Agency recruitment is competitive and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd. How can you make yourself the ‘go-to’ in your market, when there are 20 other Toms, Dicks and Harries getting up close and personal with all your clients and candidates?
Blogging.
I mean, it’s not the be-all and end-all, but it’s a sure-fire way to get you noticed in your network for the right reasons. It’s a practice that not only brings you relevant leads, but also assists in your efforts to carve out your recruitment niche in a public arena. I’ve even created a jingle to gently encourage you to give it a go: If you feel your pipeline bogging, it’s time to start blogging.
Enter the blogosphere
We know social media is an extremely powerful tool for recruiters. LinkedIn has been a headhunting enabler since 2002, and the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram (to name a few) have also crept on the scene, making business development easier and more efficient than ever. Plugging into these networking platforms allows us to research and source new candidates, clients, employees, and employers, from the comfort of our office. A person’s varied online presence allows us to build a detailed profile of them, before even meeting. Writing blog posts is just another way you can add to your own online profile, building your own brand to win you the interest of the people who will eventually make you money.
Break it down for me
Blogging doesn’t have to apply huge pressure to your day-to-day business. You can blog as little or as often as you like, but the key is to produce quality content that represents your values and skills. Publishing an article you’ve authored is a great way to showcase your expertise in a particular field, or demonstrate your interests/beliefs / approach to your work. LinkedIn Pulse (LinkedIn’s self-publishing blogging platform) has seen over a million posts. Posts about career development and professional growth tend to be popular topics, so incorporating these themes into your efforts is a good place to start.
Each article you produce becomes marketing material for your own brand. The more specific the topics you write about are, the more specific the audience will be. If you want to reach a cohort of Insurance Brokers, write about matters concerning or of interest to these people. If you generate valuable content, you will find relevant people engaging with your posts. As soon as they fly into your Venus Fly Trap (aka like, share or follow your work), you can snap it shut and chomp on the fresh leads.
1. Blogging keeps you engaged
At a minimum, blogging keeps you engaged with your own industry and service. Composing your thoughts into professional commentary on business-related topics will keep you continually thinking about best practices. Reading other blogs for inspiration will also keep you in tune with the latest recruiting trends, and you’ll likely stumble across information from others that helps you in your own recruiting style. Blogging encourages information sharing, and if you want to be ahead of the pack, throw yourself into this online community of recruitment thought leaders, don’t cut yourself off.
2. Blogging builds your profile
The articles you create are extremely valuable additions to your professional portfolio. We know that blogging isn’t a compulsory commitment for recruiters, but those who get involved demonstrate they are willing to go the extra mile and do whatever it takes to be the best they can be. On LinkedIn, your recent blog posts will also feature under your picture on your profile, so people who view your page can easily follow the links to your written work. As mentioned before, your blog is a platform to let people in on your expertise and values.
3. Blogging exposes you to the right people
By generating relevant, compelling content aimed at your network and specific people within your recruitment industry, you will reap the benefits of higher exposure online. If you produce content about market/industry trends and hiring best practice, you’re likely to capture the interest of potential clients. Likewise, you can also publish candidate-targeted articles to help them with their job search. Eligible candidates can engage and find value in this content. This kind of exposure also builds you up as an obvious choice for candidates/clients to contact, when they need support in their search for a job or new talent. While it’s difficult to measure the immediate ROI, leads will come in over time.
Finally, let’s not discount the message your blogging activity sends to potential employers. If you decide to move jobs yourself, what a great way to impress hiring managers – showing them your own written, published content demonstrating your expertise and beliefs.
Happy blogging 🙂
