To Blog or Not to Blog?
Are you sitting in a conference room right now trying to decide whether or not your staffing firm needs to start a company blog? Is there a blog on your website that hasn’t had an article posted to it in over a month? Are you convinced that writing weekly blog articles requires too much time and effort? What does a staffing firm blog do for you? First, it drives new candidates and clients. Second, it drives your search engine optimization. If you have thought about maintaining a staffing firm blog on your site, but are hesitant to start the ball rolling, take some time to consider the following points.
Build and Personalize Your Brand
If you are wondering whether or not a blog might help your staffing firm, you must think long-term. Are new clients and candidates going to inundate your site the day after you post your first article? Of course, the answer to that question is no. Brand building is something that takes time and effort. Blog articles posted to your website and distributed through your social media profiles help to humanize your brand and build trust in your company. Show the personal side of your staffing firm by sharing the voice and personality of your team. Need authors for your articles? Feature a different recruiter or sales manager each week. Looking forward to a milestone company anniversary? Have your CEO write an article thanking your current clients and candidates. Launching a new satellite office? Build excitement by including a photo of the new location and writing about the team members who are working to get the new office up and running.
Every Website Needs Fresh Content
If you are lucky enough to have a firmly established brand and a pretty solid list of clients and candidates, then perhaps a blog isn’t necessary, right? History shows us that even the most solid clients run into rough patches and need to pull back on the hiring reigns. Your talent pool is inevitably going to dry up if you do not figure out how to successfully attract the attention of new, younger professionals. Blogs are a great way to introduce new content and draw visitors to your staffing firm website. Establish an editorial calendar and fill it with titles for your weekly articles. Choose topics specific to your areas of expertise that allow you to feature your points of differentiation.
Expand Your Target Audience
Every new post to your staffing firm blog increases your opportunities for expanding your target audience. Staffing firms that have been in business for many years are using blog articles to showcase their customer service skills and capture the attention of new clients and candidates. Make sure that your team is focused on nurturing any leads gained through your staffing firm blog by setting goals and establishing acceptable timelines. Allow for email opt-ins and prominently feature a “Contact Us” link within each article in order to expand your target audience. When you generate fresh content each week, search engines sit up and take notice. Publish high-quality articles that are relevant to potential clients and candidates, and you are sure to be rewarded with increased SEO rankings and greater traffic flowing to your staffing firm website.
Gain Insight
Although you think you probably have a very clear picture of your target audience, there is always more that market research never quite reveals. What makes them tick, and what issues are most relevant to them? Is the current job market raising new anxieties for candidates? Are your clients feeling pressure to adhere to new government regulations? As times change, so does your target audience, and blog articles are a great way to flesh out those concerns. Build a relationship with your audience and establish trust by engaging in discussions and showing clients and candidates that you are interested in their thoughts and opinions. Adjust your marketing initiatives and future blog article topics based on these new insights.
Be Recognized
The strongest brands in the industry have a stellar track record, but that didn’t happen overnight. Establish your staffing firm as an industry influencer and a thought leader by gaining the trust of your target audience and serving as a resource for potential clients and candidates. Demonstrate your commitment to your target audience by producing valuable content through your staffing firm blog. Monitor industry trends and stay knowledgeable by researching current topics and writing about them. Build credibility by posting links to your blog articles in respected online forums.
Key Takeaways for To Blog or Not to Blog?:
- Humanize your brand and build trust in your company by consistently posting blog articles
- Use your blog to introduce new content and draw visitors to your staffing firm website
- Generate content that boosts your SEO and expands your target audience
- Gain insight into your target audience by addressing their concerns in your blog articles
- Build credibility and be recognized as an industry leader by producing valuable content
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.