Attract the best before they bolt!
Launching a winning recruitment marketing campaign is intimidating.
But what if you had some ideas in store to jolt up your creativity whenever needed?
Here are 71 trendy marketing ideas you can use right away to make your 2024 recruiting efforts a smashing success.
Mind that you don’t have to apply all of these ideas at once. Choose those that best fit your style, value, and budget.
That said, let’s get started with the list!
1. Focus on low-hanging fruit first – Your brand identity
In the simplest terms, brand identity is what the public sees.
It is the amalgamation of carefully selected visual elements like typography and color palette, logo, web design, social media graphics, etc., used to tell a “story” of your brand.
When it comes to recruitment marketing, building a strong brand identity helps –
So, how can you create a “unique” brand identity for your recruitment agency? Here are three steps:
Step 1: Conduct market research
Find answers to these five questions.
Who is your target audience? What are their pain points, and how can you solve them?
What makes you unique? Are you quicker? More cost-effective? There are thousands of recruitment agencies around; what really sets you apart?
What’s your business niche and purpose? For example, you may want to recruit exclusively for the healthcare sector.
Whatever it is, build a clear mission statement around it. Inject your value and vision into everything you do.
What kind of personality do you want to embody? Sassy like Nike or ritzy like Chanel? This choice will come down to how much you know about your agency and your competitors.
Finally, what are your brand’s potential strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats? Perform a detailed SWOT analysis.
Step 2: Design a logo and other visual elements
Although the logo is not the entirety of a brand identity, it is the most recognizable part of it. It’s there on your website, business card, ads – simply everything!
The same (more or less) goes for other elements like color and typography you use in every social media post or signature you add at the bottom of every email.
They all should align with your “brand voice.”
If you have a proper budget, you can hire a professional freelance graphic designer to create a logo, business cards, and other templates for your agency.
Look them up on platforms like Upwork, 99design, Behance, Fiverr, etc.
Or you can use online resources like Hubspot’s brand kit generator, Vistacreate’s brand kit, Midjourney, etc.
For designing email signatures, use mail-signatures, mysignature.io, Hubspot’s email signature generator, etc.
Step 3: Define the language you want to embody online
Carefully craft your “tone” to match your agency’s personality. If your brand identity is high-end, use professional language. If it’s more laid-back, go for a conversational one.
Integrate this language in everything you put online – even during text or email exchanges with clients and candidates.
⛔Warning: Never copy your competitors. You may take inspiration from them, but don’t imitate.
Also, maintain your identity both online and offline. Your print material should resonate with your online voice.
2. Target specific goals
Every recruitment agency’s marketing goal is to gain more exposure in the market – more candidates, more clients, and more success!
But isn’t this too broad of a goal? Be specific, like:
- I want to increase the number of candidates I recruit each month.
- I want to grow my social media following by at least 10% this quarter.
- I want to retain X number of clients past the one-year mark.
You may set quarter-by quarter recruitment marketing goals and regularly measure their success to further improve your campaigns.
3. Avoid blah-blah-blah marketing
Not to discourage you but most marketing is blah-blah-blah.
It goes something like: “We’re the best recruitment agency in the world. We offer great service. Stop in for the top-tier talents at the most affordable price.”
The problem with this copy is –
First, where’s the proof? You may be best in your region, but the world, seriously?
Second, what’s in there for your target audience? Good marketing is NOT about your business. It’s about how it is different and valuable for your clients and candidates. It’s about why people should choose you – and ONLY you.
Try these two tests:
Test 1: The black marker test
Put one of your and your competitor’s ads (or any other promotional content) side by side. Blackout both names.
Ask any person outside your marketing team to guess the brand. Could your piece be mistaken for another company’s piece? If so, that’s a piece of blah-blah marketing.
Test 2: The so-what test
Take a look at each of your marketing statements in your ads, in your brochures, and on your website.
For each, can you come up with a compelling value-based answer to the question, “So what?”
For example –
“We’re the best recruitment agency.” So what?
100+ clients trust us to fill in their vacancies.
BTW, recruitment firms from across 100+ countries have rated Recruit CRM as the best ATS+CRM software.
Mind checking us out? 😉
4. Capitalize on short-term plays
Start scrappy. Focus on quick wins. It will give you momentum and cash flow to actually execute long-term projects and more sustainable business models.
For example, tactics such as SEO take time to build and give expected ROI, while running paid ads delivers quicker results.
So, start with the paid ads, and behind the scenes, keep building your SEO.
💡Tip: Track your progress closely. Double down on what works the best.
5. Keep your existing clients and candidates in the loop
On average, hiring a new candidate for a general position costs around $4700.
The same goes for securing a new client, which costs five times more than closing the existing one.
These figures underline the effectiveness of retaining and engaging your current network.
Even if you have already placed a candidate or closed a deal, still find opportunities to delight them. Word of mouth is a free and powerful promotional tool.
6. Credibility + Visibility = Recruitment marketing mantra
The title defines it all. See this –
| Invisible | You are nowhere – neither on Google nor in a networking event. Candidates and clients don’t know about your recruitment agency. |
| Visible and annoying | This is actually worse than being invisible. You’re “that company” desperately advertising on every possible channel, cold-calling clients multiple times, and handing out cards at every recruiting conference. |
| Visible and insignificant | You are there, but your presence is not impactful. You are just another recruitment agency. |
| Visible and present | You show up. You engage. You contribute meaningfully to discussions. You are where candidates seek you. |
| Visible, credible but not consistent | Your clients and candidates are starting to trust you. They are following you.
