Adding Value Through Recruitment Marketing 

We bang our metaphorical drum about value-adding content all the time. It’s the key to successful marketing, because it’s the difference between screaming into the void and creating compelling content that drives conversions. 

Don’t just take it from us – Chris Cranshaw is a big believer in value too. Chris is the Founder and Director of Halt, another specialist recruitment marketing firm. 

We talked about it on Episode 10 of the Skill Point Podcast, then squeezed all the value out of the episode to give you this handy how-to blog.

How do you add value in recruitment marketing?

Valuable content is something that’s useful to your audience. To figure out what that is, you need to talk to your target demographics, whether that’s your clients, candidates or colleagues. Always have your audience in mind when you’re creating content, and make sure you’re speaking to their interests, pain points and daily experiences. Whether you’re offering a solution to their issues or sharing relatable and entertaining content that’s specific to your niche, it should always resonate with your audience’s lives. 

What makes a valuable content niche?

According to Chris, recruiters’ content should come directly from their day jobs. He said ‘you’re talking to clients, candidates and HR departments, so you’re building up knowledge of all these different trends, challenges and success stories, often without realising or documenting it.’ It’s these experiences that you can turn into valuable content, by making observations about the state of your industry or sharing your solutions to common problems in your sector. That’s where you can credibly build your expertise. 

Your expertise will often be niche because it reflects the sector that you work in. You might know things like the best way to attract talent in cybersecurity, which will be incredibly valuable to your target audience. People will recognise the specificity of your content and recognise you as an authority on those subjects. 

What are the next steps once you’ve made valuable content?

Create a clear plan for the content you want to share. Chris told us ‘that’s what you’re gonna become famous for; you’re going to be the place where people go to get information on X, Y, and Z’. To build a devoted audience, you need to be consistent and reliable. 

In order to build that reputation, you need to figure out a regular cadence for your content. Look at your capacity, skill set and budget before committing to becoming the next New York Times. 

Always do your research before you start making content, because the form it takes will impact how it performs with different people. If you’re trying to boost engagement, releasing interactive content like polls is a great idea. Scheduling this is important, because you also need to be able to respond to interactions and take the time to nurture your audience relationships. If you’re building your credibility as a source of knowledge, longer-form text posts could be the way to go. 

Planning your content well in advance can reduce last-minute workloads and improve the quality of your output. It also means that everything you make is intentional rather than scrambling to fill a gap in your calendar with something that isn’t valuable. 

What does great look like when a company is providing that value?

Ultimately, success comes from your conversion rate. Moving people through your marketing funnel takes time and meticulous planning, but when it pays off, it literally PAYS off. 

If you’re offering value to your audience on a consistent basis, they’re going to come to you when they need answers and solutions to their specific problems. Great marketing comes from meeting those questions preemptively and building your reputation as a reliable resource. 

As Chris said, ‘great is when your content or personal brand creates opportunities’. You can’t control conversions in recruitment marketing, but you can build an effective emotional connection that results in a higher rate of engagement, emotional investment and trust. That’s all done through regularly creating and sharing valuable content with your audience. 

To find out more about creating valuable content in the recruitment industry, tune into the Skill Point Podcast here.