Spring cleaning aside, any time is a great time to think about ensuring your social media profiles are all spick and span.
From LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to think about (and nowadays, recruiters are even bossing it on Instagram and Pinterest!), the job of keeping on top of every channel can seem overwhelming. But fear not! Here are my top tips to spring cleaning your social media presence!
Getting Started
We all know that online audiences form quick opinions, and your social profiles are likely the first place they’ll land. Your first interaction with potential candidates and clients often happens on these platforms - most people will look a recruitment agency up on social before getting in touch or engaging with your brand. So take a step back and put yourself in their shoes for a second - ask yourself, “What sort of impression do my social accounts give off?”
Tweak your company bios on your various accounts, keeping you key messaging and brand voice in mind. Make sure you write something original and memorable so you stand out from your competitors. Your brand’s impression begins on social, so make it count!
As our friend Greg Savage says:
“Having a Twitter without a bio and a link to your website is like handing out a business card without your name and phone number”.
Make the most of the space that you have!
When it comes to followers, a lot of people focus on numbers rather than engagement - but 10 relevant and engaged followers are worth far more than 1,000 uninterested ones. If you have thousands of followers but no likes or retweets – there’s something wrong with your strategy.
Analysing what works and what doesn’t isn’t difficult either. Twitter’s analytics tool is a great place to start and it’s not as complicated as it looks. The interface is easy enough to get to grips with. It's clean, simple to navigate, and full of quick, actionable tips.
Another reason to measure engagement is that you can clean out followers that aren’t adding value. If they’ve been quiet for more than a month it suggests that they don’t use the platform so they aren’t bringing anything new or relevant to the table. Remember, if they aren’t following you back the chances of them ever seeing your tweets are really slim.
If you want to analyse your followers you can use an app like Crowd Fire. It’s easy to set up and it has an “inactive followers tab” where you can see people that haven't tweeted in the past month.
Is your recruitment agency's company page making the most of everything that's on offer?
Company pages aside, if your personal Facebook profile is public, candidates and clients may be able to find you. Have a scan over your profile in public mode to see how it looks. You want to seem human, but photos of you and your mates drinking on a Friday night aren't going to impress candidates or clients.
Changing your security settings so that you need to approve updates you’re tagged in is an effective way to control your online reputation. You don’t want to invest loads of time building your brand for someone to come along and tag you in a compromising picture.
But do show off the right aspects of your personal life. Photos and status updates that show you enjoying what you do are far more inviting than sanitised corporate branding.
If there was ever an image conscious social media site, then Instagram is it. Get started on your bio, and make sure that it stands out for the right reasons. Be sure to link to your company page, and use excellent and relevant imagery to build on your branding.
Instagram is a great way to give your followers an insight into your company culture. Take some photos at the next team day out, introduce the office pet to your loyal followers, capture some enticing snapshots of the office itself, and upload some mouth watering photos of team lunches.
Instagram works especially well when it comes to building a brand identity. Take pictures with clients and candidates and let the world see how you go about your business.
Quick Actionable Tips
Use hashtags when sharing content to better reach relevant audiences. This works across social media platforms, but especially well on Twitter and Instagram.
Use related groups in LinkedIn to network with other like-minded professionals, and lists on Twitter to better share content with your audience.
On LinkedIn, under 'Headline', get rid of your job title and leave that to the relevant section on your profile. Instead, fill out your headline with the answer to these two questions:
- Who do you help?
- Why do you help them?
Be Where the People Are
Social Media is fantastic for recruiters. 59% of the UK population have active social media accounts and these digital platforms provide unprecedented scope for reaching candidates and clients. Spend some time going through these tips and if you have any of your own, share them in the comments below!
