How to Leverage Social Media to Improve Your Employer Branding

According to reports, organisations are facing a 15-year low in the ongoing talent shortage. In 2021, almost 70% of companies experienced talent shortages. 

If you want to recruit (and keep) top talent, social media is your ally. Gone are the days when social media was just for tagging friends. It has now become a pivotal part of how job seekers find roles and research companies. 

It’s also a perfect tool for employer branding. 

Statistics show that 2 in 5 job seekers say social media is a core part of their job search. Furthermore, 58% of job seekers look for information on potential employers via social media. 

Companies are taking advantage of this by using social media to advertise roles and search for passive candidates. 

But simply posting job openings isn’t enough. If you want to truly leverage social media to attract the best talent, you have to make sure your employer branding is on point. 

Continue reading for some effective social media employer branding strategies.

Get Clear on Your Voice

Before you start leveraging social media for employer branding, you need to clarify your tone and target audience. 

Start by considering the individual profile. Who are you speaking to? Identify the talent’s culture, location, and values.

This will help inform your brand voice. 

The industry you’re in might also have an impact on your tone. However, don’t feel like your brand voice needs to be the same as your competitors.

Having a unique, authentic brand voice can differentiate you from the crowd. It can also inspire trust with potential employees. 

One of the biggest things employees look for is transparency. A straightforward, personable communication style is often more likely to instill trust than a stuffy, highly-corporate tone. 

A relaxed tone is also naturally suited for social media platforms. 

Find Out Which Platforms Your Current Employees Use

Another critical area to evaluate is the platforms your ideal candidates are using. Social media marketing is about reaching your target audience where they’re at. Employer marketing is no different. 

One of the easiest ways to find out where your target candidates are is by evaluating your current employees. Find out what platforms your typical employees use.

Are they most active on LinkedIn? Or do they predominantly use Instagram and Twitter?

An easy way to find this out is by polling employees. 

Finding out what platforms your employees prefer can also prevent you from being pigeonholed by your industry. LinkedIn is widely accepted as the “professional” social media network, but this doesn’t mean you should ignore more informal platforms. 

Showcase Behind-The-Scenes Snapshots

Once you know where your target candidates are, it’s time to develop a content strategy that showcases your employer branding. Evaluate the types of posts you can share that will be valuable to candidates. 

One of the best ways to bring your employer brand to life is via visual storytelling. Images and videos can help you give job seekers a taste of what it’s like to work at your company. 

Some examples include:

• Stories from current employees
• Snapshots of interesting projects
• Videos of your workspaces
• Videos of company perks and team-building activities

Behind-the-scenes content is ideal for drawing in potential talent and giving them a glimpse inside your organization. This style of content can also appeal to consumers, which means it can do double duty. 

Not only can it attract talent, but it can also trigger trust from your target customers. 

Let Your Company Culture Shine Through

One of the big advantages of social media for employment branding is that it gives you a chance to show off your company culture. 

Company culture means a lot to modern employees. Almost 80% of job seekers consider organizational culture when applying for a position. 

Once again, behind-the-scenes content is a great way to communicate your company culture. Values-driven content can also be a powerful strategy to showcase your company’s ethos. 

Look for quotes, images, and other posts you can share that align with your core employer brand values. These types of posts can attract job seekers whose personal values match those of your brand. 

Culture-centric and volunteer events can be a great opportunity to create value-driven content. 

Employee testimonials and spotlights are two other examples of content that can communicate your company culture. This also humanizes your brand and demonstrates a sense of community. 

Empower Your Employees to Be Brand Ambassadors

The people in your organization should also be a core part of your employer branding strategy. 

With the right support, your employees can turn into your best brand ambassadors. 

Often, all it takes is a little encouragement. If employees feel like social media usage is frowned upon, they’re less likely to engage with your brand publicly, even in their private time. 

Make employees aware that your organization welcomes and encourages participation on social media.

You can look into training employees on how to manage their personal brand online. As employees become more confident creating a professional online persona, they’re likely to share positive work experiences. 

Another way you can empower staff to become employer brand ambassadors is by creating a clear social media policy. You can also increase engagement through things like employee takeovers and brand-specific hashtags. 

Manage Employee Reviews

Another important component of maintaining an employer brand is review management. A lot of job seekers use platforms like Glassdoor and Facebook to analyze employer reviews. 

Being aware of what current and previous employees are saying about your organization is as important as how you portray your employer brand. 

Actively managing reviews can give you valuable insights. It also provides an opportunity to show potential hires that you’re invested in people’s experiences at your company. 

When reviews are posted, make it a practice to respond promptly, both to concerns and compliments. This demonstrates a commitment to serving not only employees but everyone who interacts with your organization, including customers. 

Do You Want Professional Assistance With Employer Branding?

If you want to connect with the right talent, comprehensive employer branding is key. Job seekers are leveraging social media to evaluate potential employers. This gives companies a chance to showcase their culture and attract candidates that are a perfect match. 

Here at Bradford Jacobs, we specialize in employer branding. Besides helping you seamlessly showcase your employer brand, we can also help with talent acquisition marketing. 

Ready to reduce your hiring costs, slash talent wastage, and build your employer brand? Contact us today to get started.