hands-on collaborative experience where you are seeing other perspectives and gaining a lot more knowledge on marketing skills.
When you’re not online, where would we find you?
When I’m not online looking for the latest trends, you’ll probably find me sitting on my floor doing a puzzle. Recently, I have started to become obsessed with having my “puzzles and podcasts” time, which is where I put on a podcast or two and work on a puzzle as much as I can. When I do this, I usually am getting puzzles done in as little as a week! I really end up getting into the rhythm of things.
If I’m not working on a puzzle, I’m probably reading. I have never been picky with genres, but recently I have been loving thrillers and travel memoirs. My current read is “Tell Me What You Did” by Carter Willson.
Speaking of travel, it’s one of my favorite things to do. When I was a sophomore in college, I had the opportunity to live in Rome for 4 months to study abroad. This was an experience I will never forget, and has shaped much of who I am today. Since then, I have been to over 10 European countries, and even more cities. While traveling, my favorite thing to do is experience the local cuisine and history.
Agency 29’s internship program exemplifies our commitment to nurturing future professionals, fostering a collaborative spirit, and supporting our community. We aim to equip interns like Sophie Amering with the skills and confidence they need to thrive in the ever-evolving field of marketing. For more information on Agency 29’s internship opportunities, please keep an eye on agency29.com/careers or follow us on LinkedIn.