Social media can play a huge role in the recruitment process these days. Not only are recruiters using it more and more to source candidate, but in turn the candidates would use it to check out the company and get a feel for who they are; which is why recruitment marketing is becoming more and more essential.
By adopting marketing strategies used by consumer brands, you can improve your chance of attracting the best talent for your open positions. Much like if you were selling a product, you need to figure out who your target audience is and what’s going to get their attention.
1) Thank your followers:
Content marketing is really effective for recruitment, as by sharing interesting articles (your own or curated from other sources) that is likely to be of interest to your target audience, they are likely to respond to it or share it with their network. If they do so, it’s only polite to thank them!
An auto-generated thank you message is fine if you would just like to thank people for following your account, but if they are engaging with or sharing your content with their network, it’s important that they get a human response from you.
You can personalise your interactions by looking at their profile and complimenting/commenting on something they shared.
@NetworkNatter Thanks for sharing! Do you think employee perks are an important factor for talent attraction?
— Undercover Recruiter (@UndercoverRec) September 30, 2015
2) Join weekly hashtag themes:
Nobody enjoys a Monday morning. Weekends whizz by far too quickly and we’re left feeling groggy and wanting to crawl back under the duvet. So why not give your followers a motivation boost to help them through the day? Everyone loves a motivational quote or Monday morning meme, because they’re easy to relate to. Get sharing and be sure to use the relevant hashtags, such as #MondayMotivation.
The same goes for #FridayFeeling! Get your audience feeling great and excited for the weekend by posting some end of the week positivity! It’s always easier to get through those last few hours on a Friday afternoon when you’re provided with fun and amusing content to egg you on towards the finishing line!
Try to also get involved in conversations about trending topics or hashtags, as this will expand your reach and brand awareness to everyone who is browsing posts about the topic. Try to keep things positive and uplifting, as people are more likely to follow an account if they have something encouraging or optimistic to say.
#InternationalCoffeeDay so why not grab a cup and have a browse through our current vacancies http://t.co/w1REJTqIKN pic.twitter.com/qqE5WPFHAh
— RMK Talent Solutions (@rmktalent) September 29, 2015
3) Images speak a thousand words:
Updates that include an image generally receive a much higher level of engagement than text, so get visual wherever possible! These images can be your own, such as photographs of your own, sourced elsewhere, or even funny memes or GIFs. Just make sure they’re high quality. Sharing photographs of your employees at work or attending events is a great way to build your employer brand and show the human side of the company.
The NM girls with Rugby Legends @henrypaulrugby and JJB at the Rugby Lunch! Great event. pic.twitter.com/IcaRCDfSJW
— Network Marketing (@NetworkNatter) September 18, 2015
4) Don’t be afraid to be different:
Quirky content will get you noticed! Don’t be afraid of sounding a little silly, as humour and personality is something that a lot of people value and look for from a brand when they decide to follow them on social media. Funny or unusual content is also more likely to be shared by other users, so get them laughing!
I'm not a marketing recruitment consultant, I'm a wild pig rooting for truffles! pic.twitter.com/JlaNthS1N6
— Simon D. Davies (@ArmourWills) October 1, 2015
5) Encourage user generated content:
By inviting your followers and employees to share their own content related to your brand or an event that you’ve held, it increases your exposure and builds a sense of community. You can develop brand-specific hashtags for your fans to share their content on, collecting it all in one place and making it easier to browse through. Sharing some of the best posts shared by your followers or launching a competition are great ways to get people involved.
CEOs will be at @VBOFEB @Adecco_Belgium booth.
Come see us 👍
Dream Big, You can Do It ! #CEO1Month @AdeccoWaytoWork pic.twitter.com/Qdg8onQBNW— Ayumi Kunori (@its___samantha) October 1, 2015
6) Broaden your Facebook reach by narrowing it:
Recent changes to the Facebook algorithm means that many brands have found that their organic reach has dropped below 10%; however you can achieve a slightly broader reach by targeting your post according to gender, age, location, etc. You can target your posts by clicking the targeting icon next to the location tool at the bottom of the posting box on your business page.
7) Post before or after the hour:
By posting either a couple of minutes before or after the clock strikes the hour, it is a clever way of catching people when they are on their way to or from a meeting or appointment, as this is a common time for people to check social media.
Posting updates during the lunch hour and evening are also good times to catch users.
#TransformingLives Have you seen our 'CV Tips' video? Please share! http://t.co/6bALpwltvH
— We Are Adam (@WeAreAdam) October 2, 2015
8) Use Facebook ads:
Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Google all offer their own advertising options, however Facebook offers the most cost effective ads. Facebook ads also have the most effective targeting options, allowing you to target it broadly based on interests and industry. These run on a CPM basis and are a great way of building awareness of your brand or a particular product. Try running an ad for 4-5 days each fortnight and when it stops getting impressions , change the image and copy slightly and re-run.
[Image Credit: Shutterstock]
