Making the Most Out of Your Facebook Recruitment Advertising

We use Facebook advertising for recruitment purposes on a daily basis and have found it to be highly effective. One of the best things about Facebook advertising is that there is a specific formula to make recruitment ads effective. Most of the best practices for recruitment advertising on Facebook have to do with boiling down your recruitment brand so that you present the right message. Here are some of those best practices that will help you make the most out of advertising on one of the most popular social networks.

Make Sure Your Tone and Message Align

Each business has a unique flair and that brand needs to be accounted for when you are placing social ads. According to Facebook, “every business has its own identity and, the more authentic you are, the more effective your ads are likely to be. Be yourself and be consistent.” 

Once you have isolated what you’d like to project, it’s time to consider what the specific ad needs to say and how it is going to get your message across in the clearest way to candidates. For instance, if you are recruiting for a Cardiac Nurse, you need to include the following items:

1. A Relevant Picture

*Pro-tip: In general, Facebook is moving in a more visual direction. Creating ads with less text and more imagery is really the way to go. The more text you add versus images, the less likely it will be seen by anyone. Consider this example from Facebook: 

2. A Clear Course of Action

If you want a Cardiac Nurse to Apply Now, you need to include that either as the Call-to-Action (CTA) button or in the text itself. As Facebook is meant for the scrolling, mobile user, you do not have a lot of time to grab attention.

Make Sure You Follow Ad Specs

In all forms of recruitment advertising, it is essential for you to follow advertising guidelines, but on Facebook, it is absolutely essential. For instance, here are some basic things Facebook would like you to consider when creating your next Facebook recruitment ad:

•  Recommended image size: 1,200 x 628 pixels
•  Image ratio: 1.9:1
• Text: 90 characters
•  Headline: 25 characters
•  Link description: 30 characters
• Your image should include minimal text. 

It is incredibly important that you follow those guidelines when creating your ads because in today’s mobile world, your ads aren’t just being viewed in one manner. Consider these format examples that Facebook provided: 

*Pro-tip: Placement effects how your ad will be viewed and how much of it will be show. For instance, in the Right Column placement, you don’t get to utilize the News Feed Link Description, so it’s essential that the text in your actual Text area is clear and concise. 

Make Your Headline Count

Lastly, before placing any Facebook recruitment ads, consider your headline carefully. Being obtuse will not help you garner engagement. Most people you are broadcasting you career opportunities to have probably not heard of you yet, so it’s important that you make sure they understand why they should engage with the ad. Ad headlines should be made with your candidates in mind; give them information they want rather than information you want to give them. According to Facebook, “if your copy is too long, make it shorter. If it’s all about you as a business, make it about your customer. If it’s generic, customize it to speak to your different audiences.” 

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We've found that Facebook recruitment ads are drastically more effective if they are used to direct candidates to a clear, mobile friendly microsite with in-depth job description information and an apply form. This process delivers an unparalleled candidate experience and provides recruiters with applications from candidates who are already informed about the position they've applied for. 

If you already have a careers microsite, maybe it’s time to consider cleaning it up in time for the Fall recruitment season.