Think content marketing is all about promoting the company brand and creating growth? Well, you’re partly right. But if you haven’t tapped into this rich and deep well for attracting the mover and shaker talent in your industry, you’re selling yourself short. Content is a boon for social recruiting.
It’s a shark tank out there. Your ideal candidates might be snapped up before you even know that they’re open to a new job. But you can help turn that around and make content marketing your own. Become your own publisher and get your message out to the masses.
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Content Tells Your Story and Humanizes the Employer Brand
There’s a barrier between employers and the candidates that they want to reach. At least that’s what it looks like from the outside. Inside, the company is brimming with people, personalities, projects and a definite culture. Your job is to give candidates a peek through the glass to see what they’re missing.
Content was born to tell stories. But where the main content marketing team probably writes about the company and special interest pieces that customers might want to read, job candidates are a completely different kind of target audience.
They want to know your company’s story from the perspective of someone who works there. And that’s your opening. The right words published at the right time turn a barrier into a bridge. Suddenly candidates can see the people who make your company what it is. And when that happens, they can also envision themselves working there.
The Trick is Getting Attention and Keeping It
Anyone can write, but writing content that captures the interest of the people you’re after takes finesse and a lot of research. Just think about all of the articles and blog posts that you’ve read over the years. Now think about how many more you’ve scrolled or clicked past.
Content Marketing Institute recommends several ideas for pulling together an effective strategy. First, you have to know your audience. And if you’re like most employers, that audience is diverse. That means you’ll need a different approach for different personalities and interests to have an effective reach. Programmers probably won’t be interested in the same material as accountants.
A great way to find out what’s trending is through current employees. You’ll get no closer to the source than through like-minded people. Even better, ask them to contribute their writing skills to the content and add some authenticity. That’s an especially good approach in industries where tech speak is part of the culture. And try to weave in everyday content that shows what a day in the life is like.
Don’t Forget About the Social Recruiting Mission
Content is a creative endeavor, but remember why you’re there. The goal is to recruit great candidates. Meet with HR and find out which jobs are open and which ones might be soon. Learn about the positions and get a feel for long-term company hiring goals.
Show your social community what’s so great about working at your company. Is there an impressive project in the works? That can provide a wealth of material. Don’t be shy about adding video, since it’s content, too.
Try to strike a balance between home-grown content that your audience will enjoy, shared material that you believe they should know about (such as industry trends) and job postings. In fact, Content Marketing Institute cautions about too many postings as compared to the rest of the material. When the balance is off, your social media account can look to an outsider like nothing but a job board.
Content marketing lets you have a little fun with the job while still moving in exactly the right direction. The sales funnel doesn’t just exist in sales; it’s in talent acquisition, too. How do you fill it and keep it that way? By always offering useful and interactive content that adds value for your audience. You can be your own content publisher through social media and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. If the budget’s tight, you can even do it for free. The important thing is to get involved. Your toughest competition probably is probably already there.