Social media ads should no longer be surprising for any marketer. Whether for sales, exposure, or brand building, you see these ads everywhere on your favorite social media platforms. One thing ads aren't as used for is job recruiting. Social media isn't always the best place to look for new employees.
Luckily, LinkedIn is THE platform for anything professional and job-related. If you're posting ads on LinkedIn, you should take advantage of the opportunity that LinkedIn gives you to post recruiting ads. There's no better place to do it. Here's how to start recruiting and what you should do to build the right ad.
Why You Should Use LinkedIn Ads:
When it comes to recruiting, LinkedIn is the best platform out there. It's the largest social media platform that also has a professional focus. If someone has a job, especially if they're looking for one, everyone will recommend setting up a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn ads are the easiest and fastest way to reach these people.
More concretely, here are some of the advantages of LinkedIn ads for recruiting:
More people apply. The number of people LinkedIn helps you reach will inevitably increase the number of applicants for whatever job you advertise. LinkedIn ads also allow for detailed targeting through several filters, which can help you narrow down the kind of professionals who will see your ads. The increase of applicants won't just be irrelevant or unqualified; it'll be the right people for the job.
You can reach passive candidates. The great thing about LinkedIn is that people use it even if they aren't looking for a job. You can still advertise to those people if they fit the profile you're looking for. The best way to turn a passive candidate into an active job-hunter is to expose them to the right job opportunity. LinkedIn ads are the perfect way for you to show passive candidates what other great opportunities they should go for.
Boosting brand awareness. Just like any other type of ad, recruiting ads will help you increase your brand recognition. The more recognizable your brand is, the more people will feel comfortable gravitating toward your company, whether as a customer or an applicant.
Streamlining the hiring process. Hiring can be long and arduous, but LinkedIn ads help you reduce hiring time. Because of LinkedIn's great targeting process, you avoid attracting candidates who are not qualified and whom you would waste your time vetting. Since LinkedIn ads almost guarantee you have reliable candidates applying, you can feel confident that the right candidate saw your ads and fast-forward into interviews.
How to make the right recruiting ad on LinkedIn:
You want to start by connecting with your candidates. If you want your ad to succeed, you must ensure that they don't just ignore it immediately when people see it. Four big things will help you connect with potential candidates:
Culture. Showing off your company's culture is an excellent way of attracting candidates. It does more than just show a job title and a potential salary. Several intangibles fall under your company's culture. What kind of workplace are you striving to create? How do your employees interact socially, both among themselves and with management? How do you want employees to think about coming to work? Showing that you have an attractive culture that treats employees as people rather than workhorses is the first step in building a great ad.
Mission. Your mission is all about showing your ambitions and your values. It's linked to your culture but not the same thing. A strong mission and communicating it to potential employees should not be overlooked. Your company can have the best culture ever. Still, if they lack the ambition a particular candidate is looking for in a company, they won't ultimately choose you over another, more ambitious company. This is also where you can display your ethical values, whether about labor, the environment, or politics in general. Showing people that you're doing the right thing is not only a great way to get customers, but it's also great for attracting new employees.
Bonuses, Perks, etc. All the extra things that come with joining your company. Insurance, pensions, vacation days, maternity/paternity leave policies, etc. If you go out of your way to make your employees feel welcome and comfortable, ensure you display how in your ad! Often, companies are very similar regarding the work they offer, location, salary, and even in terms of their culture. The deciding factor can be simple, as these little bonuses are in the job description. Don't treat them lightly since applicants don't either!
Personalization. Think of your ad like any other SEO-related piece of marketing. You want the right keywords and the correct power words to attract readers. You want to ensure your ad addresses the reader directly, similar to how you would write a website title tag. Be informative and concise, but don't forget to personalize communication. Direct communication is always more effective than indirect, impersonal, and dry communication.
These aren't the only things you should include in your ad. They're just the main points you should not exclude. Another possibility, if you're comfortable with it, is to include salary in your ad. A lot of companies don't include it for various reasons. Some want to avoid cash-grabbers; others want to keep that information more confidential. However, suppose you can afford to display the salary of a job opening. In that case, it will be very beneficial to your ad. Candidates always respond well to having as much information as possible about a job. It removes uncertainties as much as possible. Salary is one of the first things people think about when it comes to new jobs, so displaying it definitely won't hurt your prospects.
Extra steps to take
You can do a few more things once you've figured out the previous steps. Building and improving your LinkedIn company profile is one way to make your ads more powerful. A strong company profile is essential, so you want to aim to have that anyway. The fact that it helps with hiring is just a bonus.
The easiest thing to do to attract employee prospects is to spotlight your current employees on your page. Show how your employees are a part of your company and deserve to show up on your LinkedIn page. Help prospective employees check out current employees. You have to see whether they think they'll fit in with the team or want what the rest of your employees are already working with. Something as easy as an employee spotlight can be extremely valuable for job postings and candidates. It's the perfect complement to your LinkedIn ad.
