Linda Zhang, WH ’26, Flushing, NY
This summer, I was a marketing intern at Cliques, a tech start-up developing an app for people who want to make meaningful connections with others through similar interests and passions. This opportunity allowed me to gain more exposure to the tech industry and how to build an application that separates itself from competitors.
Throughout eight weeks, I focused on understanding the strategies that competing social networking apps use to acquire, retain, and engage users. This involved analyzing various marketing tactics and app features. I identified key tactics such as personalized user experiences, gamification, and community-building efforts.
Through competitor analysis, I also gained valuable insights into the concerns and preferences of social networking app users. Users are increasingly concerned about privacy, data security, and the authenticity of interactions on these platforms. They also appreciate intuitive interfaces, engaging content, and features that facilitate meaningful connections. Understanding these user preferences has been instrumental in shaping our app’s features and user experience.
I entered the project with limited knowledge of AI, but gained a comprehensive understanding of the field by the end of my internship. I explored various types of AI, including machine learning and natural language processing models. This exploration led to an in-depth understanding of how our team can use AI to improve the user experience.
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2024 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here