Problem: You’re inconsistent both in communication and delivering value. |
| Visible, credible, and consistent | You’re consistently cranking out top-notch material that solves your target audience’s problems. So, they begin to love you. |
| Visible, credible, and obvious | Your recruitment agency has become a go-to choice in the market due to your unmatched value and reputation. |
*** These pointers has been inspired from David Newman’s book “Do It! Selling”.
Which category do you fall in? Wherever you are, level it up!
7. Create a recruitment website
Creating a website is the best way to own your online presence. It is where you show who you are, what you offer, and how interested clients and candidates can contact you.
It gives you visibility and credibility so you can turn yourself into an obvious choice!
The best part? Autonomy. You are not confined by the constraints or algorithms of third-party platforms.
You control the narrative, content, and public perception of your brand.
So, what is a good recruitment website? Let’s take an example-
CloserIQ is a recruitment agency that helps startups build and scale their marketing, sales, and customer success teams – that’s immediately clear upon landing on the site.
The design is straightforward, with a clear CTA button. There is immediate social proof with the tagline “900+ startups trust…”
Further, they have included available services, testimonials, and a “schedule a free consultation form.”
Another good example of a recruitment website is Rocket Recruiting.
If taking advantage of white spaces is a thing, Rocket mastered it. It’s a simple and elegant design without missing anything relevant on their landing page.
You can create similar websites with platforms like Wix, WordPress, Blogger, Weebly, Drupal, Squarespace, Webflow, etc.
8. Optimize your website for mobile devices
Most job searches are done on mobile devices.
So, if your recruitment website isn’t clean and easy to navigate on smaller screens, you will not only lose tons of potential candidates but also fail your SEO efforts.
SEO? Yeah! It’s not only users visiting your site but Google Bots as well.
In 2016, Google announced mobile-first indexing. That means Google predominantly crawls the web via the Googlebot smartphone user agent and uses the mobile version of the content for indexing and ranking.
Is your recruitment website mobile-friendly? If not, follow these tips:
Use responsive design:
A responsive web design uses HTML and CSS to automatically resize, shrink, hide, and enlarge a website to make it look good on all devices.
For example, look at Shopify’s website –
It looks fabulous on both – mobile and PC.
That’s how your recruitment website should look as well. Use these 20 free responsive site builders to achieve the same.
Further, use these tools to test your website’s responsiveness and adapt its visuals for mobile.
Optimize your page speed:
People expect swift digital experiences when navigating through the mobile web. In fact, even a second of delay in load times increases bounce rates by 32%.
Tools like Google’s page speed insights, GTmetrix, Uptrends, etc., give detailed insights into issue areas and potential fixes.
Test for usability errors:
It’s a good practice to regularly monitor your site performance. There are multiple tools to do so, but the best place to start is GSC.
It offers a dedicated “mobile usability” report under its experience section. Here, you can track all the URLs with mobile usability issues on your site.
Besides this technical stuff, ensure your content is optimized for mobiles. Use the right type size. Break big paragraphs into short, snappy sentences.
Make your content more readable using bullet points, numbered lists, quotes, images, and videos. Read more about mobile SEO here!
9. Start blogging
Blogging is a part of inbound recruiting. It’s an excellent way to generate organic traffic, deliver value, and engage your talent community.
It can establish you as the thought leader and increase your agency’s credibility.
A common misconception about blogging is that it’s expensive and a dying medium. None is true.
Yes, it is more saturated than years ago, but it is in no way dead or dying.
As for the cost, there are many cost-effective alternatives. For example, you can start writing for free on platforms with built-in audiences like Medium, Quora, HubPages, Substack, etc., for the time being.
The point is to get started. Show up!
If you already have a website – Follow these steps to integrate a blog into it!
Don’t know how to make an impact with your blogs? Try this FREE “Blogging for business” course by Ahrefs. (Not a promotional link)
10. Consider guest postings
Guest posting means publishing articles on someone else’s website with a goal –
- To increase your brand awareness
- To direct traffic back to your website
- To build backlinks (This should never be your primary focus – Google frowns upon this)
Suppose you are trying to accomplish either #1 or #2, target blog sites with a wide and engaged audience. For example, look at these 10+ HR blogs that accept guest posts.
If you’re just trying to accomplish #3, find blogs with strong domain authority. For this, use tools like Ahrefs’ website authority checker, UberSuggest, Moz, Prepostseo’s domain authority checker, etc.
Create a list of all the sites that are most relevant to your niche. And start developing post ideas for each.
These ideas must follow the site’s guidelines (if any), be relevant to your brand (but not about your brand), be interesting to the site’s target audience, and not be plagiarized at all.
Next, pitch the idea, get the approval, and write the blog post.
You can use tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, WriteSonic, etc., to generate post ideas, create outlines, flesh out guest posts, and more.
Don’t forget to personalize and proofread the content before submission.
11. Promote on social media
Social media is a great place for candidates to learn more about you, your company, and your work culture.
Because social media is meant to be, well, social, it lends itself well to sharing culture-related content like happy employee/client testimonials, in-office or virtual events, contests, etc.
Social media recruiting or marketing in itself is a vast topic. And you may need extensive resources and training to master it.
Here we recommend these courses –
| Meta’s social media marketing professional certificate |
| Google’s fundamentals of digital marketing |
| Hubspot’s social media marketing course |
| Oxford home’s social media marketing (short course) |
12. Build an SM content calendar
With each platform boasting over billions of monthly active users, social media stands as one of the most obvious choices for recruiters to source top-tier “diverse” talents.
However, social media marketing is more than sporadic posts and occasional job listings.
It demands your consistent presence.
That’s where you need a detailed SM content calendar.
