Every day, four billion email users are tapping into email marketing â a low-cost but highly effective digital comms tool. And for recruiters, itâs not only an easy way to engage with candidates on a one-to-one level, but it can also open up doors to new opportunities.
However, that doesnât mean to say that each piece of content landing in a jobhunterâs inbox will be acted upon or even looked at. There must be a compelling reason as to why they should interact with what theyâve received and ultimately place their career search in the hands of specific recruitment professionals.
What that means today is, itâs no longer best practice to send out hundreds of bland emails to a bunch of prospective candidates â containing an irrelevant message thatâs loosely received by all â in the hope that an individual might take up the offer presented to them. Itâs about providing comms that are valuable and helpful to ease the strains of a monotonous job search.
The good news here is, there are a multitude of ways in which email marketing can encourage candidates to engage, and even if theyâve never previously interacted with the recruiter too. Here are five areas recruiters should focus on if they want their next comms campaign to be a raging successâŚ
1. Always opt for clickable subject lines
If a job hunter isnât interested in the first line they see, theyâll be highly unlikely to open and digest the content â regardless of how carefully crafted the content is. After all, 50% of a userâs decision to engage with an email is all to do with the brand itself. The other half? The subject line. So remember:
- Get straight to the point: Examples such as âJunior PHP Developer Wanted: Near Newcastleâ or âExperienced B2B Copywriter Neededâ
- Think about verbs: What should the recipient do? Will it be âRead Our Top Tips Guide On Job Interviewsâ or âLearn How To Create A Cover Letterâ
- Donât forget the proof: In a nutshell, â88% Of Candidates Want Hybrid Workingâ
- Could there also be a question? To provoke debate â examples include, âAre You Tired Of The Commute?â or âWhat Would You Do With A ÂŁ45k Salary?â
- Then thereâs the urgency: âHurry, Itâs The Last Day To Apply!â or âBe Quick, Send Your CV Today!â
- And remember to personalize where possible: This is ideal when it comes to adding an ultra-individualized touch. For example, âHi [name], I Was Impressed With Your CVâ or â[first name], [company name] Was Mentioned TodayâŚâ
2. Be clear with what the recipient needs to do
Once someone has engaged with the subject line, what should a recruiter do next? Hereâs where the nurture comes in â and itâs easy to do.
Simply split up valuable email content over a series of email sends to truly keep a candidate interested throughout the journey. Plus, this technique provides recruitment professionals with even more opportunities to say what they want their readers to do without it coming across as aggressive or a âhard sellâ.
A 10-word headline and focused call to action work well. Not only is this a succinct way of doing it, but there also wonât be any confusion as to what the end goal is. For example, âBook An Appointmentâ or âDownload Our Guideâ.
And never alienate people with jargon-heavy language or tiny text thatâs impossible to read on a desktop, laptop, or mobile device. Think about font size, colors, and the overall sentence structure to ensure candidates are provided with ultimate accessibility to all the relevant information.
3. Ever heard of the âSquint Testâ?
If not, do it now. Sit back and squint before reading the email headline, call to action, and viewing the main image.
Does it still read well and look engaging?
If elements are spaced out, sized nicely, and are still able to stand out â thatâs gold dust! Plus, the recipient is more likely to interact with the comms because theyâre not trying to figure out a clunky sentence or being taken aback by a sea of color clashes. Simple and effective is the way forward.
4. Think about including âtrampolineâ email content
Whatever sits below the email headline and call to action is whatâs referred to as the âtrampolineâ. Why? Simple â itâs designed to bounce the reader back up to what they should be clicking on if they want to access more detail.
If recruiters are still unsure as to what this copy might entail, think about including reviews and testimonials to invoke trust and authenticity, or reference related products and articles such as âYou Might Also LikeâŚâ
5. Personalization, personalization, personalization
For every piece of content thatâs heading into a candidateâs inbox, always hyper-personalize the comms. The easiest and swiftest way to do this is by plugging in an intuitive marketing automation platform thatâs built to enable users to send targeted, ultra-individualized emails specifically to segmented groups. And itâs more than a âHi [first name]â introduction â itâs all about sending the right message to the right person, at the right time.
These are only some of the ways in which recruiters can drive a greater level of interaction and get to know candidates on a much deeper level. Having a relationship built on trust â and which is beneficial to both parties â can be powerful, and thatâs before considering how much it can positively impact a professionalâs conversion rate.
By Adam Oldfield, CEO of marketing automation platform Force24
