If you’re like most staffing and recruiting firm owners, you want your website to convert new clients. You and your team are already working diligently to make connections, seek out opportunities, and do all the legwork to generate outbound efforts.
Are new clients finding you online? Do they call you or fill out a form and tell you they have a search or req they want your team to work on? Wouldn’t that be wonderful? It may happen from time to time, but if it’s not happening consistently, let’s talk about why…
Are You Set Up for Success Online?
When it comes to attracting attention from new clients with your online presence, you must keep three strategic principles in mind. Does your credibility live online? Is your website visible? Have you provided ways on your website to generate leads?
To learn what steps to take to succeed in each of these key areas, check out this article below by Parqa’s VP of Strategy.
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These are the basic principles to making sure your website and online presence are working for you. Who needs a digital brochure when you can have a digital salesperson? Let’s assume you’ve mastered the first two principles and now you want to focus on lead generation.
If you look outside the staffing and recruiting industry, many other industries are embracing inbound marketing. While it’s certainly not as prominent in the staffing and recruiting industry, if you put this strategy in place, you will be ahead of your competition.
Are You a Giver or a Taker? It Makes a Big Difference
Let’s start with an example. If you’re at a networking event – let’s say a thought leadership speaking event where you know your potential clients will attend. You meet someone you know could be a potential client. How do you start the conversation with them?
Option 1:
“Hi Jen, I’m Frank. I work for XYZ Technology Staffing, and we can help you fill your IT roles. We’re the best. Let’s schedule time – I’ll come to you. When can we meet?”
OR
Option 2:
“Hi Jen, I’m Frank. What drew you to this event?” (You then develop a nice conversation about how the thought leadership from the speaker is relevant to her pain points, and she actually didn’t know about your company or what they did, but may have a need in the future. She’d be interested in attending a future event like this one if, your company hosted it and talked about the same topic. You agree it was nice to meet one another, share business cards, connect on LinkedIn, and part ways. You walk away and take mental note that an event hosted by your company on topic ABC would attract more people like Jen.)
Are you offering content about your clients’ pain points on your website? For every client ready to fill out a Contact Us form and schedule a call, there are 15 more who have pain points you can offer insight on but aren’t ready to schedule a call. There are 15 more Jen’s out there. What are you doing to get in front of them?
Most staffing and recruiting firms start with blogging. This is an excellent way to get people into the “top of the funnel”
It’s content that helps you rank online through search engine optimization, and gives your team a way to promote your thought leadership through outbound emails, email marketing, social media, etc.
Why Gated Content is the Ticket to More Client Leads
But what most firms don’t do, is create gated content. If you create an ebook, like a salary guide, people will trade their information to gain access to it.
Now, this is not that warm lead raising their hand to say “please call me right now, I want to talk about my hiring needs,” but it is them saying “I’m interested in this topic and want to learn more about it.” It gives you the opportunity to be a thought leader, just like in the example above.
It also gives you an opportunity to nurture that warm lead by sending them additional relevant information over the course of time. You’re helping them move down the funnel/through the buyers’ journey with the goal of them filling out that lovely Contact Us form on your website. After viewing you as a thought leader, why would they go to anyone else?
(If you want to learn more about gated vs. ungated content, check out Parqa’s Senior Marketing Automation Specialist’ blog on “Gated vs. Ungated Content: When to Use Each.”)
If the only form on your website is the Contact Us form, you’re missing out on a big opportunity. Be like Frank in Example B. Host an event. Create gated content. Provide ways for clients to use you as a resource and who knows, they may ask you to help them with their hiring needs in the future!
If you’re ready to take your inbound marketing plan to the next level, schedule a free consultation with us today and see what Parqa can do for you.