This calendar can be made as simple in Google Sheets or more advanced and aesthetic in Clickup!
Or you can use ChatGPT to create one for you!
Further, to schedule your posts, you can use tools like Social Champ, Buffer, Hootsuite, etc.
Check out 30 more social media posting and scheduling tools for 2024.
13. Collaborate with an HR influencer
Influencer marketing is currently one of the top marketing trends. Its global market size is expected to reach $22.2 billion by 2025.
It’s a surefire way for you to get your agency known, boost engagement with target audience, and improve your brand image.
The pricing structure for influencer marketing depends on factors like influencer’s reach, engagement, platform, niche, and the type of partnership you want.
On average, it looks somewhat like this –
Don’t want to collaborate with human influencers? Get an AI influencer to your service. Check out these 22 AI Instagram influencers taking the world by storm.
14. Turn your hiring team into micro-influencers
Is influencer marketing too costly? Here’s another solution – Turn your hiring team into brand advocates!
Think about it. Who do your potential future hires trust more – Your team or your brand?
The answer is obvious! So, why not encourage more employee advocacy?
Here is a detailed guide to go about it –
15. Create short-form videos
According to 2023 statistics from Wyzowl, almost 93% of employers say they got more clients and candidates due to videos posted on their social media accounts.
Videos can increase a website’s organic traffic by 157%.
This gives video marketing an edge over any other modern marketing trends.
But why are videos so effective? It’s simple. They are more engaging, dynamic, and visually appealing than texts. They capture attention, evoke emotions, and, most importantly, are shareable.
The rise of platforms like TikTok has further revolutionized video marketing.
In fact, in 2022, 44% of social media recruiters recorded increased ROI from focusing their efforts on creating videos on TikTok.
Now, even Instagram has reels, and YouTube has shorts to make short-form videos more accessible to a wider audience.
Are you leveraging them yet?
16. Host free webinars
A webinar is a short online course where the speaker or panel shares their knowledge on a specific topic with the audience. It is usually 30 minutes to an hour long.
To host a free webinar, use live streaming platforms like Facebook Live and YouTube Live, a webinar platform like LiveWebinar or WizIQ, or video conferencing tools with a high cap on attendees like Switchboard, Zoom, etc.
We recently hosted a free webinar on “AI adoption in recruitment” with The Millionaire Recruiter. It was a hit!
Don’t miss out on more upcoming value-driven webinars! Subscribe to our all-in-one newsletter for daily updates.
17. Repurpose your webinar content
Done with the webinar? Continue the marketing.
Post the most “value-driven” parts of your webinar on social media or use it as a guide for written content.
If you have a number of interesting clips, add them to your SM calendar and promote them on different channels over a week.
As for the written content, you can elaborate and add more data to make it a long-form article.
Or you can create shareable infographics out of the webinar’s content. There’s a lot of scope!
18. Invest in job advertisements
These can be Google ads, social media ads, pop-ups, billboards – whatever suits your pocket.
The goal is to grab the job seeker’s attention and entice them quickly enough to apply for the position. Here, you can be as creative as you want.
Look at these examples of recruitment ads for inspiration:
McDonald’s We hire individuals
This was an ultimate masterpiece, and we aren’t shutting up about it.
The bold red background with big yellow letters left everyone in shock at first until they read the smaller texts at the bottom of the image.
Grafic deigner
We’re worried at first – What if there was an error in the email address as well? Lol!
Edition Hotel’s Miami Beach
Marriott International really mastered the concept of employee benefits. Who wouldn’t want to work at a place like that?
This recruitment ad does a great job of showcasing what they offer. They don’t even have a long list of requirements.
They just need “warm, outgoing, authentic, passionate, and inspiring” candidates.
Learn the art of creating compelling job advertisements and market them like a pro –
19. Consider PPC ads with Google
Pay-per-click (PPC) ad programs like Google AdWords or Bing ads help recruiters immediately generate a lot of leads, target candidates in real time, and increase their brand presence.
Almost 65% of small to mid-sized businesses use PPC advertising to attract candidates.
To launch an effective PPC campaign, follow these steps:
Important: Don’t take pointer six lightly. If you are paying by the click and those who click on the page don’t convert, you’ll lose dollars. So, make sure your landing page is optimized.
Here are a few tools and software you can use to edit, track, and report your PPC campaigns.
20. Employ programmatic advertising
Programmatic job advertising is an automated and data-driven approach to place and optimize job ads online.
It enhances advertisement targeting precision, increases efficiency, and empowers recruitment agencies to make better hiring decisions.
Implementing a successful programmatic job advertising involves several key steps. Here’s a quick breakdown:
Start by defining your campaign objectives. It can be attracting candidates with specific skill sets, reaching a particular demography, or filling a high-priority position.
Then, identify your target audience and select the right programmatic platform or provider. Here, the “right” is subjective. Consider the platform that fits your unique hiring needs.
Now, create a compelling job advertisement and optimize its placement and bidding strategies.
Once placed, monitor your ads performance by analyzing metrics such as impressions, clicks, applications, etc.
Use this data to make informed adjustments, optimize underperforming ads, refine targeting parameters, and allocate budgets effectively.
21. Run social media ads
Most social media platforms offer affordable advertising options that help recruiters reach a specific talent pool.
While many businesses prefer advertising on Facebook, Twitter (X), and LinkedIn, these days, Pinterest is emerging as an excellent option.
Advertisements on Pinterest drive three times more conversions than any other social media platform.
Other trendy platforms for recruitment ads include Discord, Reddit, Twitch, Quora, and YouTube.
