Online Business Intern Programs - A Waste of Time?

A number of Internet marketers have introduced online business intern programs. How do they work, and what’s the benefit for you?

Many people find it easier to learn when training is presented in a particular way. Some people find that they absorb information better when they read it. Others prefer to listen or to watch. Practical experience, where the learner actually performs the task, is often the most effective.

Intern programs are not difficult to understand. They are simply a way for learners to gain real-world experience - to ‘learn by doing’. You’ve probably seen TV programs - usually medical dramas - where interns are expected to do the most menial work.

The intern programs we’re discussing, for online business interns, are similar. Students are given the opportunity to perform practical business procedures on behalf of the Intern marketer. Interns would usually be allocated one task a day. They would receive training, usually in the form of a written explanation of the task, and perhaps video training as well. Once they have completed a task, they would email the results to the marketer.

Tasks are usually designed to promote or improve the Internet marketer’s business. The intern gets to learn how to do the tasks so that they can use them to build their own business.

The relationship is mutually beneficial. While the marketer benefits from a group of interns promoting his business, the interns are given a structured hands-on learning environment, with daily commitments.

However, intern programs are not all plain sailing. The marketer needs to be extremely careful when choosing tasks to be performed. As an example, many marketers ask their interns to post comments to other people’s blogs. This can be highly effective as a means of generating traffic. It is also risky when poorly executed. At least one marketer gained a reputation as a spammer when some of his interns posted ‘junk’ blog comments with blatant links to his websites.

Unfortunately, only between 1% and 5% of all interns will take action and actually complete any intern program.

Intern programs need to be carefully designed to bring interns along at a pace they can handle. Some intern programs throw interns in at the deep end, and make excessive demands on their time and effort. This ends up being a frustrating experience for the intern, and doesn’t help the Internet marketer at all.

It’s useful to design an intern program which will have long-term benefits for the interns. My intern program, for example, ensures that interns set up a network of blogs, Web 2.0 assets and backlinks which will help them to build their own business.

If you’re considering joining an intern program, remember that it will only be of value to you if you actually complete the assigned tasks.