Especially if you are looking to attract a younger workforce, social media is becoming an increasingly crucial tool. No less than 31% percent our globe’s population is active on at least one social media network, a number that is projected to grow by 10% annually over the next few years.
If your recruitment efforts do not touch on the social media use of the talent you are trying to attract, you could be missing out on significant opportunities. But how can you integrate social media with your recruitment efforts, particularly as they relate on postings to your job boards? Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Use Job Postings as Landing Pages
The first step you should take is to treat each job posting as a landing page. This will be the spot where you can list all of the relevant information about your company and the position. Here, you can allow your audience to both get a comprehensive idea about the career opportunity and complete the application.
That means you should not be afraid of using third party content, such as videos or even social proof, to promote your job. The job posting, in other words, should be the final step your audience’s journey to becoming an applicant. Once they read it, they should have no need to conduct further research.
Establish Regular ‘Feature’ Segments
Building your posting as a landing page allows you to use social media more creatively. Now, you can create regular posts such as ‘featured job’ postings, which allow you to highlight only the most intriguing aspects of it. Simply link to your posting for more info, and generating interest is all your social media updates have to accomplish.
Successful marketing on Facebook or Twitter is only possible if you post frequently. Research shows brands who post at least twice a day on Facebook, and three times per day on Twitter, generate the highest engagement rates. Posting less frequently will cause you to lose in the networks’ newsfeed algorithms.
Of course, coming up with content that frequently can be difficult. Regular segments, like the above-mentioned featured job posts, alleviate that burden and help you both become more successful on social media and increase your applicant numbers.
Build Your Employer Brand Online
Another great use of social media is building your employer brand. The internet’s increasing connectivity and digital opportunities have increased competition among jobs in all industries, meaning that establishing yourself as an employer of choice is more important than ever before. Social media allows you to accomplish that feat.
Treat the image applicants have of your business as a brand in itself. Influence it by showing employee videos, describing the company culture, and sharing worker testimonials. The more positive your employer brand image, the more applicants will find their way to your job board.
Drive Promoted Visits to Job Boards
Finally, you can connect social media with your job postings and recruitment efforts in a more direct fashion: advertising. Networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all offer businesses the opportunity to create ads specifically designed to drive visitors to a given website.
These ads follow the pay-per-click model, meaning your budget will only be affected if a potential applicant is interested enough to click on the provided link. Targeting options can range from demographics to education level, interests, and even recent behaviors. Talk to your marketing department about setting up recruitment-related ads.
Independently, social media and job boards can help your recruitment efforts. Together, they form a powerful team that can significantly increase the number of interested audience members who make their way to becoming applicants. Integrate the two, and your company will be well-prepared for the increasing dominance of social media on today’s global population.
