To millennials, social media is a part of every day life, but to someone from the baby boomer generation it may seem like a whole other world. The concept of being social through a screen can definitely feel like you’ve entered the twilight zone and it’s hard to know which way to turn. What is Twitter and why should I use Pinterest? Don’t worry; we are here to help educate you on the most commonly used networks so that you can start harnessing the power of social media for recruitment today!
Facebook
This platform is great for status updates. It can be used to show your company’s personality and culture through engaging posts and can also be leveraged for advertising in several ways:
-Boosts (a mini ad of sorts that uses your existing social posts)
-Pay Per Click ads (set your budget and garner website conversions)
From a user perspective Facebook means: I like THIS!
LinkedIn
This outlet is the most professional of the networks. It is mainly used to showcase your skills, but can also be used to do each of the following:
-Sponsor Jobs
-Maintain a company profile with active listings/information about your company
-Pay Per Click ads similar to Google AdWords
-Writing articles to showcase yourself as a thought leader
-Sourcing candidates as a Recruiter (LinkedIn has Recruiter specific accounts as well!)
From a user perspective LinkedIn means: My skills include THIS!
Pinterest
I love Pinterest! The basic concept of Pinterest is that someone can pin their bookmarks visually instead of running a long tab in the bookmarks bar. It is much more efficient and easier to digest than the old way. This network is great for showcasing brands, helpful infographics, humor and much, much more! It’s particularly useful as a piece of an effective inbound marketing strategy because it’s a simple, visual way of linking back to your website without appearing overly sales-y.
From a user perspective Pinterest means: Here’s information about THIS!
Instagram
This network relies entirely on your mobile phone to upload and share images with an audience. It’s fun, fast and informative. A lot of the content that is shared is personal, inspirational or funny. It is also a great option for promoted pictures featuring a product or job. It should be noted that Instagram is like Twitter because it utilizes hashtags, so make use of that option within your image posts. Try finding an appropriate digital category you think other people would like and watch your followers grow!
From a user perspective Instagram means: Here’s a cool image of THIS!
YouTube
Most people are familiar with the fact that YouTube is a video-based platform, but what some people don’t know is that can be a huge driver of traffic. Video content is shared like crazy, so if you produce a clip about your company and share it around the office there’s a strong possibility that the clip will generate new traffic. YouTube is also a first choice for internet searches about learning how to do something new. Think about the last time you installed something in your house? Did you watch an instructional video? Did it come from YouTube? Chances are it did :)
From a user perspective YouTube means: Here I am doing THIS!
Twitter
Newspapers used to be the first thing people looked at in the morning, but in today’s world where everything seems to move faster on the daily, Twitter is the hot personal and professional news platform. Users upload statuses about what they are doing, companies post about new initiatives and some people link to relevant news stories. Twitter can be used to advertise jobs via:
-Twitter Cards (promoted Tweets)
-Direct links to positions and exciting text
-Live tweeting from events
From a user perspective Twitter means: I’m interested in #THIS!
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