How Recruiters Can Benefit From Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a type of collaboration between an organization and an individual with a strong social media following. In exchange for payment, the person can endorse the company's products, services, and events, among others. In recent years, we’ve witnessed a huge increase in the number of organizations utilizing this marketing technique, including in Mexico, where the biggest social media stars boast millions of followers and frequently conclude lucrative brand deals. 

The company’s objective when launching such campaigns can be, for example, to generate traffic or to increase brand awareness. While influencer collaborations could range from brief, one-time promotions, an increasingly effective trend involves establishing longer-term partnerships between brands and content creators. 

This article explores the topic of influencer marketing in the context of recruitment. It will cover the advantages of influencer marketing in general and for recruiters specifically, and it will act as a guide for recruiters as they search for relevant content creators to drive traffic to their job openings. 

Advantages of Influencer Marketing

• Valuable investment: Considering the high number of social media users who follow influencers, it's unsurprising that brands achieve a more favorable ROI by collaborating with these content creators compared to conventional advertising methods. In fact, according to a recent Shopify report, influencer marketing ROI is 11 times greater than banner ads. 

• Multiplatform dynamics: While Instagram stands as a favored platform for influencers, collaborations between brands and influencers extend to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, LinkedIn, and smaller platforms. Multiplatform strategies are adopted to leverage each platform's distinctive features, capturing novel audiences in unique ways.

• Escalating growth: Influencer marketing is positioned to grow by about 30.3% annually through 2028, as per a recent YouGov survey. The trajectory indicates ongoing expansion, with 63% of marketers intending to augment their influencer marketing budgets in the coming year. In Mexico, the influencer market is already worth over US$15 million annually. 

• High trust levels: The cornerstone of influencers' efficacy lies in the trust they cultivate with their audience. Influencers have diligently nurtured their image, brand, reputation, loyal followers, and interactive communities. As the public’s trust in traditional ads wanes, influencer advice and recommendations are perceived as more authentic than conventional promotional content.

Why Use Influencer Marketing for Recruitment?

• Underexplored sector for now: While influencer marketing is prolific in product sales, its potential in promoting an employer brand and job openings remains largely untapped. This approach presents an opportunity in a job-seeker-oriented market, offering a foothold before competitors saturate the space.

• Quality content: Many influencers double as professional photographers, artistic directors, and editors. The content they create tends to be inspiring, engaging, and motivating, thus fostering a sense of authenticity that supersedes stock imagery or videos. 

How to Select Influencers

• Credibility: The credibility of content creators in their niche is crucial. Alignment between their content and professed values is necessary. Thoroughly examining their recent posts and prior collaborations can determine their suitability.

• Relevant followers: While follower count has significance, authenticity trumps inflated numbers. Smaller-scale influencers, such as nano and micro-influencers, have proven valuable due to accessibility, engagement rates, and cost-effectiveness.

• Engagement: Interaction indicators like reach, likes, impressions, shares, comments, and saves outweigh follower counts. An engagement rate, which depends on industry norms and content format, is a crucial metric.

• Connection to company values: The content of the selected influencers must be connected to what the company offers. Overlapping audiences, shared values, and common aesthetics are important considerations.

• Location: Geographic location could be an essential factor in choosing which influencers to collaborate with. Some criteria to consider include hiring goals, company size, target audience language, whether the recruitment campaign is taking a global approach or a local one, and if the open roles are specific to a certain region. 

How to Contact Influencers

• Define goals: Clearly articulating the company's values, tone, and employer value proposition is essential. Recruitment objectives must guide communication with influencers, while adhering to local disclosure regulations.

• Third-party options: While internal communication of the employer brand is possible, influencer marketing agencies offer expertise in discovery, management, content creation, and analytics. They can assist a company throughout the campaign and act as an intermediary. 

In summary, integrating influencer marketing into recruitment strategies not only enhances employer brand visibility but also fosters trust and meaningful connections with the audience. Another effective approach is to tap into your current workforce for crafting social media posts geared toward attracting new team members. Over time, high-quality employee-generated content can greatly increase job seekers’ willingness to apply. 

By combining these strategies, you can create a robust recruitment ecosystem that resonates with candidates and positions your company as an employer of choice in the competitive market.