22. Create email newsletters
A recruitment newsletter is a great way to nurture relationships, showcase your company culture, and stay top-of-mind with potential hires.
A well-crafted recruitment newsletter includes a catchy headline, diverse content (not only job listings), a clear call-to-action, and a responsive design.
Here are the top seven email newsletters you must subscribe to for daily updates on everything recruitment and talent acquisition –
Recruit CRM, HR dive, Human Crapital, Recruiting Brainfood, Recruiting Brief, SHRM newsletters, and AIHR digital.
23. Launch a business page on Facebook and Yelp
If your staffing business is focused on a small geographical region, building accounts on Facebook, Yelp, and Google Business should be your priority.
High Yelp reviews improve online authority and search engine ranking.
The best part? You can create and customize business accounts on all three platforms for absolutely free.
10 tips to make the most of your Yelp and Facebook business page
- Claim and optimize: Make sure your business is listed on both Yelp and Facebook. Also, your profile should be 100% complete.
- Post engaging content: Regularly share updates, promotions, and behind-the-scenes glimpses on both platforms. Use high-quality photos and videos to grab attention.
- Respond to reviews: Promptly address both positive and negative reviews on Yelp. Thank customers for their feedback and address any concerns professionally.
- Run targeted ads: Utilize Facebook’s advertising tools to reach candidates with specific skill sets.
- Encourage customer interaction: Respond to comments and messages promptly and run contests to boost engagement.
- Use relevant keywords: Include relevant keywords in your Yelp and Facebook profiles and posts to improve search visibility.
- Track your results: Monitor your page analytics to see what’s working and what’s not. Adjust your strategy based on the data.
- Offer exclusive deals: Promote special offers and discounts to Yelp and Facebook followers to incentivize them to visit your business.
- Partner with local influencers: Collaborate with local influencers to reach a wider audience and build brand awareness.
- Stay consistent: Maintain a consistent posting schedule across both platforms.
24. Create a Quora space
Quora has an active base of over 400 million unique users and 116 million questions – diverse over 300k topics.
Each topic has hundreds of spaces dedicated to them. People who join these spaces engage in regular Q&A, meme sharing, topic discussions, etc.
You can join HR and recruitment-related Quora spaces to access diverse talents and create similar ones for your business as well.
25. Launch a subreddit
(Follow u/Eli_franklin for a daily dose of recruitment-related stuff!)
Just like a Quora space or a Facebook forum, a subreddit is a dedicated space for discussions and resource sharing related to a specific field.
It has a theme, rules, and guidelines. It can be public or private. In all, it’s a place to build a community of like-minded individuals to share experiences, challenges, and successes.
This community-driven nature of Reddit can be a treasure trove for your recruitment agency.
26. Create shareable infographics on Pinterest
Infographics, like any other data visualizations, are popular for their uncanny ability to present a load of information in a visually appealing and easily digestible format.
For example, notice how many infographics we have included in this article. Each one presents specific information or statistics related to the topic.
This makes the article easily skimmable and helps improve search ranking.
Moreover, infographics can easily be shared across platforms and used by other bloggers in their articles. (Make sure to include your logo and name on the image for brand recognition)
You can use tools like Canva and Adobe Illustrator to design your infographics and share them on Pinterest (with targeted keywords) for more traction.
27. Use pop-ups to capture emails
So, your recruitment website is gaining traffic; now what? Collect emails.
Add pop-up widgets to your landing page. This pop-up must offer something valuable to your audience.
For example, if a newbie recruiter reads one of your blogs, you can add a pop-up for a FREE guide on “101 recruiting hacks for 2024.”
This will prompt the lead to enter their email to access the guide for FREE. They get the guide. You get their email.
Use this email to send them more personalized resources, update them about the job listings and industry trends, and successfully launch an email marketing campaign.
28. Launch an email marketing campaign
Your job doesn’t end at converting website traffic into leads. You have to keep your candidates engaged both – before and after they apply for the position.
The best way to do so is through email marketing.
It is easy, free, and scalable. You can even download free email templates to keep your talent pool warm throughout the hiring process.
Just customize them a bit and click send. Don’t want to do it manually? Consider email marketing automation.
29. Source on Discord servers
There is a common misconception that Discord is built exclusively for gamers. It was the case a few years ago, but not anymore.
Now, Discord has evolved as a group-chatting platform, with over twenty million active servers.
Each server has its guidelines, topics, categories, and channels.
It is an excellent place to find big tech communities with talented developers and IT professionals.
For example, look at this news-
The most interesting part? This online job fair was hosted on Discord. And Chipotle attracted over 23,873 applicants from the platform itself.
Yes, the increase in minimum wage did help. But that’s what good recruitment marketing is all about.
You can’t expect to receive candidates’ attention on Discord without standing out.
But, but, but, see this –
Found this chat on Reddit about “recruiting on Discord,” and we agree. That’s why here is the tip:
Discord is perfect for engaging with the community. Build brand awareness. But don’t reach out to candidates directly on the platform.
People don’t usually have full profiles on Discord. All you can see on their accounts is – the servers they are on, mutual friends, and links to their other social media channels.
So, if you find a potential candidate on Discord, find their professional profiles and contact them there.
If they don’t have other social profiles linked to their account, you can simply ask them for it. Be chill and transparent.
30. Join Slack communities
Slack is a cloud-based collaboration tool exclusively built for team collaboration and communication.
The platform is very easy to navigate and organized logically into project, team, or topic channels.
Anyone interested in a particular topic/field can join these channels.
There are also options to create private channels where content is available only to small member groups. These are best for sharing confidential information.
