{"id":945,"date":"2022-06-16T10:47:32","date_gmt":"2022-06-16T09:47:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/articles.acdev.co.uk\/articles\/?p=945"},"modified":"2024-08-10T15:38:07","modified_gmt":"2024-08-10T14:38:07","slug":"what-are-the-most-effective-methods-recruitment-agencies-can-use-to-gain-new-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.agencycentral.co.uk\/articles\/what-are-the-most-effective-methods-recruitment-agencies-can-use-to-gain-new-business\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the most effective methods recruitment agencies can use to gain new business?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Recently started a recruitment agency? Then you might be wondering about the best way to generate leads<\/a>.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

To find out, we went straight to the experts and surveyed recruiters who have been in your position before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you\u2019re looking for some new business development tips, read on and learn how recruitment agencies get clients<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How new recruitment agencies find clients: survey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To discover how a recruitment startup finds clients, we surveyed recruiters who, at some stage in their career, have launched an agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specifically, we wanted to know what they felt was the most effective method of sourcing leads<\/strong> in the early days of starting a business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what did our survey reveal?<\/p>\n\n\n

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Surprisingly (for reasons we\u2019ll go into), cold calling came out as the most popular way to find clients<\/strong>. Exactly half of our respondents preferred picking up the phone, 23% more than any other method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital marketing channels (social media and content) made up 33% of the vote in total, although only 6% seemed to favour content production<\/strong> \u2013 perhaps owing to the time required and the challenges of measuring ROI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, networking is still proving to be effective in winning business when starting out. 17% of our recruiters supported this, showing that recruitment still (and always will) rely on who you know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So now we know what recruiters think, let\u2019s delve a little deeper into each of these client sourcing methods.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should you cold call to find clients?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cold calling divides opinion<\/strong> in the recruitment space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many agencies have built business around it, others struggle to justify the investment<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But just what is cold calling and is it ever necessary?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is cold calling in recruitment?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cold calling is the process of contacting prospective clients in the hope of selling your service. These prospective clients won\u2019t be expecting your call, but may be interested in what you have to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The issue arises with the fact that cold calling has always been considered a numbers game<\/strong> \u2013 both in the volume of people you contact and the number of times you contact them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means that the\u00a0cost can ultimately be quite high<\/strong>, especially when the\u00a0success rate of cold calling<\/a>\u00a0(to get an initial conversation at least) is between 1%-3%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re new to the game or an experienced pro, we could all do with a few more contacts.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When should a recruiter cold call?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

So new agencies should probably resist blanket cold calling<\/strong>, but that\u2019s not to say there\u2019s no place for ringing up businesses without invitation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natasha South, Operations and Marketing Manager at Camino Partners<\/a>, believes cold calling can bring value to a business<\/strong> \u2013 if done correctly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She told us: \u201cI think cold-calling is always an interesting subject and ultimately depends on how you define it. If cold calling is finding any old number and hoping for the best, it is almost completely ineffective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your cold calling consists of doing some research into a business, knowing their market and potential pain-points before speaking with a prospective client you haven\u2019t engaged with before, it is absolutely an effective tool. It always comes back to value-adding, what value can you add to a prospective client if you don\u2019t have a clue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, if you see a vacancy that you genuinely think you have the right candidate for, or there\u2019s another way you believe you can bring something to an employer, then a cold call might be beneficial to both parties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you\u2019re spending more than a third of your time chasing leads on the phone<\/strong>, then you should probably divert some of your efforts elsewhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Content marketing for recruitment agencies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By now, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard that \u2018content is king\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, Bill Gates coined this phrase way back in 1996, but the old adage certainly still applies to businesses looking to reap the benefits of digital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem with content marketing<\/strong> is that it\u2019s tough to measure success. This can make it difficult to justify if you\u2019re a recently launched agency that\u2019s looking after the pennies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How content marketing can win you business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The purpose of content marketing is to increase brand recognition, loyalty and traffic to your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All these things are a cocktail for getting new clients<\/strong>, with content marketing reportedly resulting in three times more leads<\/a> than outbound marketing (including cold calling). <\/p>\n\n\n

