Many companies are moving their advertising online to communicate two messages with one ad.
They want to reach both their purchasing audience and potential job candidates. With options such as banners, buttons and e-mail newsletters, the Internet is the only advertising vehicle that enables your potential buyer or job candidate to be just one click away from making a purchase or submitting an application online.
This innovative thinking allows companies to brand their organization to prospective job-seekers and allows them to pitch their usual sales message. By killing two birds with one stone, you can maximize your return on your advertising investment and position your company as an employer of choice.
Take, for example, a regional hospital that just opened a new heart center. It wants the public to know about its state-of-the-art services, but it also has an ongoing need for registered nurses in all of its units. Utilizing online interactive advertising, the hospital placed banner ads on some of the most visited Web sites in its metropolitan region, allowing it to tout its new heart center and include an add-on recruiting message.
Even more valuable are the tracking capabilities associated with this ad. It was able to track the number of impressions the ad had and then compare that to the number of clicks received. This simple tracking allows any advertiser to quickly determine cost-per-click and evaluate the success of an ad placement.
Location, location, location
These advertising metrics can tell you if your ad is in the right location and can prove that your dollars are being used effectively and efficiently. Through the course of an extended ad campaign, you can easily compare various Web sites against each other to determine which Internet sites are your best value and, even more specifically, which ad messages are most productive.
If you are still skeptical about your customers being online, think again. Nearly 70 percent of the U.S. population has Internet access. Of those, 93 percent are sending e-mail, 83 percent are researching information before making a purchase, 74 percent are getting news, 69 percent are checking the weather and 52 percent are downloading music or video streams. From these examples, you can easily see that your ability to target by profile, content and geography is not only a dream come true, it is a reality.
Finally, here is one last reason to consider combining your advertising and recruiting campaigns into one strategic branding strategy. Roger Herman, author of “The Impending Crisis,” reports that 40 percent of employees are ready to change jobs and are searching corporate career sites and job boards for opportunities that exist today.
Will you be ready to replace those employees who leave your company with top-notch talent or, more important, replace your buyers if they leave your client’s company? Tim Heston, manager of business development for TruStar Solutions, is an expert in the field of Internet recruiting practices and technologies. Heston has more than 20 years of practical knowledge in the areas of consultative sales and business development. In his role with TruStar Solutions, he consults with clients on their Internet recruiting branding and advertising strategies. Reach him at (800) 547-4472, ext. 430, or at [email protected].