Here are a few Slack channels you must join to find top talents:
| Developers | DevOps, #frontendDevelopers, FEDs, #SAP, botmakers, iOSdevelopers, Larachat, Animation at work |
| Designers | Designer hangout, Design talks, Team sketch, Dribble people |
| Marketers | Online geniuses, Affiliate marketers, Conversion world, |
| HR and talent acquisition | #people, OneReq, peoplepeople, HRtoHR, People Geek, Resources for humans, Recruitment slackers, People over perks |
| Freelancers/Remote workers | Work from, #creative tribes, |
31. Create a Telegram channel
Telegram is a messaging app known for its high-level security and privacy.
It is especially handy when broadcasting messages to a large audience.
These messages can be job openings, company news, industry insights, or anything that engages your Telegram community.
The best thing about Telegram is that you can communicate with hundreds of candidates in advance using the schedule reminder tool.
This ensures that no one’s messages are left unseen or, worse, seen.
Use bots like @ControllerBot to schedule posts, view channel analytics, and gather reactions from your members.
32. Go live on Twitch
Believe us, Twitch isn’t just for gamers. It’s a hub for interest-based communities that extend to fields like tech, HR, business, etc.
Over 9.3 million unique creators (Twitchers) livestream on the platform monthly. That means a big talent pool for you to dive into!
How can you find quality candidates on Twitch? It’s quite simple. Let’s say you want to hire a software engineer; just type in your language-specific query (like react.js).
If you found a creator that interests you, check out their About section for details about their projects.
From here, you can either directly chat with them on the platform or reach out on other social media accounts.
33. Try Clubhouse
The drop-in social audio app Clubhouse has been making waves in the market ever since its launch. Of course, its influence can also be seen in the recruitment industry.
Here are seven ways you can use Clubhouse to elevate your recruitment marketing efforts:
How can recruitment agencies benefit from Clubhouse?
- Go viral to grow your network: Clubhouse sends a notification to all your followers when you go live. This can help you attract more eyeballs to your profile and gain followers.
- Host exclusive industry talks: Leverage Clubhouse’s live audio format to host insightful discussions with industry leaders, hiring managers, and potential candidates, showcasing your expertise.
- Give your brand a voice: Clubhouse gives all businesses, big or boutique, a voice that doesn’t get muffled or get lost in all the noise.
- Launch Q&A sessions: Invite your followers to ask questions from professionals in real time to foster a dynamic and interactive environment.
- Tell your story: Put your storytelling skills to the test and build an engaging story around your brand to share on the Clubhouse.
- Build human connection: Invite current employees to share their experiences working at your agency. This will humanize your brand and showcase your commitment to employee well-being.
- Go beyond recruitment-related topics: Host discussions on broader industry trends, personal development tips, or even current events to demonstrate your agency’s well-roundedness, attract a diverse audience, and position you as a thought leader.
Remember, Clubhouse is all about real-time, authentic conversations.
Utilize its unique format to foster genuine connections, build trust, and showcase your agency’s value to potential candidates.
34. Snap and chat
At one point, Snapchat was a playful app for mobile-obsessed teens drawn to disappearing messages. But the picture is quite different today –
More and more brands consider “presence on Snapchat” a smart investment.
However, creating content on Snapchat is different from other social media apps. Snapchatters expect unpolished and authentic behind-the-scenes content.
They appreciate personalized messages, real-time videos, emojis, and quirky content – something that showcases your company’s raw personality.
If you aren’t willing to think outside the box, experiment, and have a little fun, Snapchat may not be the right recruitment marketing platform – at least not for now.
35. Provide relevant resources
Who doesn’t like free resources?
Whether it is free guides on job applications, salary negotiation, resume writing, etc., or templates other recruiters may find useful – whatever can give people a leg up on the competition is always welcome.
If you have a series of blog posts on a certain topic, they can be compiled into a downloadable eBook or made into a video series.
Promote these resources on your social media and see the audience flocking in.
36. Profit from 3PR
3PR (Personalized professional public relations) is the recruitment marketing strategy that can help you accomplish one or more of these seven objectives –
Notice there are four key terms here –
Personalized – Each member of your hiring team contributes different strengths, capabilities, preferences, and personalities to marketing, positioning, and amplifying your brand’s message.
Professional – 3PR has one goal – professional exposure for your agency’s expertise and value proposition. Many recruiters shy away from PR’s spotlight, asserting, “It’s not about me.” It IS certainly about YOU.
Public – Your team, your marketing strategies, your brand – all may be top-notch. But if you don’t make your expertise public, it’s a waste.
Relations – Finally, PR is all about building relationships with your audience, followers, clients, and candidates.
You can achieve all this by consistently sharing valuable, actionable, and insightful content.
“But I have nothing newsworthy!”
It’s alright. Press releases don’t have to be based on news. They just need to be interesting.
They can be your opinion on industry trends, how-to articles, feature articles, or a research report.
Write articles, white papers, reports, blogs – anything your prospects may find relevant. Appear in conferences and interviews to improve your likability and reputation.
Be everywhere you should be!
37. Create killer social media scripts
One of the key steps to launching a successful social media marketing campaign is to create effective scripts.
You must know what to say and how to say it.
- Do your social media posts need to be perfect for everyone? No
- Do they need to be useful for some? Yes
- Do they need to be vital for at least a few? Certainly!
Some people ask, “How am I going to manage all social stuff alongside running the rest of my business?”
The solution is to be programmatic. The first step is to decide which social media channel truly intersects with your target audience.
You don’t have to be on every social media platform. Select two or three best-fitting ones and concentrate your efforts there.
