Keeping candidates engaged on social media is never an easy task, but you’d be surprised how far a well-written status that follows the right formula can take your posts. Follow these guidelines to make sure every status you post scores you brownie points and gets eyes on your roles (and away from your competitors’!).
So, what sort of statuses will attract more candidates and make them want to apply to your roles?
1. Statuses that are easy to read
Research has shown that writing for an audience with a reading age of 10-11 is always most effective for marketing, and the same applies to social media too.
You'll know yourself that when you’re scrolling through your newsfeed, it’s the short, powerful and easy-to-read statuses that stand out – no one has time for long-winded messages or big blocks of text on social.
Therefore, it’s important to keep your social media messages clear and simple in order to get your message across, even if you’re recruiting for an advanced or highly technical position. Use short, uncomplicated phrasing and avoid any weasel words (aka unnecessary words that take your status from punchy to wishy-washy).
2. Statuses that tap into their emotions
As with any form of marketing, tapping into your target audience’s emotions is a sure-fire way to win them over. Have a think about the different sorts of situations that they’ll be able to relate to and post about them.
For example, have you recently placed a candidate who had a particularly tough journey in finding their dream job? Did they send you a gift to say thanks for all your help? This sort of situation is social media gold dust!
Just make sure you ask the candidate’s permission before posting about it (people normally love being involved in this sort of thing so you shouldn’t have too much trouble convincing them) and include an image for maximum engagement.
Which takes me to my next point…
3. Statuses that include an image or video
There’s no doubt about it – social media messages that include an image or a video will pull in way more interest than text statuses.
In fact, statuses that include an image get 2.3 times more engagement than statuses without, and video content on social media is shared a whopping 1200% more than text-based messages!
So even if you’re posting about something that doesn’t naturally require an image to get your message across, consider using one anyway to maximise engagement. There are loads of free design tools you can use for this – here’s our top picks.
4. Statuses that show personality
When you’re using social media in a professional capacity, it can feel like there’s a lot of unwritten rules to follow, but this stuffy thinking is what turns candidates off. You have a personality, so use it!
Use conversational language so you come across as approachable as possible, even if it’s a company social media account you’re posting from. We should clarify that 'conversational' doesn’t mean 'unprofessional' – you just want to remind your audience that you are human!
For example, using personal pronouns in your messages ('you', 'we' etc.) and an active voice rather than a passive one (learn more about this here if you're interested!) can make a big difference. The main goal for recruiters using social media is always going to be to convince people to get in touch, so try to make this feel like an easy step for them to take.
5. Statuses that ask relevant questions
The quickest way to tap into a candidate’s needs, pains or desires is to pose a question that you know will be super relevant to them. Asking a question that forces them to reflect on their own situation is a really powerful way to prompt a reaction.
Questions can also help you to build curiosity in your candidates, which can be great for filling roles and encouraging them to buy into the application process.
Read: The 3 employee benefits that matter most to candidates
6. Statuses that promote urgency
Research has shown that copy that gives people a sense they could miss out on something will increase engagement and clicks on social media posts. Harness the power of FOMO by using urgent words such as ‘apply now’, and set a deadline – but take care not to sound salesy as this will just turn candidates off.
An example of a good job-related status that taps into FOMO would be something like this: ‘Roles like this really don’t come around often - if you’d like to apply, get your CV in before 12pm tomorrow to avoid missing out.’
Similarly, mentioning that you have a brand new position you’re recruiting for can be just as intriguing for candidates, as it implies they could be amongst the first to know about it. LinkedIn pushes this concept really well on job postings by encouraging applicants to ‘be one of the first to apply’.
7. Statuses that use the right formula
Just because a status full of emojis gets high engagement on Facebook doesn’t mean it’ll work just as well on LinkedIn. Every social media channel has its own quirks, meaning the formula for the perfect status varies platform to platform.
But how do you know what will work where? This social media message optimiser will help push you in the right direction as it gives you a clear breakdown of how your message would score on each social media channel. However, it’s important you test things out and learn from your own results to see what works (and what doesn’t) for your audience.
In short, the key is to always have the candidate in mind when writing your statuses – put yourself in their shoes and ask if you would find a message interesting or engaging before you click to publish.
Always keep an eye on what works for your audience and tailor your messages based on what you learn. As a recruiter, you know what will captivate candidates in person – so put this same energy into your social media statuses and you’re sure to fill your roles.
For more tips on how to write engaging copy that recruits candidates, download the eBook below!
