(Staffing Success) Social Media 2.0 - Social Media Successes

Staffing Success Magazine (May–June 2010)

Staffing 2.0—Social Media Successes

Which Staffing Firms Make the Best Use of Social Media? How Can Yours?

You work for the best staffing firm in the world. And like your colleagues and competitors, you're on the lookout for the most innovative, progressive, and effective ways to engage your clients, candidates, and prospects.

That's why your firm is friending on Facebook, networking on LinkedIn, tweeting on Twitter, and maybe even yakking on YouTube.

But now what? And more important, so what?

Whether your firm cautiously dips its toes into the rising waters of social media, fervently dives in headfirst, or has so far quietly stayed out of the pool altogether, social networking is here to stay. If used astutely, it can enhance your firm's marketing and recruitment efforts. Yet its misuse can potentially damage your firm's credibility.

A closer look at the online presence of a few ASA member firms—along with insider tips from select social media mavens—reveals key considerations to help your firm make the most of its social media presence.

Start With the End in Mind

You need to know what you're trying to achieve through social media, says Eric Gilpin, president of the staffing and recruiting group for CareerBuilder, an ASA corporate partner.

"Companies need to ask themselves what the goals are," he says. "It could be any one of the following: branding and awareness, client lead generation, candidate pipeline development, candidate or client communication, or employee engagement."

Whatever your firm's social media goals are, you need to have a plan to reach them, says Chad Wandler, president of public relations firm Buzzago. He stresses that simply having an online presence is not the same as having a plan.

"Twitter and Facebook are not strategies," Wandler explains. "They are social media tools. Wordpress is not a strategy; it's a tool. You need a strategy. Make your social media strategy a part of your entire marketing mix."

Gilpin recommends that you take cues from your firm's current engagement strategies to decide how to get started in social media. He suggests firms consider the following questions:

• What are the pros and cons of the tactics that you are currently using?
• Is there opportunity for more engagement with a new audience?
• Are there successful tactics that can be expanded through a social media strategy to increase exposure and engagement?

"As social media evolves, it is important to know what you are looking for," Gilpin says. "Keep this in mind as you test different targets and try different content and approaches to ultimately engage the audience and build a group of brand advocates."

Expand Your Brand

Social networking can amplify your firm's brand by providing increased opportunities to connect with key audiences. According to a study by the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, more than 90% of the Inc. 500—a select group of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.—use social networks for marketing and branding. More than 90% of the companies also reported using at least one social media tool in 2009.

Portfolio Creative, an ASA member, is one such company. Ranked No. 326 on the Inc. 500, this firm connects its clients with writers, designers, marketers, and other creative talent in and around Columbus, OH. The firm spearheads its branding efforts with its Web site, its blog—Blogfolio—and Facebook.

"We use Facebook to publicize awards we've won," says Jennifer Brown, the firm's marketing manager. "This has been a good way to raise awareness to clients and candidates about who we are and what we do.

"We don't run traditional ads, but we do sponsor creative events. We use our blog to promote the events we sponsor and to post articles about our industry. We use LinkedIn and Twitter to advertise jobs to individuals who may not be within our niche network."

The Delta Cos., an ASA member firm based in Dallas, uses social media primarily to achieve branding goals also. "Employer branding is the most identifiable benefit that firms can expect from a social media plan," says Marc Bowles, chief marketing officer for the Delta Cos. "We use it to communicate with employees and to establish our brand. We're considering developing one Facebook page for each business unit." He notes that recruitment and lead generation are other possible uses for social media.

Converse With Fans, Friends, Followers, and Foes

If you want a ringside seat to real-time conversations about your firm, social media tools are the ticket. And you don't have to sit quietly on the sidelines either.

"Social media provide a casual branding presence to position your organization as a leader and allow you to be present in the conversations people are having about your company," says Tom Gimbel, chief executive officer and founder of ASA member firm the LaSalle Network.

The firm actively engages its audiences through multiple social media tools, including Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and the company blog—Past Five.

In addition to receiving feedback about the company, the LaSalle Network has used these tools to make placements. "We have one recruiter who made a tremendous number of placements through LinkedIn," Gimbel says. "Some people on our staff have been very successful using their personal Facebook and Twitter accounts to make placements."

While the overwhelming majority of his firm's online interactions have been positive, Gimbel acknowledges the inherent risks that can result from the spontaneity and, in some cases, anonymity of online communications.

"There can be a negative backlash: People can defame you without acknowledging who they are," he says. "People can make posts without real information.

"We interview more than 400 people per week, but we don't place 400 people per week. Some people don't get jobs, and some of them may post negative comments about the company because of it."

The risks presented by social media do not deter the LaSalle Network. "We want to be viewed as a technology leader and the leading staffing and recruiting firm in the Chicago area," explains Gimbel. "You have to believe in the format, and you have to commit to it for an extended period of time," he says. "You need to make a commitment to it—there are no short-term solutions."

Measure Your Success

How can your firm determine if its social media strategy is working? Wandler of Buzzago says to track everything. "Make your efforts trackable. Tools for tracking are very important. You need to know what's going on and what's being said about you. And you need to keep track from day one."

