Are you looking to outsource your recruitment business’s social media? Here are seven of the most frequently asked questions we receive when speaking to recruiters enquiring about our range of social media services.
1. Why should I outsource the management of our social media management when I can hire someone, or get an existing employee to post on our channels?
The average salary for a social media manager in the UK is £33,065, which would require a significant investment to employ someone who has the necessary skills, knowledge and qualifications needed to successfully manage your recruitment brand’s social media presence. In comparison, outsourcing to a specialist agency is far more cost-effective and you are guaranteed professionals with the expertise that your business needs.
While asking an existing employee to add social media to their role is certainly a cheaper option, they may not be able to give it the dedication it deserves due to their existing duties. They are also likely to lack the knowledge required. A reputable social media agency will have staff who stay on top of the latest algorithm updates and functionality which is vital if you are to create and maintain engagement over a long period of time.
2. Can’t I just create one post and duplicate it across our channels to save time?
Each social media platform requires a different approach for a number of reasons. Firstly, because of the nature of the platforms you have a presence on you are likely to have different audiences on each, and as such, you should produce content tailored towards their individual needs. For example, your audience on LinkedIn, a professional networking site, is likely to be rather different to your audience on Instagram.
Secondly, the algorithms that underpin each platform and influence where your posts appear in your followers’ feeds have evolved greatly over the years and while a post may generate engagement on one channel, it is not guaranteed to happen on another.
Each platform also has different functions and limitations which means that many posts simply cannot be duplicated – for example, Twitter has a 280-character limit which means that posts require brevity, while Instagram posts must feature an image or video.
3. Surely all it takes is regular posts and sharing job opportunities to be seen and generate engagement. How would outsourcing the management of my business’s social media generate additional benefits?
Social media management involves so much more than posting regularly across your social media channels.
Firstly, the content needs to either be created from scratch or curated which involves researching the latest industry news and trends. Here at BlueSky PR, we have created our own social media model called the Rule of Thirds which ensures that the mix of content shared on social is balanced and adds real value to your ideal client and candidate personas.
Secondly, the organic reach of social media posts from businesses has declined over the last few years and has led to what has been called the ‘pay to play arena’. This is where brands across all industries are having to invest in paid social media to ensure that their posts are seen by existing followers as well as new ones. Paid campaigns are incredibly important for recruitment firms looking to target prospective candidates or clients due to the detailed targeting criteria they use.
By choosing an agency that has in-depth knowledge of both organic and paid social media campaigns you will be able to deliver a greater return on investment.
4. If I outsource my recruitment firm’s social media, how it will save us time?
While it may seem that social media is as simple as writing a few posts and clicking ‘publish’, there is so much more involved when it comes to building a strong social media presence for your recruitment firm.
An agency that specialises in social media marketing will produce a bespoke social media strategy that is tailored to the needs of your business. This will act as a blueprint and outline exactly how social media will be used to support your business’s overall objectives being achieved.
Alongside this, a calendar of activities will need to be planned and executed to ensure a regular stream of posts are produced which engage your target audiences.
They should also prepare regular reports which highlight the performance of your social media channels and campaigns.
5. Our business is using paid search to advertise our services, do we really need invest in paid social media as well?
While both paid search and paid social media are forms of digital advertising they are distinctly different in the approaches that they use. Paid search targets user intent by displaying adverts related to what users have typed in on search engines while social media advertising targets user demographics and interests.
Depending on your business objectives and budget, it is likely that both would be beneficial for your recruitment firm. Paid search can be beneficial in putting your company in front of those actively searching for related job opportunities and services, whereas paid social enables you to generate brand awareness and target both active and passive jobseekers based on their interests and content they have engaged with.
6. How do I know that my recruitment company’s reputation on social media is safe if I allow an outside agency to manage our pages?
A reputable agency will have credible testimonials and case studies from previous work they have carried out for clients in the recruitment and staffing industries. These should demonstrate tangible results they have delivered in line with their client’s objectives.
They should also take time to understand your brand’s tone of voice and what type of content you are comfortable with sharing on social media to avoid any potential controversies or mishaps.
7. How will I be able to see the results of outsourcing social media?
A reputable social media agency will present a monthly report highlighting key metrics that are related to the goals set out in your social media strategy. These may include clickthroughs, impressions, engagement rate and follower acquisition to name a few. This will enable you to see how successful your campaigns are and provide valuable data that will be used to inform and shape future content.
Is your recruitment firm considering outsourcing its social media? Find out about our range of social media services, or book a free consultation call today.