Second, have a buffer content. Keep some scripts prepared in advance and schedule them on your content calendar.
38. Stay away from “IDIOT” mistake
Most recruiters jump on social media without understanding the intent, ideas, and influence factors that contribute to its success.
Well, they make “IDIOT” mistakes. IDIOT here stands for –
I: “I, Me, My” syndrome
D: Dumb it down
I: Information without invitation
O: Overselling
T: Talk without action
Let’s discuss each, along with their probable solutions.
“I, Me, My” syndrome
No, your social media postings do not need to be all about YOU. In fact, if you only talk about yourself, your company, your blogs, and your resources, people will tune you out.
So, what should you do? Promote other experts. Allow guest posting on your site. Invite them to your podcast. Put their articles in your newsletter.
In short, share, collaborate, and cross-promote other recruitment businesses.
Dumb it down
This mistake comes from the fear that if you give away your very best ideas, tactics, and insights, your demand in the market will diminish.
The reality is that it works 180 degrees the other way. People appreciate the firsthand experience of geniuses.
They return for more only if you’re offering something others aren’t. (Or if you offer something cheaper than others?)
Information without invitation
Sorry to disappoint you, but the internet is full of information. It doesn’t need more from you. Not from me. Not from anyone at all.
That means posting a static blog on another very common topic won’t cut it. You need to ask questions, seek engagement, and invite involvement.
Overselling
The worst marketing mistake you can make is 100% self-promotion with 0% relevance to your candidates. It only adds “Unsubscribe. Unfollow. Unlink. Unfriend. Buh-bye” to the table.
Remember, content comes before commerce. To earn money, to increase your talent pool, or to win over clients, you first need to earn your audience’s attention.
How can you do that? First, fish where the fishes are. You don’t need to be on all social media sites; instead, be on the “right” ones.
And second, work on building credibility. Have an attractive website, social media profiles, good reviews, valuable content – anything that contributes to your high-quality carbon footprint.
Talk without action
Too many recruiters do everything right only to leave candidates wondering about the next steps. They don’t include clear CTAs in their posts, blogs, and emails.
The solution? Add CTAs, as simple as that!
39. Perfect your LinkedIn profile
When it comes to professional networks, LinkedIn is the most sought-after social media sites.
So, make sure it is perfect – complete, formatted, clean, and free of spelling and grammatical errors.
Strategically include relevant keywords throughout your profile – in your professional headline, title fields, specialties, interests, recommendations, and education.
Personalize your profile URL. Make sure it reflects your name, your business, or your area of expertise.
You can read more about perfecting your LinkedIn profile here –
40. Attend recruiting conferences
Research and identify the top recruiting conferences relevant to your industry.
Register early to secure your spot and take advantage of early bird discounts (if any).
Network actively at these events. Introduce yourself to industry leaders, speakers, and other attendees.
Share your experiences and learnings on social media using the event’s hashtag.
Here are the top 15 recruiting conferences you can mark in your calendar for this year!
41. Encourage testimonials
Reach out to your current and former hiring team members for testimonials about their experience working with your company.
Make this process easier by providing a simple form or prompt.
Share these testimonials on your website and social media channels. Engage with the audience by asking them what they value most in a workplace.
Use Google Forms or SurveyMonkey to collect testimonials. Canva can be helpful in creating visually appealing testimonial graphics for social media.
42. Write a book
About what? Anything you’re expert at. Candidate sourcing? Write about it. Employer branding? Go ahead.
Start by outlining the key topics you want to include in the book. Break them down into various chapters and sections.
This course can help you write your bestselling business book! (Not a promotional link)
💡Tip: Involve your team in the book-writing process. Share updates about the book’s progress on social media to build anticipation.
Consider using writing tools like Scrivener or Google Docs for drafting.
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing can be a resourceful platform for self-publishing.
43. Experiment with a new trend
Always stay updated with the latest recruitment trends.
Well, not just recruitment trends, but any business trend in general. Spotify is doing something on TikTok; see if you can repurpose the content and use it to your advantage.
Most importantly – Experimenting doesn’t mean doing anything and everything. Choose trends that align with your company’s goals.
Document your journey of experimenting with whatever new trend. Share what you learned along with the results on your blog or LinkedIn articles.
44. Leverage user-generated content
One of the best marketing strategies is to get your followers to work for you.
Happy/interested candidates and clients can vouch for your brand and add social proof to your recruitment marketing campaign.
Ask them to leave reviews, or if they’ve already created content involving your brand, ask permission to share it.
45. Launch a referral program
An effective referral program includes explaining job requirements, keeping your team updated, acknowledging good referrers, offering incentives, and experimenting.
It’s a fast pass to recruiting more quality candidates on a budget.
Incentivize team members, clients, or candidates who refer a successful candidate.
These incentives can be financial, like cash bonuses, gift cards, commission-based rewards, or exclusive perks and benefits like weekend getaways, concert tickets, premium memberships, etc.
Make sure whatever you choose to offer is relevant to the referrer. Celebrate successful referrals to encourage participation.
Regularly monitor the program’s performance and adjust accordingly.
46. Get in your local newspaper
Craft an engaging press release about a recent achievement, the unique aspect of your company culture, or a community event you’re hosting.
Send it to local newspapers and online community portals like PRWeb and PR Newswire.
Use social media to announce your feature in the newspaper. Encourage employees and followers to share this news with their network.
47. Start a podcast
According to market figures, the global podcasting market will be worth $30.3 billion by the end of 2024.
That means there is no better time to start your own podcast than today (Obviously, if you have time and resources!).
You can even invite HR influencers to your podcast to attract more eyeballs.
