It’s no secret that in today’s economy, talent is king.

And with the right people on your team, you can accomplish so much more than you ever thought possible.

However, hiring the best employees—the ones who will help your company grow—can be a challenge in itself. That’s where strong employer branding comes into play.

A strong employer brand attracts great talent by showing them why they should choose to work for your company over others. However, not every company knows how to build an employer brand. Or, alternatively, they are unaware of just how effective an employer brand can be when recruiting new hires. To help answer these questions and provide tips on building a more substantial employee experience around recruiting efforts (and other things), we sat down with some experts from across different industries who have been successful at attracting candidates through their brands:

Brand = Culture = Talent

It’s important to understand the difference between your brand and your employer brand.

Employer branding is how you sell your company, while the brand is what your company stands for and what makes it unique. Employer branding focuses on attracting talent, while the actual mission of a product or service and how it’s delivered says something about who you are as an organization.

In order to attract top talent, focus on telling stories that align with this mission statement in a way that sets you apart from other organizations offering similar opportunities.

Does your employer branding impact recruitment?

Employer branding is a strategic way to attract top talent by positioning the brand as a desirable employer. This can be done through print advertisements, social media campaigns, videos, blog posts, or another medium. An employer brand includes everything about your workplace from compensation and benefits to work-life balance. It’s important for employers because it helps them attract candidates looking for a good culture fit with their company—and it’s undoubtedly an important deciding factor for candidates.

A strong employer brand impacts recruitment by:

• Highlighting what makes your company different from others (for example, “We have flexible hours so you can spend time with family” or “We have an open office policy”)
• Highlighting why people should work at your company (for example: “because we offer great health insurance”)

Building and promoting a positive employer brand will help attract the candidates your company needs.

A company’s brand is more than a logo and a slogan. It is the sum total of all of its interactions with customers, from their first interaction to their last interaction with your company. It’s about creating an identity for your company that communicates what you stand for, what you value, and what type of experience you want your customers to have when dealing with you. Your company’s brand is a reflection of who you are as an organization; it tells potential applicants why they should invest their time and energy into working for your company rather than others in the industry. It is the heart and voice of your organization.

Building and promoting a positive employer brand will help attract the candidates your company needs. Potential employees typically accept job offers at (and remain loyal to) organizations that align with their values. By building your employer brand, your company’s values become clear to job applicants. This will help retain existing employees, and customers too, by reinforcing those core values on an ongoing basis.

How social media affects company branding

Social media is the most effective way to reach a wide range of candidates, which means you should use it to promote your company’s brand, culture, and values.

You can use social media to promote your company’s open positions by posting about them on your Facebook page or tweeting about them on Twitter. Consider including links in your posts so prospective employees can apply online from their mobile phones or tablets.

Use social media to post fun videos or other entertaining content to promote company culture. Your employees are part of your brand, so show off their personalities on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These posts will humanize your company by showing that you are more than just another business — you’re a group of people who care about each other.

Leveraging social media to enhance your employer branding

Various types of content with humanizing touches will surely grab the attention of potential applicants and clients alike. Some ways your company can utilize social media to build your brand may include:

• Promoting career opportunities within the business
• Highlighting staff members’ community involvement
• Sharing photos of events and outings with employees
• Sharing interviews with staff members (i.e. employee spotlights) on social media
• Showcasing or featuring employee quotes stating how great life is at your company
• Posting entertaining media (i.e. memes and GIFs) to add a touch of lighthearted humor to your brand voice.

If you choose to upload video or GIF files, be sure to use an MP4 compressor or a GIF compressor before publishing! This ensures a high-value post in which your quality is not compromised.

As you can see, there are many ways to attract better talent. Branding is more than just a logo and some colors—it’s the core of your company and how your employees feel about it. By strengthening your employer brand with social media, you’ll be able to attract talented candidates who will stay for years to come.