4 Social Media Mistakes that Hurt your Employer Brand

Did you know that 79% of job seekers used social media in their job search in 2022? LinkedIn, for obvious reasons, is a hotbed for talent, with 40 million people using it to search for jobs every week.

Leveraging social media the right way is essential to the health of your Employer Brand but out of the vast majority of companies already using social media to recruit and elevate their employer brand, only a handful are doing so strategically and effectively.

Here are the classic pitfalls to avoid when connecting with your talent audience via social media.

Top Social Media Mistakes to Avoid

1. Telling any old story

The whole point of having an employer brand is to use it as a strategic framework, a common thread that runs through all your communications to reinforce your brand promise. There are lots of feel-good stories out there, but the ones that stand out most have a purpose beyond endearing you to the business.

You have likely already identified some key themes that are important to the business and its people, whether it’s an unwavering commitment to diversity, attractive career accelerant opportunities, or a strong focus on wellbeing and psychological safety initiatives, ensure the stories you tell tie in with overarching pillars of your employer brand. Demonstrate that employees are having real human experiences based on those themes to make them tangible for your audience and give genuine insight into your brand promise.

2. Only using content once

Only a small percentage of your audience will see something you’ve posted. Since most social feeds operate chronologically, content is ephemeral and can quickly slip down into no man’s land after the initial burst of engagement. There’s no shame in reusing, recycling and repurposing content to maximise its reach. In fact, it’s strategically a good idea.

You’ve probably heard of the Pareto principle, the idea that 20 per cent of your activities will produce 80 per cent of your results. It applies here, too. If 20 per cent of your social media posts are doing most of the legwork in driving engagement, why not stretch that content further?

Check your analytics and determine your most liked and best performing content. Think about why it did so well. What about it resonated with your audience? Taking the time to reflect on these things will not only show you where to direct your energy when repurposing content, but also help you to create more exceptional posts in the future.

Find a way to present the same information in refreshing ways. Could you reformat a video as a blog post on your website? Or expand an emotive employee quote into a (relevant) story to promote open positions? Do not underestimate the impact of cascading content you already know your talent audience value.

3. Box ticking

It should go without saying, but we see plenty of social posts making this mistake. If you are going to touch on an important cultural topic on your company’s behalf, it should be one your company actually cares about, or you risk looking as though you’re jumping on the bandwagon.

The easiest way to prevent this is to ask: does my company actively support or engage with this cause in a tangible way? If the answer is no, steer clear. This way you avoid spreading yourself too thin. It is better to give full spotlight to a few core themes than trying to cover everything in a shallow, box-ticking fashion.

4. Using an inconsistent voice

Consistency in messaging breeds authority, confidence and trust and is just as important in employer branding as in consumer branding.

To achieve consistency, establish your employer brand’s language; this could be a style guide document or a bank of words that are meaningful to your business. Anyone in the organisation who puts out content should be aware of the company ‘voice’, which will unify your messaging across all channels and reinforce a sense of authenticity.

Before you go

Need some inspiration? Elevate your Employer Brand social media presence and draw in new talent with these 21 impactful social media post ideas with stellar examples.

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