Want social media ROI?
Use a “pay it forward” strategy.
If you’re like most corporate recruiting organizations, you’re trying to find the ROI that will help active social media become an approvable, manageable, effective social media for your team. But there are two major obstacles: 1) getting ROI; and 2) showing ROI.
Let’s start with the first problem…getting ROI. Much of the Twitter, Facebook, and even LinkedIn messaging that we see today demonstrates old-school communication principles. That is, interrupt the audience’s online activity with a promotional message and expect them to get excited. The new communication model is to “be the activity.” That means finding ways to deliver relevant, value-added, entertainment to your audience.
I know…it feels like you’re already running an ROI deficit. But think about it…would you be more likely to engage with an employer who pushes job postings to their Twitter feed, or one that’s running a weekly innovation challenge for students in your major? Or better yet, one that is asking what you think the lamest interview question is?
Now, let’s talk ROI measurement. How many days does your team spend in front of students, on their campuses, each recruiting season? Your answer is probably something like two to three days per month. And what’s happening the rest of the time? Great candidates are learning to ignore your firm in favor of every other competitive employer out there. When you consider the value of being on students’ minds every week or every day, you’ll find some social media ROI.
How much are you spending on print, or how much do you think you should be spending on print in order to stay on students’ minds after you’ve met them? What does it cost to ship that material to campus events and career fairs? What does it cost to ship it back to your warehouse when students don’t want it? You can find some social media ROI in a “reduced-paper footprint.”
Finally, what does it take for you to get qualified students into the room when you run a campus information session? Are those students just learning about your company as they head back to school, buy their books, getting a feel for their new classes? Companies like Google, E&Y, American Express, and Disney don’t find it hard to fill information sessions because students already know who they are before schools starts. I’ll bet you can find a way to find some social media ROI in that.
Want more ideas on finding social media ROI for your university program? Drop me an email…we’ve got at least a dozen more.
Have some ideas of your own? Please, let’s pay it forward. Add your ideas as comments on this post.
May 17th, 2011 at 8:52 am
The two major obstacles: 1) getting ROI; and 2) showing ROI. – I would agreed on.
Organic and engagement will get you ROI but over time.
The question is: Do you have time?
Our product is not a silver bullet to the first obstacle, but it will greatly help in a proactive way to get ROI or want for a better word – Traction!
The simple principle is if candidates can not find your job post, let alone your twitter account with these jobs, you are not going to get the traction or ROI you are hoping for, over a reasonable time.
If you have any questions, please find me on twitter @Chairmansam
June 5th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Thanks Samuel. I think it’s important for employers to make their twitter channels visible and defined. If they want to help students get the feel for a job assignment they’ll need story content… if it’s discovery of the jobs, they need to feed postings and draw students to them (your solution offers a great way to do that).
Problem is, many employers depend on their twitter channel as an extended output tool on their ATS. But social media can, and should, have a lot more brand power than that.