Marketing a product or a service is all about identifying an audience and proactively reaching them with the right message to inspire action. Selling your company as a place to work is no different! Despite the similarities, marketing has historically been much better at targeting specific audiences, while HR used broad appeal mediums in hopes that the right talent would find them. Until now. It’s time for employers to step up their game with key recruitment marketing techniques.
Consumer vs. Recruitment Marketing
It doesn’t matter if you’re a consumer goods brand, a local fashion boutique or a national restaurant chain – recruitment marketing, consumer marketing and community concepts are universal.
- Bring the brand to life with a distinct, likeable voice.
- Establish and grow your online community by making that voice relevant.
- Foster a sense of trust and engage your audience by providing valuable content.
Following these basic principles is easy – as long as you think of your company as a hot product you want talent to buy. Parting with money to make a purchase requires desire, just like spending time to apply for a job.
Incorporating Consumer Marketing Concepts Into Recruitment Marketing Strategy
So who can be your distinct, likeable voice? Employees, of course! Make your pages a place where employees can gloat publicly about their jobs and add real personality to the social environment. Know what makes the Apple Store so much fun to visit? The self-proclaimed nerds they have working there who LOVE technology. When people love something – whether it’s a Mac or a job driving a Mack truck – it shows.
How do you make the employee voices relevant? Spice up job postings with photos and video of real staff. Nothing is more attention-getting than a punch of multimedia combined with a conversational job description. Think of your job description like a product billboard – those LED-lit ones are much more interesting. Same applies to job postings. Add a little lights and camera to see job seekers take action.
Conversations and job postings aren’t enough to keep your social recruiting pages rich, though. Build trust by giving something unique to your community. You like that free sample at the grocery store, right? Steer clear of the lunch lady gloves, but give talent a little morsel. As recruiting pros, you’ve got a wealth of knowledge on resume-writing, interviewing, unemployment news and topics that truly matter to candidates. Give it all away and your network will thank you with loyalty.
Can you think of other recruitment marketing techniques that must be adopted? Share them in the comments!
Graphic: Jon Nelson
Author: Aubre Andrus
Aubre Andrus is a freelance writer and official word nerd based out of Madison, Wisconsin who specializes in creative copy with a fresh and fun kick. This word warrior has championed all types of written wonders as a tech blogger, social media consultant, web copywriter, national magazine editor, and reporter. She’s acted as the voice of much-loved brands including American Girl, EXPRESS, and WIRED. Catch up with @aubreandrus on Twitter or visit aubreandrus.com.
[...] Foster a sense of trust and engage your audience with valuable content. Read more about the 3 Concepts HR Must Borrow From the World’s Best Marketers at TalentMinded. [...]
[...] They answer questions about your culture and benefits, adding a credibility factor to your recruitment marketing messages [...]
[...] determine what to emphasize, what to move away from and where opportunities for improvement lie to ensure your Facebook careers page is engaging. To get started, ask the following [...]