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The key to writing content<\/strong> that achieves all these things and converts? Quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Okay, some may argue that \u2018quality\u2019 is subjective, but a quick online browse will show that content standards vary massively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes \u2018good\u2019 content?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Good\u2019 content is content that is helpful or <\/strong>interesting<\/strong>, but also adds something new. It\u2019s this last point that tends to trip up businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Say you decide to write a blog post about \u2018how to write a job ad\u2019 \u2013 how is your blog post going to differ from the 87,000 results that appear for that search? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does it use data? Does it include infographics? Does it offer a new perspective? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

OR\u2026  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it just a re-word of all those other articles?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want content marketing that gets clients<\/strong>, invest time into producing high-quality content that\u2019s different to what\u2019s already out there. This is beneficial for both social sharing and SEO (how you rank on Google). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is traditional networking still relevant? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re new to the game or an experienced pro, we could all do with a few more contacts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where networking can help, a suggestion that\u2019s often met with plenty of eye rolling.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good\u2019 content is content that is helpful or interesting, but also adds something new. It\u2019s this last point that tends to trip up businesses.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to social media, networking is now largely thought of as an online activity, but traditional methods are still effective in finding business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are traditional networking methods?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When talking about traditional networking, we\u2019re talking about meeting people \u2013 in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meeting employers face-to-face, or even other recruiters, can build stronger relationships and lead to long-term business<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arguably the best way to do this is to attend a networking event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recruitment industry hosts all kinds of networking events throughout the year, so there are plenty of opportunities to get your face seen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for networking <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Networking can be daunting, but there are some ways to make sure that you get the most from meeting people<\/strong> \u2013 especially at events. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are our quick tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do your research<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Before attending a networking event, it can pay to swot up. From planning what sessions to attend to studying up on other attendees, doing some homework before you go will help you get the most from the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Print some business cards<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I hate to break it to you, but not everyone you meet will remember your name (or even that they met you at all). A well-designed business card can change this though, so make sure you\u2019re always well stocked! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be interested in others<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve finally psyched yourself up to attend an event, it can be easy to launch into a sales pitch with everyone you meet. Don\u2019t. Instead, try listening to others and take an interest in what they have to say. You might find this to be more effective in the long run. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Prepare what you have to say<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

After meeting and listening to others, they\u2019ll be an opportunity to talk about yourself. You don\u2019t want to sound robotic <\/strong>or overly salesy though, so rather than preparing a pitch, think of ways to casually introduce your agency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow up after the event<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Just because the doors are closed, doesn\u2019t mean that the networking is over. Once you\u2019ve met some people and taken some details, be sure to follow up afterwards. Definitely connect with them on social media and maybe even send an email. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media as a lead generation tool<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As hosts of the Social Recruiter Leaderboard, we\u2019ve seen first-hand the growing impact that social media has had on recruitment agencies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nine out of ten recruiters use at least one social channel<\/strong>, while the online influence of the industry as a whole has risen significantly since we took charge of the board in 2016. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what benefits do Twitter, LinkedIn or even Instagram offer to recruitment startups? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can new recruiters use social media to find clients? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When starting an agency, social media can accelerate growth<\/strong> by helping you build a brand and generate leads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomas Coulter, co-founder of 360 Resourcing Solutions<\/a>, told us that social media played a key role in helping his agency find clients and candidates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen 360 Resourcing was just starting out, it was just a small team, so making the most of personal connections and digital channels helped us to keep within budget. As we grew, we were able to spend more time on social media to build our brand, and find clients and candidates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media for lead generation can have its ups and downs, but having a solid presence online lends you a lot of credibility when candidates look you up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026if you see a vacancy that you genuinely think you have the right candidate for, or there\u2019s another way you believe you can bring something to an employer, then a cold call might be beneficial to both parties.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the early days of any business, it\u2019s important to reach out to your market \u2013 and what better way to do this than by having instant access to 60% of UK businesses<\/a> and 84% of individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A multifaceted (and well thought out) social media strategy can help you attract and engage with this audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are numerous ways that startups can use social media for lead generation<\/strong>. These include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n