For businesses, inbound marketing is typically associated with sales prospecting. Unlike traditional methods of marketing where a company pays for an ad or conducts cold calls, inbound marketing uses a softer approach with methods that pull the customer in.
While the strategies of inbound marketing have changed over the years, the idea of it has been around for a long time. Smart HR execs and recruiters are taking notice, which has inspired a renaissance of sorts in the methods used to attract talent.
The revolution of inbound recruiting
Successful recruiting means finding talent at a reasonable cost. It’s not uncommon for the hiring process to occur under a tight budget, so strategy and the right approach is a must. Advertisement and job listing costs can add up quickly, and that doesn’t even account for staff time spent in application reviews and interviews.
Inbound methods work differently to attract talent. With a focus on quality, not quantity, these strategies can help you build your brand’s reputation and a steady funnel of interested candidates. Best yet, inbound recruiting isn’t just for candidates actively searching for a job; it allows companies to create a net of information that captures the attention of all professionals in the industry so the benefits can be long term.
Kicking off inbound recruiting efforts
The goal of inbound recruiting is for a candidate to easily find company information in many useful places on the Internet and via other channels. Here are five smart ways to bring inbound marketing into your hiring efforts:
- Blog – Every company should have a blog to demonstrate thought leadership. A blog should be updated at minimum once a week. Focus on timely, useful topics and avoid being too self-serving. Depending on company size, you may decide to create multiple blogs focused on different audiences, for example, customers, investors and job seekers.
- Be an active content marketer – Content marketing means creating and sharing valuable content in order to capture the attention of a target audience. The goal is to build trust and long lasting relationships. White papers, ebooks and newsletters are effective content marketing methods that can help recruiters build a reputation to attract top talent.
- Create video – Recent reports all point to video as the Internet’s golden child. In fact, 100 Million Internet users watch online videos each day. Take inbound recruiting efforts to the next level by producing video that would be of interest to potential employees. Video topics could include company milestones, day-in-the-life of an employee, event highlights and employee testimonials.
- Social media – Does your company have a presence on social media? If not, it’s time to create and manage accounts and use them to your recruiting advantage. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are the most effective for capturing the attention of talent. Create compelling posts, interact with the audience and gain inbound recruiting traction.
- Go beyond online – Everyone at the company is a potential recruiter who can create inbound marketing momentum wherever they go. Have staff attend industry events, join trade organizations and be involved in your community’s business associations. You never know when the next face-to-face interaction will turn into a big hire.