Further, you can post a transcript of each episode as a blog or record a video along with it to publish it on YouTube or other social media channels.
Some popular podcast hosting services include Buzzsprout, Podbean, Ausha, Anchor, Castos, etc.
48. Feature in a podcast
Another popular way to gain exposure is by being featured as a guest on other well-known recruitment podcasts as a guest.
If you’re interested, the following recruitment podcasts will be a great start –
49. Manage comments on review sites
71% of candidates research the company before applying for a job. A major part of this research includes scrolling through the comments on review sites like Glassdoor and Indeed.
Aside from these top sites, they may also check your Google Business profile, Yelp, and Facebook page.
So, keep an eye on wherever you receive comments or employee feedback.
No need to delete the negative comments (if any). Instead, answer them politely.
If there are any suggestions, e.g., complaints around micromanagement or time-off policy, consider them. Fix the issues to avoid such complaints again.
50. Promote your brand on job boards
While many job boards allow you to post your listings for free, you can increase your visibility by opting for paid advertisements.
This will ensure your job posts appear ahead of your competitor’s listings on these sites.
Here are the 19 best premium job boards to post your jobs in 2024.
Further, you must also work on improving your job advertisement writing skills.
Every job ad includes a brief section on ‘About us’ where you can include the positives of your company culture to entice talents.
51. Leverage chatbots
When someone lands on your website with the intent to partner with you, apply for a job, or buy any service you offer, they expect a seamless and efficient experience.
They may need active support to complete the process or make a decision.
That’s where chatbots come in.
For example – visit our website. We have a 24/7 live chat service powered by Intercom to help our clients and candidates with everything they need within three minutes max.
You can have something like that for your recruitment website as well.
Some options are Intercom, Drift, User.com, Dashly, etc.
52. Take a step further with YouTube advertising
YouTube is the world’s largest video search engine. The cost of its advertising options is also relatively low.
If you already invest in video marketing, all you have to do is use the snippets of your existing videos to target prospective candidates directly on YouTube.
These snippets should ideally be under 30 seconds and have a clear call to action (CTA).
53. Make it easy to contact you with listings management
Business listings like your Google Business profile, Yelp, and CitySearch help candidates directly contact you, visit your website, or even get directions to your agency.
Here are the 55 best online business directories and listing sites you can use in 2024!
Most of these sites let you include your business name, address, phone number, website link, logo, and list of services on your page.
💡Bonus tip: Don’t just rely on static listings! Take advantage of video features offered by some platforms like Google My Business to showcase your agency culture and employee testimonials.
54. Carry business cards
Because we still follow traditional recruiting methods and recommend you to do so as well (of course, in combination with online trends)
Don’t leave your house without your business cards. Going to a virtual job fair? Carry it. Random shopping? Still do.
You never know who you might meet.
Make sure your business card contains all the relevant information – your phone number, website address, social media profile links, etc.
Check this out – 41 custom recruitment business card designs!
55. Use X (previously Twitter)
Twitter is a micro-blogging site boasting more than 217 million daily active users. This number is expected to spike to over 340 million active users in 2024.
But the question is: Is X good for recruitment? We like to think so.
How? First, mention in your bio that you’re actively hiring. Also, add a link to the application form or your career page for ease of access.
Then start tweeting. Share the real stories about your team. Show off your culture and diversity and inclusion initiatives.
To increase your tweet visibility, use relevant hashtags and keywords like #hiring, #remotejobs, #gamedevjobs, etc.
Use colorful creatives like images, GIFs, or videos that resonate with your target audience.
56. Get interactive with Instagram stories
More than 900 million users view and post Instagram stories every day. In fact, 31% of American brands allocate a separate budget for advertising on Instagram stories.
Instagram stories add top-notch engagement to your marketing efforts – especially when pools and Q&As are involved.
Your followers can easily react to these stories through emojis, votes, or even direct messages.
You can create custom interactive stories directly on Instagram or using Canva templates.
Try this FREE Instagram story editor.
57. Post listicle content
This applies to both articles and videos.
Listicles are easy to follow, more readable, and concise. They are perfect for your time-starved audience and also boost SEO.
For example, this article you’re reading is a listicle – “71 recruitment marketing ideas”
Here is a typical structure of a listicle content:
58. Tag people on social media
Almost every social media channel offers a tagging feature where you can tag or mention anyone in your post – competitors, team members, prospective candidates, clients, influencers, etc.
This broadens the organic reach of your post and increases your following.
Check out this detailed guide on tagging on social media for a better understanding of the topic!
59. Apply for business awards or badges
These accolades can validate your achievements, improve your credibility, and give you an edge in the competition.
You can include them on your website (in cases of badges) for everyone to see, just like we have done –
Or share your team’s photos posing with the award on your social media account.
Some popular awards for recruitment agencies include the Global Tiara awards, the Global Recruiter UK industry awards, the Business award UK, the Stevie award, etc.
Before applying for any award, read the eligibility criteria and don’t wait until the last minute to fill in the application.
60. Recycle your old content
You know how to repurpose your webinars, so why not try it with every old content?
If you have a blog, turn it into a YouTube video. Turn your videos into an infographic. And the cycle goes on.
Never be afraid to mash up and re-promote your old content. Chances are, most of your followers haven’t seen it before.
61. Partner with educational institutions
Nothing, literally nothing, can give you access to a fresh, untapped talent pool than higher-ed partnerships.
All you need to do is partner with multiple institutions, clarify your requirements, show up with workshops, career fairs, mentoring programs, etc., and hire.
Mind that the major part of this partnership goes into nurturing the talents – training them, keeping them engaged, and offering them work opportunities that align with their talent.
