We sat down with Hive19’s latest recruit, Matt Tisi to find out how he’s settling into his new role as Junior Digital PR Assistant. Matt joined Hive19 in October 2022, having graduated with an MA in Creative & Critical Writing from Sussex University.
1. Are you local to Brighton?
I’m originally from Bedford, but have lived in Brighton for the past five years – like a lot of graduates here, I moved to Brighton for university and now am proud to call it home.
2. What do you do when you’re not working? Any passions you can tell us about?
When I’m not working you can usually find me reading, writing, meditating, going to the gym, or listening to music. The perfect evening for me is a home-cooked dinner and a horror movie (the scarier the better!), or spending time with friends and family.
3. Can you tell us about your new role at Hive19?
As a Junior Digital PR Assistant, my number one priority is learning the ins-and-outs of link building and PR from the expert team here at Hive19. Primarily, I’m working at the back-end of our link-building process, identifying great publication opportunities for our clients, and coming up with ideas for engaging content that readers will love.
4. What were you doing before you started your current position?
Until very recently I was still completing my MA at the University of Sussex, writing my Thesis on Existentialism and Literature. I was also working part-time for a wedding catering company based here in Brighton – hopefully my PR skills will be better than my pint pouring ability.
5. What was it that intrigued you about working in digital marketing?
For me, it was all about content. Before discovering the world of link building, I was always fascinated by the way we consume content and how content marketing influences our decision making. Especially from the perspective of a creative, seeing expertly crafted copy and engaging media come together with marketing psychology and business strategy. SEO really gives you an insight into why consumers gravitate towards certain content and products over others, and changes your entire perspective on the way we process information in the digital world.
6. What about Hive19 attracted you specifically?
Beyond the friendliness, patience and enthusiasm of Aaron, Louisa, and Maxine during the recruitment process, Hive19 stood out to me over other agencies as a team with great values and a commitment to quality. As a young person at the start of their career, Hive19 was the perfect opportunity to join a growing startup and make a difference. We’re just getting started here.
7. What Surprised You During The First Few Months On The Job?
The biggest surprise was the extent of the tools and systems that the team at Hive19 have built over the past two and a half years. Clients jumping on board with Hive19 have the opportunity to access a huge network of research and expertise which creates knockout link building campaigns, and I was surprised to see how vital the back-end of the business is to the workflow. Learning something new every day keeps me on my toes and gets me excited about what’s coming next.
8. Could you give us a top tip for someone looking to invest in link building?
If you’re looking to invest in link building, prioritise quality of links over quantity, and relevance over metrics. Making sure that backlinks to your website are built from websites that will naturally attract who you’re looking for within a marketing campaign is the best way to show what you have to offer and get the best return on your investment.
9. Give us your top tip for a business contemplating which agency they should join.
Well, obviously I don’t have a huge amount of knowledge in this field yet – but from what I’ve taken in so far, I would say it’s important to understand what you want to get out of a campaign – and what the core value proposition of the agency you’re looking to join is. Understanding what an agency offers in terms of their niche, their content track record, and their attitude towards links will give you the best idea of the kind of work you can expect to get out of that agency as part of your marketing strategy. Especially if you want quality, bespoke link building, not every agency will be able to deliver on that.
10. What advice would you give to someone looking to get into link building as a career?
My first tip would be to… research! The biggest challenge for somebody taking their first steps into a career in link building is the awareness of the industry and how link building works on a content and administrative level. I think a lot of the top players in SEO and link building are fully immersed in that world and produce loads of valuable resources for beginners, so diving in at the deep end and bringing that passion to the table will take you a long way.
11. What do you think will be the next big thing in link building?
Probably ask Maxine or Aaron… though from my training so far, I’d say it’ll be an even bigger focus on relevance and quality. Relevance and quality. Relevance and quality…
If you would like to know more about the career opportunities available at Hive19, head over to our careers page.
