Top marketing strategies for staffing firms for 2014

Every business is different, there’s no doubt about it, which means how a staffing firm goes about representing itself and trying to market itself to clients matters. After all, the competition is trying equally to gain the attention of potential clients and candidates, which means it’s up to a recruiting firm to act as its own best sales person. A staffing and recruiting firm must market itself to its audience in a variety of ways to ensure that it gains a portion of the market share.

The internet has drastically changed the way  information is shared, which means that staffing and recruiting professionals trying to market their services must deploy new, hard-hitting strategies that reach potential customers. There are a lot of stakeholders in the successful business of building employer and employee relationships, which means that the mediums and messages used in marketing must be as unique and direct as possible.

Convincing a company that hiring a recruiting agency to handle portions of the hiring process takes dedication and the ability to prove and demonstrate the return on investment staffing professionals can bring to the table. By deploying the right marketing strategy, a staffing agency will be better able to do just that. Highlighting key processes, metrics, past success, technologies like staffing software and recruiting software and more, can all help advertise the benefits of selecting a recruiting firm.

Here are some of the top marketing strategies a staffing firm can incorporate to gain the attention of clients and candidates:

1) Invest in mobile. The power of mobile is undeniable at this point. In 2012, more people bought smartphones than computers, according to a study by Canalys. Mobile technology is taking off, as more systems and applications are being designed to meet the needs of consumers, who live very active lives.

“In 2011, we saw a decline in demand for netbooks, and slowing demand for notebooks and desktops as a direct result of rising interest in pads,” said Chris Jones, Canalys VP and Principal Analyst. “But pads have had negligible impact on smart phone volumes and markets across the globe have seen persistent and substantial growth through 2011. Smart phone shipments overtaking those of client PCs should be seen as a significant milestone. In the space of a few years, smart phones have grown from being a niche product segment at the high-end of the mobile phone market to becoming a truly mass-market proposition. The greater availability of smart phones at lower price points has helped tremendously, but there has been a driving trend of increasing consumer appetite for Internet browsing, content consumption and engaging with apps and services on mobile devices.”

According to the recruiting marketing firm, Staffing Robot, in 2012, 90 percent of the company’s customers requested the development of a mobile website. Mobile site traffic for staffing agencies ranges from 6 percent to 27 percent. Internet sites that are not designed for mobile viewership experience a 60 percent to 80 percent bounce rate. As a result, the firm’s data suggests that staffing firms without mobile accessible websites are losing between 30 and 150 potential candidates per month for companies. A staffing firm that really wants to make sure that it is gaining the attention of potential clients and candidates needs to make sure its website and other digital accounts are mobile friendly. Responsive design has grown in popularity with web developers for just this reason.

2) Improve content marketing offerings. Unlike almost any other marketing strategy in the last decade, content marketing has developed fast. Not many people could have guessed the importance this strategy would have in determining how well a company does online. Content marketing is one way that allows companies to establish themselves as an authority on a subject matter and gain the trust of customers. By publishing blog posts, news articles, white papers and infographics, a staffing firm can demonstrate the skills, experiences and insights into the industry that make the company an ideal business partner.

Content marketing is on the rise and relevant and timely text, video and image content types should be an integral part of any staffing company’s marketing strategy. According to an infographic by BlueGlass, 90 percent of marketers are already using content marketing. As of 2013, 60 percent of business-to-business organizations plan to spend more on content marketing in the future, while only 26 percent have actually dedicated the time and funds to this endeavor. The most popular content marketing types for B2B companies, like staffing firms, include articles, social media, blogs, e-Newsletters, case studies and in-person events.

Because of the variety of types of content available for staffing firms to choose from, when designing a marketing strategy, this strategic tool is flexible enough for the fast-paced world of recruiting. Regardless of industry, content marketing is making an impact on how people find, research and view companies each and every day.

3) Measure customer satisfaction. While it’s common for companies to measure and track customer satisfaction, it may surprise the head of marketing for a staffing firm that this metric is crucial for the department. High or improved levels of customer satisfaction and customer service are considered a marketing investment. As staffing firms gain a reputation for success, satisfaction levels increase and provide new metrics for advertising professionals to focus on. In the game of reputation management, customer satisfaction can never be forgotten.

“By focusing on a positive work environment and encouraging your employees to provide unparalleled customer service, your staffing business will be rewarded by lasting customer loyalty. If you aren’t doing so already, 2013 is the year to start measuring customer satisfaction and rewarding your employees for delivering it,” said Tony Hsieh from Zappos, according to Staffing Robot.

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