By Raisa Yogiaman . Posted on April 28, 2022Is the era of career websites over? A few years ago, if you wanted to find a new job, the trend was for you to check Indeed, Monster, ZipRecruiter, and other similar websites. As the behavior and possibility of online media change, we’re given a new platform to look for jobs: social media.
If you’re an employer, you may need to face the fact that perhaps it’s time to consider expanding your job ads channels to social media platforms. This is especially true if you’re looking for a way to make your job more noticeable to the passive candidates or generation Z.
Here are some reasons why social media is the future job board.
1. The Sheer Volume of Potential Candidates
As per Q4 2021, 3.6 billion people are using Facebook actively around the world, and 1 billion people are using Instagram. While there might be some overlap between the two social media channels, you can’t ignore the fact that over half of the world’s population uses social media regularly.
If we compare this fact with employment websites, this type of site only has one specific use case: applicants actively go there to find a new job. Indeed–one of the biggest job sites–has 200 million monthly visits. This is huge compared to most websites but still meager in comparison with the overall reach of social media.
Social media is a promising way to go if you’re looking to put your organization out there with more impact and expose your job ads to a larger audience.
2. Endless Possibilities for Targeting
If you put out a job ad for a Java developer on LinkedIn, it is likely to be read by the people who are looking for this specific role. But what about everyone else who matches the requirements but isn’t actively searching for a new job? Your job ads will not reach them.
One of the advantages of social media job ads is that users are exposed to your vacancies, whether they’re passive or active job seekers. Moreover, using the personal data users left when they created the social media account, you can use this information to target them based on their location, age, and interest, among other categories.
With social media job ads, you get all the targeting options you would with standard ads for a product or service. This type of HR marketing lets you create laser-targeted job vacancies that reach just the right kind of candidates that you want to hire for your open roles.
3. You Can Reach People in Places Where They Enjoy Spending Time
Have you ever grabbed your morning coffee and just decided to go browse some jobs while you get ready to work? The chances are slim, especially if you’re happy with your current career. This illustration shows that normally only active job seekers visit employment websites.
You’re missing out on a large group of people who may be willing to take a look and perhaps even apply. Research states that 73% of all candidates are passive job seekers. That means your vacancies on the career websites only reach 23% of the qualified people.
You’ll have higher chances to reach the passive job seekers who may be looking for a new role but are still on the fence. Your job ads could convince them to see the offer while they’re scrolling through Facebook. Additionally, you could also attract the top candidates while they’re browsing through cat memes on Instagram. Simply put, if you want to expand your pool of applicants, you have to be where the applicants are–on social media. Moreover, engaging with platforms like Instagram could even enhance your brand visibility, potentially drawing in more interest from prospective candidates. Don’t forget to consider strategies like buy Instagram followers to boost your online presence and attract a wider audience.
4. Be Unique and Sell Your Company Values
Think of a job ad on any employment platform. All of them have the same design and structure. The only aspect you can play with is the text. However, incorporating a compelling job description not only improves the content but also distinguishes your job ad, making it more attractive and distinctive compared to the standard ads on that platform. This makes your job ad look visually the same as everything else on that platform.
Using social media for your job ads lets you be unique and sell the most interesting values of working at your organization. You can tweak the images, the call to action, the placement, the targeting, and many more. There are countless options for testing and getting the best possible results.
Using software like Poll the People, you can conduct a Usability usability A/B test to determine which job ads pique the interest of your ideal candidates. Is it the one with a testimonial video or career advancement description? You ensure that you’re getting the best bang for the money you spend on the ads.
5. It’s Actually Cheaper Than Job Boards
Hiring is expensive. If you want to place a new job ad on LinkedIn, it will cost you $499 to place the ad for 30 days. This is only the standard option that puts your job vacancy with thousands of similar ones without any extra promotional campaign. If you want to stand out from others, you need to pay even more to promote your openings.
Other platforms are no different. For example, Monster.com starts at $375 per job ad and the remote job board WeWorkRemotely charges $299 per opening.
On the other hand, social media job ads can be much cheaper. The typical cost will depend on many factors, but you can expect anything from $0.97 to $3.56 per click. Note that we said “click”, not “view”.
That’s right, you pay per person clicking on your ads, not just viewing or a flat fee for the ad placement. This means you only pay for qualified traffic coming to your website instead of posting on a job website and hoping that someone notices your opening.
In short, you pay for qualified applicants, which is why creating a high-quality, well-targeted ad on social media is even more crucial than on regular job market websites.
Conclusion
The game to attract talents has changed. Plus, with so many openings across different roles and industries, we need to compete with more prominent companies to hire the dream team. That’s why standing out as an employer is now more critical than ever, and placing an opening on job portals may not work as it used to be.
So if you’re looking for a great way to increase your talent pool and get the best people for your open roles, try out the social media job ads. You may be surprised by the results.
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Ella Willson
Great article! I completely agree with the 5 reasons listed for using social media job ads for hiring. With the majority of people spending a significant amount of time on social media, it makes perfect sense to leverage these platforms for recruitment purposes. The ability to target specific demographics and interests also increases the likelihood of finding qualified candidates who are a good fit for the position. Additionally, the real-time feedback and engagement offered by social media can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the job ad and help to optimize future recruitment efforts. Overall, social media job ads are a powerful tool for modern recruitment strategies!
Ronnie
The writer has presented some excellent insights into the benefits of using social media for job ads. The article is well-written, easy to understand, and provides valuable information for both job seekers and employers. I particularly appreciate the unique perspective on how social media can help companies attract a diverse range of candidates.
Garten Zaun
Your five reasons are not only compelling but also incredibly practical. Using social media platforms to advertise job openings can significantly widen the pool of potential candidates and improve the chances of finding the right fit. Your detailed explanations and examples make it clear how effective this approach can be for employers.