Brad Smith, director of search engine optimization and social media marketing for ASA associate member Haley Marketing, advises staffing firms to not assume that a throng of friends, fans, or followers automatically equals social media success. "The number of followers and fans that your firm has may not be the best way to determine if you're meeting your goal," he says. "You need to know if the people who are following you meet your demographics. If you're a local staffing firm in New Jersey and most of your followers live in California, that may not be the best measure of success for your firm."

Wandler says firms can use tracking tools such as Scout Labs, MBuzz by Mountwater, and Radian 6 to measure their engagement efforts. "Radian 6 tracks all social media and can tell you if someone tweeted your company's name. It gives you the number of 'retweets' and tells you how many positive or negative comments there are. It's a good way to measure engagement."

Smith says Web traffic analysis is another good metric to track.

"You can gain insight on where traffic is coming from and whether or not people stay on the same page or travel to different pages within the site. For example, you can see if they leave the site, visit other pages, apply for a position, or make a job order request."

Team Up With Outsiders

Some firms may benefit from outside help. If developing a workable social media strategy seems daunting, or your firm is looking for fresh ideas to complement an existing strategy, consider teaming up with a social media expert.

Through an exclusive relationship with Facebook, ASA corporate partner CareerBuilder has helped its clients develop and implement successful social networking plans.

"CareerBuilder offers a variety of social media management services to help staffing firms with every step of the process—from setting up a company page, to getting fans, to evaluating program success," says Gilpin.

ASA member firm GDH Consulting is one of CareerBuilder's clients and was the subject of a CareerBuilder case study on social media use by staffing firms.

"Before working with CareerBuilder, we did not have a focused and structured social media plan," says J.J. Hurley, president of GDH. "The current social media strategy coupled with our recruiting methodologies is allowing us to cast a wider net within our recruiting efforts while still remaining focused on our unique target audience.

"Monthly e-mail campaigns have led directly to spikes in our Web traffic and candidates applying for jobs. In addition, the social media campaign has produced a higher volume of candidates, resulting in more interviews and referrals."

Allstates Technical Services, an ASA member in Birmingham, AL, is another subject of a CareerBuilder case study. Andrea Hopkey, the firm's president, worked with CareerBuilder to develop an engagement strategy. "CareerBuilder has met our expectations through its assistance creating a professional Facebook page and through ongoing collaboration with us to monitor the page, keep it up-to-date, and choose rich and relevant content to post.

"While continually growing our fan base and encouraging discussion has proven to be an ongoing process, I think one of the biggest successes so far has been using Facebook as a way to highlight our best and most important resource—our people."

Take the First Steps

If you think that social media is just another passing fad, you may want to think again. Smith of Haley Marketing says that having a social media presence will soon become the industry norm.

"There was a time when it was OK not to have a Web site," he says. "Now, not having one can negatively affect the perception of your business. Soon, having a social media presence will become a cost of doing business and it will reflect negatively on your firm if you don't have one—especially from a recruiting standpoint."

Bowles of the Delta Cos. agrees. The company has had a Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube presence for several months and has been on LinkedIn for almost three years. Bowles says, "To be without it is really not an option if you want to be considered a contemporary, cutting-edge, and innovative firm that attracts the younger generation."

Wandler of Buzzago says, "Expectations have changed. There's a certain transparency expected by today's generation. Recruiters need to remember that members of Generation X and Y have grown up with technology. This is nothing new to them.

"Firms need to understand the value of being able to provide real-time customer service. You need to get out there and observe and have natural conversations with people." Maintaining connections on continually updated social media sites is one way to have direct conversations and keep contact with potential candidates.

Wandler says there is no good reason for staffing firms not to set a social media program in motion. "Start small, but just start. There's no cookie-cutter approach to it. It's very different for everyone. Start slowly. Once people start, they usually say, 'Wow, I've learned more about companies and clients than ever.'"

Consider the Legalities Social media tools offer great opportunities to spark conversations with clients, candidates, and employees, and allow you to find out what people are saying about your firm in a natural, casual way. But one ill-conceived post could cause your firm serious trouble—possibly including charges of defamation, trademark, or copyright infringement. Stephen Dwyer, deputy general counsel for the American Staffing Association, suggests that staffing firms consult with legal counsel to develop a social media policy that helps them network responsibly and legally online. Here are a few things to consider: Post with caution. "Assume that everything you post can be used against you—in newspapers, by your competitors, and in lawsuits. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking you're only posting messages to your friends." Honor the code. "Make sure that employees know and understand that the code of conduct outlined in your firm's employee handbook also applies to the employee's conduct when using social media on behalf of the company." Protect the confidential. "Make sure that no confidential or proprietary information is disclosed. Employees shouldn't share the business practices of the staffing firm or personal information about employees and candidates." Don't steal. "Employees using social media need to be careful that they do not use intellectual property such as copyrights, trademarks, photos, or slogans that do not belong to them—unless they have permission. This is true for print media too, but it's much easier to cut and paste, and thus copy someone else's property, when using social media. Employees need to be mindful of that." Keep time in mind. "Another thing to consider is whether employees use social media on behalf of the company during nonwork hours. If they do, that may be compensable time."