Who doesn’t struggle with ideas for their social media?! This is a great blog post from Christina Robinson at Green Umbrella Marketing for us, with some really easy tips.
Finding engaging content for your social media marketing is a constant challenge. Some mornings you are raring to go. 50 different posts are bouncing around in your head, and the biggest problem is deciding which one to use! You seem to have so many of them, and one is perfect for your clients, another is spot on for the candidates… perhaps there has been a big event in the recruitment world to talk about.
Whereas other mornings you look at the screen and come up with nothing. You sit there, fingers poised ready to type the best content ever and nothing happens. The clock is ticking, and time is a precious commodity for anyone in the recruitment world. It’s frustrating and it feels like the more you try the worse it gets.
Recognise that scenario? Well, trust me, it also happens to even the most seasoned of social media experts. Sometimes the ideas just won’t come out, but there are ways of getting over the problem. Usually, the best thing to do is sort of jump start your creativity. It often only takes a little push to get the content flowing, so here are some potential sources to think about.
Generic content does NOT need to be generic.
For recruiters there are some ideas for social media posts that are always going to be relevant in some way. These are the evergreen topics, tips and suggestions that are always of interest to candidates and employers and so on. In an even wider approach, there are many resources on the internet that will prompt your ideas for non-recruitment content. While these are all fairly generic in nature, (national days, funny stories, polls and so on) the trick is to make them relevant to your agency and also your specialist where possible. With a little thought, you can turn most content ideas around so they are focused on your team or your recruitment area. However, when you are looking at the empty space where a post should go, the thoughts can be a bit illusive sometimes… Here’s what I do when that happens.
Check your diary!
Ask yourself a few questions. Where have you been recently? Did you speak to anyone interesting or remarkable? Were you asked any interesting recruitment related questions that could spark an idea for a topic? What do you have coming up that is of interest?
A good tip is to get in the habit of taking photos or video when you are out and about. Grab anything that looks useful. Unusual buildings, scenic views and so on. If do you will soon create a bank of content.
What and who are around you?
The people around you and your workspace are just part of the life of a recruitment professional, but to anyone outside your world they are new and interesting!! People love to see behind the curtain, ‘where the magic happens’, and inviting them into your world makes you more human and approachable. Are there any odd things on the desks of the team? Does anyone have a hidden talent? Is it a birthday and so on? All the day-to-day things you don’t normally notice could well make content.
Check your inbox
Recruitment professionals need to be on top of their game. That means you will probably be subscribed to all sorts of sources of information sources, newsletters and magazines. Trawling your inbox will often throw out a lot of ideas. In fact, this is one of the most lucrative sources of content. The content you consume as a user is a part of your professional practice. Recruitment is a complex and often convoluted industry. So be a translator. Use your expertise to turn your inbox into snippets of useful information and advice for candidates and clients.
Don’t listen to the little voice
You know the voice I mean? The naggy little one that tells you that nobody wants to read your posts or that makes you worried about putting yourself out there. That voice is talking rubbish! If you are taking the time to read this article, then you are clearly dedicated and informed enough about the recruitment world to be looking for resources. Just go for it!
Being you and being human is all part of a good social media presence. The key to success is not to be perfect, it is to be accessible and real. People don’t want robots, human presence is so much more warmly welcomed in the real world, even on social media!!
Your office, your diary, your inbox and all the other parts of your world can be inspiring. Invite people into that world with engaging content and you will soon start to see the value of a good social media strategy.
