They have changed the way we shop. They have revolutionized the way we listen to (and follow) tips and advice. They keep us company, make us laugh, and create huge communities of like-minded people.
Who are we talking about? Influencers, of course.
And while they have undoubtedly brought about these changes to our daily lives and habits, there’s probably one thing you haven’t thought about when discussing the power of influencer marketing: how it’s shaping the recruitment landscape.
Are you curious to hear more about the connections between influencer marketing and the recruitment process and how the former impacts the latter? Read this comprehensive article to learn more.
Influencer marketing: The core benefits for businesses
Before we jump into the core of our article, it’s worth summing up the main benefits that a solid and well-thought-out influencer marketing strategy can generate for brands engaging with this approach. Let’s take a look at four of the most impressive ones.
1) Brand awareness and exposure
Arguably, one of the most sought-after reasons why brands team up with influencers to promote their products or services is the fact that influencer marketing can help hugely boost brand visibility.
When a brand is more visible on social media, its awareness and exposure skyrocket. Naturally, this only works when companies partner with influencers who share the same—or very similar—values, audiences, and aesthetics. Brand and influencer alignment is the cornerstone of an influencer marketing campaign that brings the desired results to all the parties involved.
2) Authority and credibility
When 55 percent of social media users state that their purchases are often guided by what a specific influencer posts on their social channels, it shows that brands embracing this marketing tactic have a lot to gain.
A solid partnership with a trusted, reputable influencer lends your brand more authority and credibility. Influencers can utilize training videos to provide deep insights into your products or services, enhancing their reputation as experts while simultaneously educating the audience.
As a result, this can help you attract more potential customers in a way that feels genuine, natural, and valuable. It’s a great way to amplify your brand’s trust on social media.
3) Targeted audience reach
Working with an influencer lets you tap into their audience. Provided you’ve put some thought into your influencer choice (and you should!), this allows you to expand your own audience in a meaningful and targeted way.
For example, suppose you’re a company selling healthy and nutritious dog food and you partner with an influencer known for their cute (and super informative) reels on cocker spaniels. In that case, you can assume that their audience is interested in what you offer.
This, in turn, means that your influencer’s audience is much more likely to start following you, too. With time and proper marketing messages, those followers could very well turn into loyal customers.
4) Engagement (and purchases) through social proof
Above all else, influencer marketing provides something crucial: social proof. Consider the previous example in which a brand selling pet food joins forces with an influencer famous for their cocker spaniel-related content.
If we imagine that one of this influencer’s followers owns a puppy and is looking for healthy food options, then finding out about your company through the influencer’s content is an absolute win. Likely, that influencer is seen as an expert in the subject, or at least as someone who deeply cares about and has a good understanding of dogs.
The bottom line? Their audience will feel a lot more inclined to follow their advice: buying the delicious and nutritious puppy food that you sell.
The connections between influencer marketing and recruitment
It’s time to delve deeper into the links between influencer marketing and recruitment. How do the two affect each other, and what benefits can businesses reap?
Perhaps the most interesting advantage that a company can gain from using influencer marketing for recruitment is the lower levels of competition associated with this practice. Traditionally, influencer marketing is used by businesses across all sectors for a multitude of things, such as raising a brand’s profile, engaging with potential customers in a new market, and raising revenue.
But how about leveraging this approach to revitalize your hiring processes? Not so much—yet. Content marketing is much more commonly used. So, if your company chooses to go down this route, it won’t be faced with a flock of rivals trying to do the same thing. In an increasingly crowded and competitive landscape, this already puts you in a much better position.
Another important advantage to consider is the potential for cost savings that influencer marketing for recruitment brings. Instead of placing your job vacancies on various costly job boards, or recruiting yet another team member, letting a relevant influencer help you with this can enable you to cut costs while optimizing your overall recruitment strategy.
When you have already invested in essentials such as cloud recruitment software and a skilled HR manager, every little saving does make a huge difference.
Influencer marketing and recruitment: Best practices
So far, we’ve examined some of the main benefits that brands can reap through a well-structured influencer marketing strategy, and the connections between influencer marketing and recruitment. Now, it’s time to find out how to leverage this approach to boost your recruitment processes.
1) Promote a job vacancy on social media…
One of the first things you’ll want to do when getting started with influencer marketing for recruitment is, of course, to use social media for your job postings.
