Did you ever play the “connect the dots” game as a kid? Personally, I loved it – you had this numbered jumble of dots on a page that, as you connect them, reveals a picture or object.  You literally got a “big picture moment.”   Maybe this makes me a nerd… but I always found that order out of chaos kind of fantastic.  Fast-forward from childhood fun and into my very ‘grown-up,’ profession & career?  Not much has changed.  Still playing “connect the dots,” but today it’s with connecting the use of social media marketing & HR/Recruitment programs. 

When it comes to having a well-defined, connected social marketing strategy for your recruitment program, there are 6 elements to consider: 

1. Tools & Platforms
2. Engagement, Engagement, Engagement
3. Defined Target Audience
4. Employment Brand & Workforce Marketing
5. Purpose 
6. Content/Messaging

Now, these 6 elements are intentionally jumbled up – just like my old connect-the-dots puzzles.  Why?  Because quite often they are within HR/Recruiting organizations as well; either because they were an after-thought of the consumer/product social marketing strategy or perhaps because those drawing the program didn’t totally get how to put it together to begin with.  Not that we can blame them, for years social media “early adopters” have said, “Just do it! Get out there and ‘get comfortable’ with social! Engage your employees & candidates!”

The proof that there’s confusion on how to leverage social media marketing in recruitment is definitely in the pudding (to mix my metaphors).  There’s a demonstrated lack of understanding on how to leverage various platforms to reach intended audiences & who’s hanging out on which platform…. So, for many, social media is used more as an “information sharing source” rather than an online engagement driver to elicit action that will connect us ‘offline.’  

Maybe it’s time we said… “Hold up now.  Don’t ‘just do it’ anymore.  Let’s step back, (re)strategize and ‘just do it right.’  After all, 47% of companies have reported either:

• not having an employment brand/social media marketing strategy
• are in the process of developing one
• or are redesigning it in 2012

Sounds like it’s good timing, doesn’t it?  So that’s what we’re going to discuss in the track I’m leading at #TruLondon 6 on Tuesday.  We’ll look at the right order for connecting the dots on the aforementioned elements when creating a social recruitment marketing strategy; as well as discuss the ‘best-use’ and psychology behind different social media platforms.  The thing I love about TruLondon is that although I’m ‘leading’ the track, it’s really a collaborative discussion – so, we’ll get to hear what’s working & what’s not from others in the room, too!  As such, I’m not going to “answer it all” now, but will point you to a couple of related articles/discussion fodder for the aforementioned elements & will report back what we covered on Wednesday!

Hope you’ll join me if you’re at Tru & stay tuned to #TruLondon on Twitter to follow the info stream in ‘real time’ Monday & Tuesday for some killer info in Recruiting, HR & for the first time?  A Source Lab!

The Purpose Behind Pinterest:  It isn’t just ‘info sharing’

5 Hot Trends in HR/Recruiting Technology  (yes, mobile is included in social; so is email – #gettingsocialwithit) (from Rayanne Thorn)

Capitalizing on Social Influence 

Dealing with Talent Communities 

Why it pays (literally) to define your Employment Brand (Careerbuilder)

Social Media Recruitment Marketing Mix (Autumn McReynolds)