Blog your way to better candidate attraction

By Roxanne Abercrombie

With over 200 million blogs currently in existence and more being created by the minute, the blog is not only a popular vehicle for communication but also one which is highly powerful. In fact, research shows that 67% of businesses that blog generate more leads than those that don’t. For recruitment companies, the power of the blog can and should be harnessed to generate those all-important leads within a comprehensive candidate attraction strategy.

Fortunately, the recruitment industry isn’t trailing behind trends and the vast majority of consultancies have wised up and implemented a blog within their website. But if recruiters are only blogging when they have something to say rather than as part of a clear recruitment strategy, they will not win the desired results.

So, how can recruiters use blogs as a tool in their candidate attraction arsenal?

Share your insider expertise

As a recruiter, you know exactly what employers look for in employees. You know the perfect way to format a CV, the best possible way to answer interview questions, the ideal elevator pitch and the overused buzz words that should be avoided. In short, you have the kind of knowledge that every candidate would love to have.

By delivering regular blog posts in which you give candidates these expert tips and tricks, you are not only showcasing your range of expertise but also offering content of significant value to personal job-hunts. Candidates visiting your blog will leave armed with actionable information and an appreciation of your extensive recruitment know-how.

You may find this time-consuming, but the benefits of sharing your knowledge will impact enormously on both your personal brand and your business. Candidates will remember you, be inclined to work with you and therefore be more likely to apply for one of your vacancies. If you plan on being in recruitment for the long haul, this ultimately means more engaged talent, more wins and more profits.

Create a valued community

Broadly speaking, the recruitment industry has a poor reputation in the market when it comes to maintaining strong relationships with candidates after placement. Once a fee has been won, the prevailing perception is that recruiters no longer have any interest in the candidate.

Keeping in touch with the hundreds of candidates you’ve placed can understandably be a tricky task. With a blog, however, you have the perfect tool to create continuous dialogue and build a lasting bridge between consultant and candidate.

When you begin to grow your blog content, you begin to build a loyal following. You begin to build a community of candidates who come to you for advice and information, and you therefore build your recruitment business. Without having to send automated messages or make countless phone calls, a well populated and well maintained recruitment blog will keep candidates invested in your brand.

Drive return visits to your site

A common problem recruiters face is in garnering return visits from candidates. Since the vast majority of your vacancies will be found via job boards rather than directly from your site, there is little reason for candidates to keep coming back to the domain of the ‘middle man’ rather than the domain of the board or the employer.

By blogging, however, you are offering candidates a stream of fresh content to win their clicks. Research shows that 56% of businesses who blog on just a monthly basis acquire customers through their blogs. Even more persuasive, blogging three times a week increases this percentage to 70%, whilst daily blogging raises the figure to a staggering 78%. For recruiters, this means that regular blogging will win you more return traffic and more conversions.

With regular posts that are also shared via your social channels, candidates will keep coming back to read your content. Once they’re already prowling your pages, they will be more likely to view job listings and apply for roles directly through your website. As well as that, the biggest factor that goes into ranking well on Google is original, high-quality content. It really is simple: blogging will win you higher numbers of candidate applications and a higher SEO rank.

Well-known blogger Jason Calacanis once said that: ““The currency of blogging is authenticity and trust.” In an industry where authenticity and trust are absolutely key to success, this is a sentiment of value to recruiters. If executed correctly, a recruitment blog will not only attract more passive and active candidates but also foster that all-important trust that builds brands.

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Author bio: Roxanne Abercrombie is a professional copywriter and serial blogger. She works as PR, Content and Social Executive for Uniting Ambition, a specialist company that provides recruitment and talent management services to businesses at varying stages of growth, from start-up and medium sized enterprises through to global brands.