How to Create Clickable Content in Employment Branding

By Jessica Miller-Merrell 

Employment branding is one of the most talked about strategies in recruiting right now and there is a focus on creating content that is clickable and contagious. While this is a great focus to have, we’ve got to remember that employment branding is about far more than just a high click rate. Employment branding is an overall strategy, not a tactic. One of the tactics that support your strategy may be creating content that you hope will spread like wild fire, but employment branding is all encompassing and goes beyond the content.

No matter what type of tactics you use, clicks are not the end goal. The end goal is getting highly qualified people who fit settled at your company. There are three ways employment branding helps us achieve this:

It assists in acquiring high-quality applications. – By being transparent, consistent and highlighting the benefits of working with the company as well as the ins and outs of the job, you’ll see higher-quality applicants. This means someone who has the skill level you’re looking for and fits with the company culture. Remember that it’s not all about skill, or even culture fit. A CEB study found that candidates who fit the company culture are 12% more likely to be a quality hire, but those who fit with the people they work with are 30% more likely to be a quality hire.

    It helps to convert candidates into applicants that join our talent network. – Your company’s talent network is a place that can help convert candidates, get them connected and move them from a mindset of uncertainty to knowing they’re headed in the right direction. Employment branding helps get them there.

     It enhances the brand, which you’ll benefit from for years to come. – One of the most valuable aspects of employment branding is the ability to help shape your reputation and in turn the public’s perception of you as an employer.

Where clickable content comes in

If these three aspects of employment branding propel us forward to reach the end goal of a successful, satisfied workforce, then where does clickable content come in? Clickable content is used throughout an employment branding campaign to reach targeted and specific candidates that we might otherwise not reach or convert from our existing efforts. The goal here isn’t for everything we produce to go viral. We don’t need or even want that every time. Instead of simply thinking clickable content, think clickable content with a purpose.

Clickable content with a purpose isn’t about quantity, it’s about quality. Quality content will yield quality hires. Think about these three essentials for creating quality clickable content:

Information that people want and need

      Stop selling your company and start providing content that your candidates need, want and are looking for. The type of content you produce will be determined by your target candidates.

Language that grabs people

    Quality content is a must, but you’ve got to convince people to click on that link before they can experience the value of it. Use headlines that are exciting, relevant to your target candidates and are inclusive – think we instead of me.

   

      Be in the right places

    The most shareable content in the world isn’t going to be shared or clicked if it’s hidden. Use your social networks, company blog, personal connections, LinkedIn groups, employees who are your brand ambassadors, industry-specific message boards and any other channel that has been proven to work for you to promote it. It’s not going to share itself, so get out there and do it.

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Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology anthropologist specializing in HR and recruiting. She's the Chief Blogger and Founder of Blogging4Jobs and author of The HR Technology Field Guide. You can follow her on Twitter at @jmillermerell.