The key is to “invest” in freshers.
Organize hackathons and skill training, sponsor clubs, build and engage in online forums, check in, and give feedback – anything that entices candidates to contact YOU first – right after they graduate.
62. Organize virtual open days
An open day is a particularly warm way to introduce your company to potential hires.
It typically includes a general presentation about the company, live Q&A sessions, online games, and a virtual tour.
The goal is to let “interested” candidates gain firsthand experience working with you, engage with your team members, and understand your company culture.
You can use platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Hopin to host these events successfully.
63. Simplify your application process
Audit your current application process. Aim to reduce the number of steps to the bare essential. Ditch irrelevant questions, unnecessary fields, and resume regurgitation.
On LinkedIn, allow candidates to apply with a single click.
For initial screenings, opt for one-way video interviews.
These steps, though small, make a big difference in candidate experience.
💡Tip: Ensure your application is mobile-friendly.
64. Utilize CNPS surveys
No recruitment marketing strategy pays off without regular monitoring and adjustments. That’s why you need a Candidate Net Promoter Score (CNPS).
This score can be obtained through a 5-point survey. Here, you ask your candidates to rate their experience on a scale of one to five, with five being the most favorable and one being the least.
These surveys can be distributed through email after every hiring stage, like post-interview, onboarding, etc.
The goal is to analyze the aspects of your hiring process that candidates find most dissatisfactory and fix them ASAP.
65. Reverse engineer your hiring process
What does this mean? Analyze your existing top performers to re-strategize your hiring strategies.
“My top performers have this, this, and this quality.” Make those qualities a starting point to find in your next hires.
This ensures you only onboard high-quality candidates.
66. Host virtual job fairs
Virtual job fairs are events where job seekers interact – visit booths, ask questions, and build networks – with recruiters or directly with employers from the comfort of their homes.
These fairs present you with great opportunities to revitalize your talent pipeline.
To host a successful virtual job fair, first, choose the right platform. There are many options like Brazen, Paradox, CareerEco, etc. Go with one that meets your unique needs.
Next, develop a strategy and a timeline. Consider how many attendees will participate, the positions you will hire for, your budget, and other necessary resources.
Finally, set up a career booth, show up, and start engaging.
Post-event, follow up with all the attendees. Thank them for their participation.
67. Create a feedback loop for rejected candidates
Yes, recruitment marketing does involve rejected candidates. Because you never know which position you may need them for in the future.
So, make sure you don’t burn bridges. If you aren’t moving forward with an applicant anymore, offer them personalized feedback.
Explain to them the reason for their disqualification and encourage future applications.
Most importantly, stay in touch. Loop them in via email newsletter or occasional text messages.
Use your candidate relationship management system to keep track of their employment status and follow-up.
68. Invest in text recruiting
With a staggering open rate of 98%, text messages outshine traditional emails with flying colors.
And the reason is obvious – we are in the age of instant gratification so, reaching candidates where they spend most time – their phones – is a necessity.
However, effective text recruiting is far from sending a “We’re hiring” message. It requires finesse and a thoughtful approach.
That’s why we’ve compiled this article – Mastering text recruiting: 20 free ready-to-use templates + rules to follow. Go ahead, check it out!
69. Focus on diversity and inclusion
And that’s the reason – pretty self-explanatory! Candidates are seeking to work with companies that appreciate diversity. So, be that company.
Your agency’s statement must include – You welcome all! Not only include, but you must abide by it.
That said, here are two articles you must read:
These articles can at least help you get started. But in case you’re still stuck, don’t hesitate to seek expert help.
70. Brave enough? Try guerrilla marketing
Guerrilla marketing is an unconventional form of marketing that raises brand awareness without interrupting the public.
It’s a way to evoke emotions in people – get them wondering about you and your brand.
Think flash mobs, interactive street art, or viral social media campaigns – all come under guerrilla marketing.
Want some ideas? Try painting QR codes on city walls that, when scanned, divert candidates to your job application. Accompany this code with a witty message.
Or organize a funny role-play outside your office building. Spice it up with branded costumes, banners, and swags.
TBH, there are plenty of ideas just a search away. But eventually, it’s on YOUR creativity.
71. Take inspiration
And believe us – there is so much to take in.
The Internet is filled with headlines like recruitment marketing examples, successful guerilla marketing campaigns for inspiration, etc.
All you have to do is search, refine, and adopt. (Of course, if it fits your brand identity and style)
And that’s it! Remember, before you apply any of these ideas, you must “Understand your target audience.”
You may want to appeal to a wide market, but they say “riches are in the niches.” So stick to your “target” audience. Understand their pain points, expectations, and priorities.
What motivates them to apply for a job? What do they look for in a company or a job description?
Knowing these things will help you personalize your story in a way that resonates with your candidates.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is recruitment marketing?
It is the strategic use of marketing tactics like branding, targeted outreach, advertisements, etc., to attract, engage, and nurture potential candidates, even before they actively apply for jobs. The goal is to market the company as the “ideal workplace.”
Q2: Why is recruitment marketing important in 2024?
Recruitment marketing today is more important than ever because-
- Competition is fierce,
- Candidates have high expectations,
- Technology is advancing at a breakneck pace.
Brands that want to reel in the best talents must level up their recruitment marketing efforts.
Q3: How can I measure the success of my recruitment marketing efforts?
Track the “right” metrics. It can be quantitative, like application volume, source of hire, cost per hire, time to fill, conversion rates, etc., or qualitative, like candidate quality, employer brand perception, candidate experience, and social media engagement.
Best choose a combination of both.
