How to Build Your Employer Brand With Social Media The power of employer branding is now axiomatic and the sooner you realise it the better it is for your brand

With over two billion users worldwide, social media has become indispensable for social connection, cultural contexts and professional comportment. A survey by New York Times Consumer Insight Group states 'the motivations that participants cited for sharing information on social media include a desire to reveal valuable and entertaining content to others; to define themselves; to grow and nourish relationships and to get the word out about brands and causes they like or support'.

The strong desire to share has made the social networking sites emerge from just a handy means for connecting with friends to a serious platform having a real impact on the society. Today, social media plays an instrumental role in the field of politics, exploring business opportunities and shaping global culture, education, careers, and innovation.

The outreach opportunity that social media provides for employers while attracting talents is exceptionally valuable. However, with a plethora of options on the radar, it can be confusing to select and manage them skilfully.

What is Employer Branding?

Potential employees check the company profiles on social media regularly and the image of the brands on social media creates a major impact on the decisions made by aspiring professionals. Hence it's essential for businesses to do their best in keeping their social media profiles top-notch. Otherwise, the new-age employees who are neck deep in social media will not find them appealing.

"In the fiercely aggressive employee market, it's even more critical as resources with proven skills have no dearth of job offers. A very candid way to woo them is by creating a dynamic profile on social media," shared Skannd Tyagi, Founder, E-Info Solutions.

Why Should Your Company be Active on Social Media?

Corporate websites do not suffice today for disseminating information to the aspiring workforce. Applicants will hunt for information on the internet and will particularly assess the social media presence of a brand. If the company profile appears inane and not updated, surfers will find them unreliable and amateurish. And that's harmful for any brand.

"Brands must strive to create a strong following which helps in escalating reach. This is also true for those aimed solely at recruitment or creating brand awareness. The popular you are on the social media platforms, the trendier your brand gets," advocated Dipak Agarwal, founder of Onex Solutions Private Limited.

Social media is the easiest and fastest medium for networking with a large number of professionals who get numerous offers from all possible sources. With an excellent approach towards social media brand promotion, a brand will surely get noticed!

Revising the strategy and focusing on highlighting the projects, events, and corporate culture creates interest among people who will look forward to work for you.

Social media can also lead you to the target groups. "If you are looking for individuals with niche skills, social media is just the place for you. Use advanced targeting options and detailed data to get in touch with the candidates you want," maintained Agarwal.

Which Platforms are Best for Employer Branding?

Talking of social media, Facebook is the first thing that comes to the mind. The platform offers advertising forms and options helping you locate the right talent. Its post forms make the content and approach more interesting, eye-catching, and appealing, thus enabling greater reach out.

Instagram goes a long way in showcasing a brand's face or corporate culture. "Though not the perfect medium for job offers, as it has limited options, it's just the right choice for posting photos from everyday work life, projects and parties," advised Chintan Vora, Founder, Digital Latte, a 360-degree Creative Digital Agency.

Linkedin is ineluctable for building your employer brand with social media. "A profile there, with regular updates are viewed as business cards in the present professional milieu. Brands not having a strong presence on Linkedin will not be taken seriously, suggested Vora.

Google+ or Pinterest are also useful platforms for your brand building strategy - especially when it comes to positioning and content sharing.

"Glassdoor is the main opinion-generating platform for brands aspiring for building an employer brand. It is critical but not the sole support for your brand building exercise. Hence, don't allow it to be your only review site," he counselled.

Corporate blogs also work wonders not just for SEO, but also for sharing professional feats.

How do you Build and Promote Your Employer Brand?

Quality over quantity is the motto! In the zeal to be seen everywhere, brands often lose out on creating an impact. Social media pages need time and attention or they fade into the oblivion.

"It is better not to strive to be everywhere at all cost, but select the most profitable ones and focus on them. Delivering irrelevant information and content diminishes the value of a brand," warned Kamalika Bhattacharya, CEO, QuoDeck Technologies.

Be honest, professional yet pleasant. Put forth the human side of your company in your social media promotions. People want to work with humans and not zombies!

Showcasing stories of current employees helps in gaining new ones. Employees have their stories to share which could potentially win the hearts of your target group. Your workforce can be your brand ambassadors!

Building a brand is a meticulous job. Create a dedicated team for taking care of the process. Other than the marketing or HR team, active participation from the CEO, CMO, CTO helps significantly in employer branding exercises on social media.

Employer Branding Examples

Make your social media agenda robust, but don't rely on it solely. Social presence should complement an intricate website and offline exercises. Keep updating the website regularly as it will be the first place aspiring candidates will visit.

"Analyse and improve. Social media impacts can be gauged in various ways and they provide a great deal of data for analysis. Metrics like engagement and reach or responsiveness (essential for customer service) are vital to track, assess, and optimize. Recognize the content that creates the best outcome and be a true social media love-brand," enthused Bhattacharya.

The power of employer branding is now axiomatic and the sooner you realise it the better it is for your brand. The next thing is turning your workforce into cheerful advocates.