Instagram is one of the most well-known, and fastest growing social media networks. Surpassing one billion active accounts, and still growing, the platform is enjoying unbridled success.
Instagram’s one billion active users are made up of a variety of ages, and while it can be argued that the platforms user base is skewed towards the young, overall the platform enjoys a healthy mix of ages. Research from Facebook shows that 43% of 45 – 54-year-old’s surveyed log into Instagram daily, compared to 67% of 18 – 24-year-olds.
Not only this, but Instagram can be a great way for companies to directly interact with the public. Of those surveyed, 66% of responders said that Instagram has allowed them to interact with their favourite brands or companies.
So how can recruiters and employers use Instagram to attract candidates?
- Create engaging content to improve your Employer Brand
What sets Instagram apart from other social media networks is simplicity. While other social media networks were built with desktop computers in mind, Instagram started life as a phone app exclusively, meaning it enjoys an advantage of being built from the ground up for mobile devices.
In fact, Instagram boasts an engagement rate 15 times higher than Facebook and 20 times higher than Twitter, meaning candidates are much more willing to interact with content posted on the platform. If you are looking for ways to increase the reach of your employer brand over social media, Instagram is ideal
- Effectiveness of ads
Instagram is also a fantastic place to advertise, offering plenty of options on the style of advert you place, such as photo, stories, carousel and video ads. This mix of options allows you, much like posting on Instagram, to create a variety of creative and interesting advertisements that are sure to grab the attention of candidates.
Advertising costs on Instagram are reasonable, and are comparable to other social media sites like Facebook. They can also be incredibly effective.60% of Instagram users have discovered new products or services on the platform, and 75% of users take some form of follow up action (such as visiting a website) after seeing posts on the platform, showing that it can easily be justified to use your advertising spend on Instagram.
Top Tips for using Instagram
Here are a few pointers on how employers and recruiters can get the most out of Instagram;
– Don’t limit your age range – plenty of different age groups use the platform, so don’t limit yourself to just younger users.
– Try out the different features – Instagram offers a variety of posting and advertising options, so keep your accounts fresh and interesting by mixing it up as much as possible.
– Use original photos and footage, not stock – Make sure you use your own images and footage, as candidates will respond better to this than stock images.
– Add Details – Adding hashtags, locations and other handles on your postings can dramatically increase your engagement, so don’t forget these.
– Beware of links – One drawback of Instagram is that you can’t add external links onto ordinary posts (but you can on advertisements). However, you can get around this by placing links to an external site on your profile.
If you would like more help or advice on how to improve your recruitment strategy of social media, or any other digital channels, why not contact us at [email protected].