Everyone wants their company to be the first name that comes to mind when their ideal customers look for a partner. But many staffing and recruiting firm owners are still hesitant to invest in their brand to get themselves there. There are a range of reasons, and even though my team and I spend a lot of time explaining the benefits, I still run into a few common barriers.
I think it’s time I put these issues to rest and illustrate just why investing in your firm’s brand is critical to long-term growth.
“It’s Too Expensive”
While it’s true properly building your brand isn’t free, when I compare it to other expenses and consider the long-term gains, I’m shocked that this is still a sticking point for firm owners. The fact is that to properly benefit from any investment in your brand, you need to commit to it like you would any other investment. If you throw a small budget at a project for a few weeks and expect a huge burst of leads or boost in stats, you’re going to be disappointed.
When you need to add another recruiter to your team, you do that immediately even though that is an expensive investment that isn’t guaranteed to work. You need the increased capacity on your team and you’re willing to give them the proper chance to prove their impact. If this is an easy choice, why don’t firm owners do the same with their brands?
The key to mitigating the expense of brand building is avoiding costly mistakes. If you’re looking for ROI, make sure the data you’re capturing is accurate and useful. Without accurate data, adjusting your marketing efforts to best reach your ideal clients is difficult, resulting in wasted money and low returns. Committing to brand building and thoughtful planning goes a long way toward positive ROI from branding.
“I’ve Tried It Before, I Didn’t See Results.”
The word that most firm owners leave out of this statement is “immediately.” While I don’t doubt that a lot of firms have tried to expand their brand, it isn’t an overnight lead magnet. In some cases, there will be an initial boost of leads in the beginning, but as time goes on, the focus on short-term lead generation wears down and the leads stop coming in.
There are two things wrong with this approach, even if you are an experienced marketer. First, the goal of brand building is not simply to generate leads, instead, you are establishing your credibility for potential leads doing research. When your ideal customer decides it’s time to speak with a recruiter, they’ll do their research, and your firm needs to be well represented.
The second problem is the timeline. Building a strong and trustworthy brand takes time and if you don’t see it through to the end, the time you put in at the front end will be wasted. Think about the trial period you give a new employee or new vendor; with only a month or two to proves themselves, what kind of results can you expect. Successful investment in your brand requires support and confidence that while there might not be immediate returns, the work you put into your brand will pave the way for future growth and continued success.
“I’m Already Well Known in my Market”
First off, congratulations. Seriously, being the top of mind firm in your market is no easy task and goes a long way to growing your business. But it doesn’t stop there. Even if people know your name across your market, investing in your brand is still important to answer one question from the people who’ve heard of you: “Why should I work with you?”
If your potential clients don’t have the information necessary to trust your experience, they may not pick up the phone to call. What’s more, if they are searching for you or your firm by name, but they need to work with other members of your team, you need to establish their credentials as well. Bios and consistently published content work to not only promote your firm and your team, but they give online leads a body of information that they can learn from.
If you’re well known in your market, the next step is to answer the question, “Well known for what?” Investing in your branding and that of your team establishes your firm as a thought leader in your industry and the best option in your market. Make it easy on your sales team and convince your clients that you’re the best partner before they ever pick up the phone.
“I Don’t Know Where to Start”
This is one of the most common answers I hear from owners. The good news is, it’s also the easiest to answer. If you’re tackling your branding and marketing in-house my answer would be to start small, updating your website and social media profiles and creating new web content. While you can start with simple actions, the key is to be consistent and dedicate time and resources to the success of your efforts.
Honestly, digital marketing is a complex animal, and if your team isn’t equipped with the skillsets or the time to tackle it, you’re better off working with a partner. I’m not just saying that because I want to be that partner either. If you start with the best intentions but lose steam when other parts of the business get busy, it will be hard to see any concrete results. Just as your clients come to you as the expert in filling open positions, digital marketing and branding firms specialize in improving your online presence.
By committing resources to branding and engaging a specialized firm to reach your goals, you have the greatest chance for success. Your team is free to focus on what they do best and make use of your improved brand, while our team handles the constant upkeep and content creation of a successful branding initiative. So in short, my answer to this question is not so much where you should start, rather that it isn’t too late to start building your brand, provided you’re willing to commit and invest in the long-term success of your brand.
If you’re ready to discuss building your brand, or you still have some unanswered questions, I’d love to chat and identify some areas for improvement in your marketing efforts. Get in touch today
