TikTok is taking over, that’s undeniable. Throughout 2020 it seems everyone has been joining in with challenges, learning dance routines and finding themselves lost in the TikTok bubble for hours on end. So, we’re asking, could TikTok help your future recruitment efforts?
Let’s be honest; you’d be forgiven if you thought TikTok isn’t really a place for your recruitment marketing, after all, it doesn’t feel like the most serious platform in the world. However, with an audience of over 17 million monthly active users in the UK alone, up from 3 million the year before, TikTok is growing harder and harder to ignore. It’s reported that across the 154 countries the app is available in, TikTok users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the platform, with younger audiences spending up to 80 minutes. Imagine how many ads audiences could be exposed to in that time. TikTok try to show an advert every four to seven videos when users scroll down their feeds; so there’s potential for many of the millions of individuals could see your ad every day.
We’re huge advocates of using paid social media for recruitment marketing campaigns and have seen massive success from various platforms in the past. Despite popular opinion, LinkedIn isn’t the only social media platform to advertise jobs, and depending on your target candidate, it’s not always the most effective. A good recruitment marketing campaign is audience-driven, it focuses on where the audience is spending time with a creative concept and messaging that will cut through the noise and resonate with appropriate people. While we know that it’s not going to be suitable for every role, TikTok seems like an ideal place to reach a younger audience in the current climate. This makes it’s a serious consideration for anyone looking at graduate and apprenticeship recruitment marketing.
So, could TikTok be the future of advertising graduate schemes and apprenticeship recruitment? We have some answers that could help you decide.
What is TikTok?
Contrary to popular belief, TikTok is not a social media platform. They describe themselves as an entertainment platform with a mission to inspire creativity and spread joy. It’s a mobile-first app which invites users to share short videos of up to 60 seconds which show snippets of everyday life.
Who is TikTok’s audience?
TikTok has over 17 million monthly active users in the UK and about 800 million monthly active users worldwide. It was widely believed that the majority of the platform’s users were under 18; however, recent studies show that the most considerable portion of their audience is actually aged between 18 and 34. The coronavirus lockdown has completely shifted attitudes towards TikTok and allowed the platform to welcome a slightly older demographic; well, we’ve all needed entertainment and a bit of fun more than ever. This post-university demographic is the ideal audience for apprenticeships and graduate schemes, making TikTok an excellent recruitment marketing tool for those who can use it intelligently.
Research also shows that TikTok has a larger unique audience than any other social media or entertainment platform, meaning that they’re active on TikTok and nowhere else. It has a unique community of users. This allows recruitment marketers to tap into a whole new audience, which means a broader selection of candidates in your talent pool as you recruit.
Why should my brand use TikTok for recruitment marketing?
TikTok is a great way to humanise your business and digital experience. Its native video style is mainly unfiltered and not overly designed, just people having fun with the camera. TikTok’s brand is perceived by many as a place where people can be themselves, and this stands for brands as well as people.
When showcasing your employer brand, celebrating the human elements of your business is one of the most essential aspects. Potential employees want to know about where they could be working on a more personal level. A company’s corporate reputation is no longer enough; candidates care about who they’ll be working with and what goes on behind the scenes rather than whether the company is long-established and respected. TikTok is a great way to show this; it’s an excuse to have a bit of fun and show not only the people behind your business but their personalities too. Use TikTok videos as a chance to tell the story of who you are, showcase real people and get a bit more creative. This should appeal to the younger demographic most likely to apply to your graduate schemes or apprenticeship programmes.
Another great thing about using TikTok for recruitment advertising is that you don’t have to post organic videos to advertise. Many organisations have been put off creating a corporate TikTok because of the time and resource it would take to post regularly. If you have the ideas, creativity and capacity, then a corporate TikTok account could help to build your brand awareness and tell your story; but for a short-lived recruitment campaign, it’s not strictly necessary. You can, however, utilise a branded hashtag in your advertisements so that if you ever do decide to create an organic page, you can link back to previous videos used in adverts.
Will I get good results from TikTok?
The short answer is yes. However, to succeed your video content must be attention-grabbing, bold and creative, and your campaign must be intelligent; which means well thought out and targeted to the right people. Obviously, this depends on the nature of your campaign and who you’re looking to hire. Any recruitment marketing campaign must be built with the audience in mind to see results; you need to maximise platforms where your audience is most active and create messaging which will resonate with your target group. For example, after considering TikTok’s main demographic, our experts concluded that it’s more suited to promoting apprenticeships and graduate positions than senior exec level positions.
When a campaign is done well, Tiktok has a 20.68% lower cost-per-click than LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram and it’s estimated that with a £50 per day ad spend you could gain around 313 clicks.
Initially, marketers thought of TikTok as a platform which would primarily be used to build brand awareness; however, its engagement rate has proven to be very high. When done correctly, you can expect to see a lot of engagement on your videos, whether it’s likes or shares. Video content has always been highly shareable, and TikTok’s native style is no exception.
Are you thinking of using social media for your recruitment marketing? Whether you’re looking to advertise apprenticeships, graduate schemes or any other roles, our experts can help you put together an expert recruitment marketing strategy which raises brand awareness amongst the right individuals, leading to quality hires. Start your conversation today.
