One of the best tools recruiting and staffing firms can use to stand out from their competition is content marketing. For many recruiting firms both large and small, content marketing has become a central approach for establishing new relationships with clients and candidates as well as enhancing the perception of the firm’s brand. The best part is, it actually works. According to LinkedIn, companies who post at least once per week get 40% more views and 25% more clicks. 

As the owner of Versique (a $16M executive search and consulting firm in Minneapolis, and sister company to Parqa), I’ve seen first-hand how content marketing can transform the brand of a recruiting firm, as it was a key tool we used to evolve from a completely unknown brand in the marketplace to one of the most recognizable and successful firms in Minnesota. 

Getting started with content marketing is easy, however, mastering it requires trial and error. If you take the time to create authentic content that comes straight from the mouths of respected thought leaders and share and support the content created by your peers, you will see results. 

Below, I will show you why content marketing is one of the keys to building a strong recruiting and staffing firm brand. 

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing, an aspect of Inbound Marketing, can best be thought of as “marketing with a magnet instead of a sledgehammer” according to LinkedIn. In other words, content marketing helps attract people to you instead of you having to go to them via traditional/outbound marketing methods such as cold calling. 

We’re all familiar with cold calling, and while it still works, it’s not as effective as it used to be. With so much information available to clients, candidate and customers, 70% of the buyer’s journey is completed online before anyone even picks up the phone. 

Your prospects are researching your firm and comparing it to your competitors right now. What will they find online about your organization? That question lies at the heart of why content marketing is so important. You may already rank #1 in the Google, but what is the point if you have no credibility to back it up once visitors land on your website?

Content Marketing Builds Client Relationships, Awareness, and Credibility 

Becoming a thought leader through the strategic creation of blogs, newsletters, and salary guides is a primary way recruiting firms can build relationships, brand awareness, and credibility among clients and candidates. 

To be successful, you need to create content that is authentic and avoid publishing ghostwritten content that is off-brand or doesn’t meet the expectation of your readers. Readers can easily tell when content isn’t authentic, which reflects poorly on a brand. 

Just like a conversation, content helps to create awareness around your business, your services, what you can offer, and how you can help improve a client or candidate’s current situation, according to LinkedIn. Publishing that blog could be the persuasive nudge that gets a prospective candidate to pick up the phone and start working with you, or the beginning of a candidate’s journey towards applying to a listed job.

Define Your Message and Develop a Content Marketing Strategy

At Versique, content marketing has led to countless new leads, client relationships, and new opportunities, but there’s no way we’d see such great results if we didn’t take the time to create a strategy based on our target audience and core values that sets the tone for nearly everything we post. 

You have to ask questions like: Who is my target audience?  Am I targeting talent acquisition leaders, HR directors, or owners? What is the best channel to reach these people through? Strive to understand every facet of your audience and write your blogs with them in mind. Your message should be strong, relevant, authentic, and personable. Each post should match the vision you’ve established for your brand.  

Tell an Authentic Story to Become a Thought Leader

Versique’s content, written by our top executives, always tells an authentic story that helps establish our firm as a thought leader in the industry. Through thought leadership, we’ve built our LinkedIn following from nothing to over 17K followers in just a few short years. 

Prospective clients want to know why working with your company is meaningful and whether it aligns with their goals. They want to work with a company that does great work and whose values they believe in, so be sure to highlight your achievements, core values, and other positive aspects of your firm. Offer solutions, add value, and do your best to resonate with your readers. This may include things like hiring tips, industry trends, internal news, and testimonials.

Sharing, Reposting and Repurposing

Creating content is only half of the content marketing equation. The other half that is absolutely critical is making sure you share your content via LinkedIn, company pages, and social media feeds with links back to your site. Encourage employee buy-in and sharing as well. Passive talent and potential clients will encounter your brand messaging and flow of content, which builds credibility, awareness, and familiarity. 

Additionally, you must make sharing and supporting the content of others a top priority. When you support what others post, they are far more likely to like and share what you post. This mutually beneficial relationship is essential to a successful content marketing.

Lastly, always think of ways to repurpose and re-post your content. If you create blogs, think of ways that you can repurpose the content for a video, infographic, or case study. Every piece of content is another chance to be found and establish credibility. If you can, find a way to track your engagement to discover which topics are most popular. This will help you refine your content marketing strategy for the future. 

About Parqa: 

Parqa is a digital marketing agency that specializes in the staffing industry. Having been created within a successful executive search and consulting firm, Parqa has years of experience building recruiting firm brands, attracting quality client and candidate leads, and heping their clients achieve business goals. Practice areas include: Blogging, Social Media, Search Engine Optimization, Pay-Per-Click Management, and more. Learn more!