Thought leadership is the ability of an individual to establish themselves as an authority on a particular topic, industry, or field. In doing so, they tell a compelling story often from personal experience, show authenticity as well as subject matter expertise, and connect with others through share emotions and passion.
Sharing thought leadership content helps build awareness and position your brand and its people as leading industry experts. Such content may display insight on:
• Your industry, including perspective on new, developments, and trends.
• The mission, vision, and ethos of your company.
• Your products or services, are focused on the best employee and customer solutions.
Thought leadership content can be a striking way to reach out to job candidates, namely passive job seekers who’s first glance at your company may not be at a job posting. It can help differentiate your business from the competition, build long-standing trust and credibility, and keep your company top of mind when the time comes for passive candidates to make a career change.
Building Thought Leadership Content into Your Recruitment Strategy
Thought leadership content differs from average search engine optimized content because its purpose is to inform, educate, and engage – not sell or promote a brand. It enables you to connect with your desired audience and build trust and credibility. As you put a face to your content’s authors, lasting human connections are more naturally formed.
As you weave thought leadership into your content:
• Be sure to choose the right topics – those that matter to your audience, not just to you. Ask yourself: Will desired candidates care about this issue, and why? What makes my angle on it unique? Is this topic currently trending and if so, how do I give it a unique angle?
• Align messaging with your business goals. Again, it’s not the same as hard selling your brand. And although thought leadership content may not immediately result in conversions, it does help you achieve other key performance metrics. These might include increased website traffic, additional backlinks from other media outlets, or an expanded overall social following. Ultimately, it can result in attracting prospects and bolstering your talent pipeline.
Among companies that have effectively leveraged thought leadership content is Deloitte, with its regular reports on emerging workforce trends and topics. Deloitte’s reports, whitepapers, and publications regularly serve as trusted resources for organizations to navigate business complexities and make informed decisions. Thought leadership has enabled the company to drive engagement, build credibility, and strengthen relationships with both current and prospective team members and other stakeholders.
Building a high-quality content library and keeping your messaging current and fresh is a top priority and an ongoing challenge. At Haley Marketing, our recruitment experts can help you meet this goal-saving time, reducing wasted spend, improving your ROI, and getting the right people applying for your jobs as you do so. Contact us today to hear more and set up a free, 30-minute focus call.