Be careful, though, because not all social media channels are created equal! This simply means that some platforms may be more or less suitable for the specific job advert that you’re looking to promote with your influencer.
For example, a company selling skincare products and looking to promote a job opening for a new marketing manager might find that Instagram is a great place to engage with potential applicants.
However, a B2B software provider wanting to spread the word about its latest job vacancy for a software developer might be better off engaging with relevant influencers on LinkedIn.
2)… and on traditional-style job boards and sites
Standard job boards and websites should not be left out of the picture when it comes to promoting your latest vacancy. These platforms, in fact, will still be the first port of call for many job seekers out there.
The good news? You can positively use your influencer partnership on these channels, too. For example, let’s imagine you want to promote a job vacancy for a new salesperson with a focus on appointment setting.
Instead of posting a traditional job ad listing all the required skills and qualifications, teaming up with an influencer and letting them speak to your audience so they are encouraged to apply is a much more effective strategy. It can dramatically boost candidate engagement while at the same time opening up your company to a wider talent pool.
3) Tap into the potential of events, webinars, and other networking opportunities
Online events, webinars, and the like are fantastic ways to reach out to potential candidates. But when you join forces with the right influencer, these channels can take your recruitment strategy to the next level with effective video content.
On the one hand, this will help you “humanize” your company by showing the face of a trusted and well-respected influencer. On the other hand, it will also enable you to stand out as a real thought leader in your field, enticing more candidates to get in touch and apply for your job vacancy.
Recruitment trends in the influencer marketing sphere
Knowing the latest trends in the recruitment influencer marketing space can help you further refine your strategy. Make sure to tap into them if you want to see your results skyrocket.
Genuine and unfiltered storytelling
It can be tempting to ask your chosen influencer to promote your job vacancy as if it were the best opportunity in the world. Doing so, though, may end up sounding fake, damaging your credibility and authenticity.
So, embrace genuine, unfiltered storytelling that leverages things such as employees’ first-hand accounts and maybe even behind-the-scenes footage taken by the influencer to showcase what it’s like to work for you.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
As an employer, sourcing diverse talent should be at the top of your priority list—and there are at least two great reasons for this. First, it is crucial to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, has fair access to job opportunities without any unconscious biases. This can help strengthen your company culture as well as attract a more diverse and broader talent pool.
The second reason is about your company’s productivity and success. Employing people from all walks of life, genders, ethnicities, beliefs, and abilities lets you tap into a much wider range of perspectives, which can in turn spark creativity and innovation within your organization.
So, when you’re planning some influencer marketing content for your next available job role, remember to make it as diverse and inclusive as possible. A fantastic idea would be to engage with an influencer who represents a minority and shares the same values and audience as your brand.
Similarly, you may want to have your influencer interview some of your minority employees, showcasing your inclusive workforce and your company’s open-mindedness. Whichever way you choose to approach it, remember that this remains a very sensitive subject.
Don’t overdo it or force it, or it will seem fake, potentially ruining your reputation and deter people from applying to your job adverts.
Interactive and immersive online events
Teaming up with an influencer to attract the best talent to your job opening can already be a successful strategy in itself, but what if you could make it even more compelling? Cue interactive and immersive virtual experiences.
Think Q&A sessions, a virtual tour of your offices, or anything else that allows your chosen influencer to “get in on the action” in an engaging way. Most of these can be easily built with some of the tech you likely already have, such as a cloud PBX phone system or a video conferencing platform.
Gamification
While we’re on the topic of creating interactive and immersive engagement opportunities, it’s worth mentioning the concept of gamification. Another effective way to promote your job advert with the help of an influencer is by turning the advert itself into something of a game.
Things like quizzes, spin-the-wheel games, competitions, and fun challenges can transform an otherwise ordinary job opportunity into something unforgettable that drives people to learn more about your company and, ultimately, apply for that position. You are, in a way, generating leads with interactive content.
Influencer marketing for recruitment: Key takeaways
While it may not be an immediate connection, influencer marketing is one of the most effective, innovative strategies to take your hiring process to the next level. As we have seen in this article, influencer marketing is becoming increasingly widespread as an effective way for companies to entice applicants when a new job vacancy opens up.
By following the tips in this article and staying in the know when it comes to trends in the recruitment influencer marketing sphere, you’ll be able to build a strategy that brings tangible, positive results in the form of talented and committed staff—all with the help of a dedicated social media influencer.
