Recruitment PR and Marketing Blog

Our own Managing Director, Tracey Dunn, appeared on stage at the Recruitment Agency Expo today to talk to the crowded theatre about the role of PR in building and communicating a brand and its evolving nature. Her points were certainly well received, but for those of you who couldn’t make it, here are a few of her key recommendations when it comes to building your brand profile: A good brand grows your reputation and trust, making your organisation more attractive to not only potential clients, but also some of the best talent in the industry who you might want working for you Don’t think that just because you’re an SME, start up or a new division with a limited budget that you can’t afford to (and therefore shouldn’t) raise your profile. Look at some of the smaller things you can do to help build brand awareness instead PR can help build a brand by getting your voice out there in the public domain. If you are regularly appearing in the press talking about things you can sensibly be talking about – trends, skill shortages, recruitment and retention challenges for example - you will be seen as an industry thought leader and perhaps even a leading figure in your specialism Press coverage is a great tool to use in pitches as it shows your views are sought after. It is also much more impactful and has more credibility than brochures, websites and other marketing collateral When you go out to the press, make sure you target the right people by researching the publications in advance, looking at their interests, columns and which journalists write about what topic Make sure you have something news worthy to say – latest survey results, your opinion on current industry news and business announcements for example

Media Relations in Action The company Twenty Recruitment was formed in January 2009, in the depths of the recession, by Paul Marsden and Adrian Kinnersley who were responsible for the rapid growth and sale of Astbury Marsden. The company specialises in mid to senior level appointments within the professional services, financial services and commerce & industry sectors across technology, finance and IT. The challenge

For some recruitment businesses, the decision to undertake PR can be a hard one. Recruitment is hugely results driven and ROI is easily measurable. PR is different, and it can take some time to see results. With this in mind, we thought we’d feature a Q&A in each newsletter with a recruiter who uses PR, and why they do so. This edition we speak to David Press, Director at DMJ Recruitment. Why do we use PR? We use PR for a variety of reasons but a key motive is that it places us as experts in the market place and gives us a ‘voice’ within a crowded and competitive industry. As a prominent presence in the market place, gaining coverage in broadsheets and targeted press allows us to enhance our brand but also stay at the forefront of our existing and potential clients’ minds, especially during difficult economic times. PR is also a very useful marketing tool when trying to win new business, allowing us to demonstrate our successes and experience. One of the most important parts of our PR activity is our social media strategy. We use Twitter, Linkedin, our blog and our website to demonstrate our wider interest and knowledge in our respective markets and to engage with our candidates and clients.

For some recruitment businesses, the decision to undertake PR can be a hard one. Recruitment is hugely results driven and ROI is easily measurable. PR is different, and it can take some time to see results. With this in mind, we thought we’d feature a Q&A in each newsletter with a recruiter who uses PR, and why they do so. This edition we speak to Maggie Berry, Managing Director of Women in Technology. Q: Why do you use PR? A: We use PR to make female technologists aware of the opportunities available to them in the sector, as well as helping businesses to understand the importance of gender equality in the workplace. We have so much to offer the industry that one of our major goals is to ensure that every woman in technology comes into contact with us at some point during their career. This can be through a networking event, through our site, or through reading our advice in the press coverage generated through PR. Another reason is that it has a completely different effect to advertising. Anyone with the right budget can buy advertising space, but PR places you as an expert in your field within prestigious and targeted trade publications.

With many studies showing that you only have 10 seconds to make a good impression, it’s vital that recruitment professionals establish a strong personal brand on social media if they are to continue to make placements during these difficult times.

For some recruitment businesses, the decision to undertake PR can be a hard one. Recruitment is hugely results driven and ROI is easily measurable. PR is different, and it can take some time to see results. With this in mind, we thought we’d feature a Q&As with recruiters who use PR, and why they do so.

For some recruitment businesses, the decision to undertake PR can be a hard one. Recruitment is hugely result driven and ROI is easily measurable. PR is different, and can take some time to see results. With this in mind, we thought we’d feature a Q&A with a recruiter who uses PR, and why they do so. This edition we speak to Adrian Kinnersley, MD of multi sector professional recruiter Twenty Recruitment Group