According to the latest announcements, unemployment rates are down and continuing to drop around the country. For organizations operating job boards, this is both good and bad news. Many publishers are concerned that lower rates of unemployment will mean less traffic and applications; conversely, people searching for jobs are more likely to more qualified and targeted to the opportunities that you’re promoting. If the lower rates of unemployment have you experiencing a drop in traffic, here’s a closer look at some key strategies you can use to attract qualified candidates that will keep advertising companies happy with their applicant rates.

SEE ALSO: 5 Types of Content to Increase Traffic to Your Job Board

Build Relationships with Companies and Candidates

One of the most important things that you can do to distinguish your job board is to work toward building relationships with both companies and candidates. Job boards that attract leading talent in the industry and feature desirable jobs for hot companies are going to be popular no matter what the broader employment situation. Set goals for the quality that you want to attract in each category, and dedicate important staff time to cultivating leads on both ends of the employment spectrum.

Develop Helpful Content That Your Market Values

Recruiting and job searches are fraught topics. There’s a lot of pressure on both companies and candidates to get it right. One of the ways that leading job boards distinguish themselves is by creating content that’s specific to their market. For example, if you operate a healthcare job board, guides to help nurses find new jobs would be valuable. Tips for recruiting certified nursing assistants are likely to be useful to companies and recruiters alike. A creative content marketing strategy can help you attract leads and increase your job board’s profile naturally as interested readers share your content.

Be Active on Social Media

Social media marketing is no longer optional to build your brand. But there’s a particularly strong connection between today’s job hunting culture and social media. Are you actively connecting with individuals and organizations that are in your industry or the areas that your job board serves? This can be one of the best ways to develop an ongoing flow of information, from knowing when great candidates are on the market to publicizing your latest jobs. Pay special attention to niche networks in your space and professionally-oriented platforms such as LinkedIn.

Maintain an Email List

Does your organization maintain an up-to-date email newsletter? An email newsletter can be one of the best ways to stay in touch with both recruiters and candidates over time. Your newsletter is a great way to feature your latest content and also call attention to the hot jobs you’re currently promoting. Each newsletter will likely help generate targeted traffic to whatever you’re working to highlight when you mail it out.

A drop in the unemployment rate doesn’t necessarily translate directly into less traffic for job sites. It does, however, give site managers the opportunity to focus on cultivating quality, both in terms of the candidates they attract and the companies they showcase. By investing in relationship management, content development, email marketing, and social outreach, you’ll be well on your way to a thriving job board.