Importance of Social Media in Modern Branding

Think about the last time you applied for a job. Chances are, after you’ve read the company’s web page, you browsed through their Instagram page, checked their team activities on Linkedin, and watched YouTube Shorts videos from employees. Right?

Modern workplaces demand increased dynamics. A proper social media strategy serves this requirement with infinite proactive options for updating the target audience in real time. Social media channels can:

  • Showcase the company culture;
  • Set the stage for a two-way dialogue with candidates;
  • Build anticipatory interest that draws talent before roles are advertised.

On the other hand, prospective employees increasingly prioritise cultural fit over job titles, using social media platforms to assess whether an organisation aligns with their personal values and professional aspirations. Every post, comment, or video content contributes to the perception that can either attract or distract candidates from a company.

Key Components of a Strong Employer Brand

Although most companies think of employer branding as the quality and the quantity of perks provided, it’s much more than that. Social media branding strategy should revolve around a few key components that matter the most:

  • Authenticity: Avoid using stock photos, videos and overly curated content. Instead, focus on genuine snapshots of workplace life, like teams celebrating a colleague’s promotion. Remember that authenticity builds trust, and trust builds your employer’s brand.
  • Transparency: Social media management is not a transparency management. Address the candidate’s concerns proactively and clearly. Workload, opportunities, management styles, everything they want to know, provide them. The sooner they know all the answers, the better.
  • Employee Value Proposition (EVP): A compelling EVP acts as a foundation for authentic social media storytelling – enabling companies to showcase real employee experiences online. Be mindful of communicating the EVP candidly, credibly and consistently to avoid the risk of disengagement and turnover.

The Role of Social Media in Employer Branding

Studies and surveys from around the globe show that approximately 3/4 of job seekers use social media to learn about the company and guide their further actions based on how much they like their employer brand. This is where employer branding social media content becomes of vital essence. It represents the voice, values, and virtues of the company.

In continuation, we will discover five effective employer branding strategies and tools to turn social media users into your future employees.

Enhancing Employer Brand Visibility

Social media amplifies your reach far beyond traditional methods. Different social media platforms have different audiences; for example, LinkedIn is a go-to place for all professionals. Still, if you’re looking for a social media presence among the younger audience, you might want to address them on Instagram or TikTok.

By consistently sharing insights about your workplace culture, you increase the likelihood of appearing on social media feeds outside your follower base. Social media posts that include team achievements, learning opportunities, community initiatives, or showcasing some of your perks make your company a top-of-mind choice for active and passive candidates.

Social Media as a Recruitment Tool

Fill out all your planned vacancies in the social media calendar. Work closely with the marketing team; they are your best asset in this field. The next important step is to post on social media regularly. A more consistent frequency provides a broader social media outreach.

Once you set up the stage, implement these tips and tricks for a bigger response on your recruitment posts:

  • LinkedIn job posts with employee testimonials get three times more clicks.
  • Use LinkedIn’s “Easy Apply” option for a straightforward application process done in a few clicks.
  • Use Instagram Stories’ “Apply Now” feature for instant submissions.
  • Find out more key elements and tactics in Olive Recruit’s blog post on social recruiting.

Attract Passive Candidates

Most skilled professionals remain dormant in their search for a new job. However, they have an active social media presence, constantly following and checking their favourite employer brands and companies where they can see themselves working.

Imagine your ideal target audience and create content aimed directly at them. Don’t go broad with your communication, as you will gain a few more likes, but not the ones that can grow into potential hires. Do you need social strategy gurus? Team up with your marketing department and create a social presence focusing on marketing subjects.

Showcase Company Culture

Your social media channels are the perfect place to start authentically sharing your workplace culture. Testimonials, interviews, and day-in-the-life overviews, in textual or video format, can highlight the unique experience of working for your company.

The final goal is to bring your company’s true self to work. Sincerity in your appearance and brand voice will attract the right audience, who can envision themselves as part of your team. This will also reinforce your organisational identity and strengthen your core values.

Employee Advocacy

Employees who are satisfied with their jobs share their workplace experiences organically. Empower them to become your brand ambassadors and share snippets of their daily office life. For this purpose, you can allow employee takeovers on your social media channels. The bolder ones, with more experience in social media branding, will know exactly what to do.

On the other hand, you should also encourage employees by providing templates and examples to help them get started. Remember, give the space and time required, and you will be surprised by the quality of content they will create.

Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms

Quality social media branding strategy involves auditing the platforms where the target audience spends most of their time, dispersing your communication and adapting your content appropriately.

Let’s imagine a scenario and use it across different social media networks. For example, you need to post and promote a job opening about accounting. Check the following social media platforms and see what they are best suited for:

  • LinkedIn for professional networking. Ideal as a primary platform. You sponsor your job post and share a blog post about what it is like to work as an accountant in your company.
  • Instagram for visual storytelling. Here, you use Stories and Reels for the day-in-the-life of your accountants to bring it closer and more appealing to the potential candidates.
  • Twitter for quick updates and interactions. Fast updates and overview of industry insights and news. Announcements about quartal analysis and reports can go here.
  • Facebook for community engagement. Facebook groups and its messenger allow you to build an accounting community and organise online or offline webinars or other events.
  • TikTok for employer branding among younger audiences. You can include creativity and fun here, allowing genuine authenticity and youth vigour. Share videos of other office people with jokes about accountants or how they imagine life working as an accountant.

Creating Valuable Content for Employer Branding

Instead of chasing viral content, companies should focus on creating valuable and engaging content. Prioritise consistency over frequency. A steady stream of purposeful posting outperforms sporadic bursts of activity, gradually building cohesive employer branding social media content.

Adequate content balances information with engagement. For example, consider educational posts about your onboarding process or training programmes. To involve potential employees in discussions, include interactive elements like polls and Q&A sessions. Regularly feature staff stories and highlight diverse career paths to put employees in the spotlight.

Build a Stronger Employer Brand Together with Olive Recruit

Olive Recruit specialises in helping organisations craft compelling employer brands that effortlessly attract top talent. Our tailored strategies effectively leverage social media platforms to showcase your unique culture and values.

Explore more of our insights on building a strong employer brand, and contact us to elevate your employer branding today.