By now, most staffing companies have embraced social media, but many are not using it wisely. If events of 2020 revealed anything, it was the need to reach people where they are. In-person networking events became nearly impossible last year, and they are often expensive and always geographically limiting.
Social media has become more valuable to your agency than ever – and that’s not likely to change any time soon. So, here are some of the best ways to use social media to market your staffing firm in 2021.
Start with a strategy. A social media presence of any kind is a strong beginning, but a mindful one is even better. What is your purpose for using social media? Do you want to advertise jobs? Promote your brand? Is your focus on reaching employers or job seekers? Answering these questions will influence the content you share and channels you use to share it.
Consider your audience’s “What’s in it for me?” Always share with the audience viewpoint in mind. Have a state-of-the-art application process? Who cares? Can your application be completed and submitted seamlessly in less than ten minutes from a smartphone? Now you’ve got the attention of job seekers.
Be ready to adapt. If you’re not willing or able to keep up with social media trends, hire someone who can, or outsource the responsibility. Algorithms and best practices are continually changing. You must tweak your content to keep up. A year ago, no one knew TikTok would take off, Twitter Fleets would exist, or remote work would become commonplace and change communication patterns. Adapt by repurposing content in various channels. Consider paid social advertising if you’re not generating enough organic content.
Leverage social proof. When’s the last time you bought something without checking the reviews? You think your potential candidates or candidates are any different? Make reputation management a priority and share case studies, testimonials, and reviews on your social accounts.
Get comfortable on video. Video is the fastest growing type of content. You can share it on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and TikTok. Be brief, informative, engaging and above all – real. Remember, attention spans are short and on some platforms, time is limited. Get right to the point. Ask temporary employees to give a quick review. Have your recruiters post answers to common questions. Show how easy it is to apply for jobs.
Learn to use TikTok? TikTok is growing fast, but businesses are slow to adopt it. Get onboard ahead of the competition. The hashtag #staffing has 1.9 million views on TikTok. #staffing agency has 2.5 million. Check out what your competitors are doing and do it better. Keep in mind that TikTok users skew on to younger side. You may get the most impact targeting entry level applicants or recent grads. Don’t take yourself too seriously if you want to succeed on this platform.
Market your staffing firm on Instagram. Use photos or videos to promote your brand and engage employers and job seekers on Instagram. A quick check reveals there are currently 328 thousand Instagram posts using the hashtag #staffing and ninety-five thousand with #staffingagency. While it may be hard to gain traction with that much competition on these tags, you could try something geographically specific like #jobsinaustin or focused on a specific industry such as #itstaffingservices.
Remember LinkedIn still rules business. If you’re only going to use one social media platform, LinkedIn will continue to be a solid contender in 2021. Get the most out of LinkedIn by using it as both a recruiting and sales tool. Share images, video, and text-based posts to engage as many viewers as possible. Comment on relevant posts. Post jobs. Share to industry groups.
Get buy-in from the whole team. The best way to expand your reach is to have everyone in the company share your content. Your social media manager can share from your company account, but when you get as many employees as possible sharing to their own accounts, you get the word out faster and further.
For more resources on creating a social media strategy for 2021, download our Social Media Game Plan for Staffing.