5 Marketing Mistakes Your Staffing Firm Must Avoid
Marketing efforts are an essential component of every successful business and your staffing firm is no exception. 
No matter how effective your recruiters are, you must devote time and energy into how your firm is perceived by others. Clients and candidates want to be associated with the best staffing firms and a great reputation doesn’t just happen; it needs to be built. Positive word-of-mouth helps to spread your message and you must capitalize on what makes your staffing firm stand out in the industry. Although there are many factors that have the potential to affect your staffing firm’s viability, the following marketing mistakes are completely avoidable.
No Strategic Planning
Your staffing firm must work with an experienced marketing firm to create an overall marketing strategy detailing your future goals and the steps required to achieve those goals. Treating marketing campaigns as individual efforts is a marketing mistake to avoid. Establishing a relationship with your potential clients and candidates is the ultimate goal and all of your marketing initiatives must work together toward that end result. Incorporate various formats into your marketing content strategy. Written materials, webinars, slide presentations are all great ways to relay your message to your target audience. Laying a strategic foundation requires you to view the big picture and understand how your marketing activities translate into long-term success for your staffing firm.
Being a Copycat
Another staffing firm’s successful marketing plan does not necessarily translate into success for your firm. Copying a marketing campaign is another marketing mistake to avoid; every staffing firm has something that sets them apart from their competitors. Assess your strengths and capitalize on those abilities in your marketing initiatives. Instill brand loyalty among your clients and candidates by reinforcing those things that make you stand out from the rest.
Not Defining Your Target Audience
Always keep your target audience in mind when designing your marketing approach. Investigate all aspects of your ideal audience before you begin a marketing campaign and have a clear picture of the group you are trying to reach. Another marketing mistake to avoid is designing a marketing plan that solely appeals to you and your executive team. Think about what appeals to your current clients and candidates, or to the new business you hope to attract. Successful marketing campaigns produce a response from your target audience and educational content shows them why they need to be a part of your staffing firm.
Making Decisions Based on Personal Preferences
Marketing is more than flashy artwork and creative thinking. The success of a marketing effort is determined by outcomes and quantifiable data. Effective market research helps to take the guesswork out of your marketing initiatives. Marketing decisions cannot be based on a gut feeling or your personal opinion. All marketing proposals must be backed up with reliable data detailing why an approach is destined to be successful within your target audience. Everyone around the conference table naturally thinks his/her idea is the best, so be ready to back up your ideas with research.
Not Hiring a Marketing Firm
The reasons why some staffing firms initially resist the idea of hiring a marketing firm are numerous. “We have enough business.” “We aren’t big enough to need a marketing firm.” “Marketing firms are expensive.” “We do our own marketing.” Every staffing firm has the potential to be bigger and more successful, but you need a marketing firm looking out for your interests in order to achieve your goals. A positive social media presence is vital in today’s technology-driven marketplace. Interactive websites let potential candidates and clients know who you are and what you do. Case studies show potential clients that you can solve problems and get the job done. Edging out the competition requires marketing insight that only a professional marketing firm possesses, so be sure to hire a marketing firm and avoid this key marketing mistake.
Key Marketing Mistakes Your Staffing Firm Must Avoid: 
- Lack of a cohesive marketing plan does not lead to long-term success for your staffing firm
- Don’t assume a competitor’s marketing efforts are right for your staffing firm
- Failing to identify your target audience renders your marketing efforts ineffective
- Never base marketing decisions on your personal opinion
- Not hiring a marketing results in unfocused marketing efforts
About S.J.Hemley Marketing
S.J.Hemley Marketing is a marketing and sales consulting firm focused on driving tangible results for professional services firms. Brand matters, but not without ROI. With over 20 years of sales and marketing experience within staffing and recruiting, we have helped to drive successful branding, sales training, lead generation activities as well as defining marketing strategy for top organizations.