A modern company is an intricate system of interconnected departments that need to work together in order to reach the same goal – to grow the brand.
Now, even though every department will aid this cause from a different angle, there is no denying that cross-departmental collaboration can make every process more efficient and effective while impacting the bottom line in the long run.
Marketing is one of these processes.
Nobody would blame you for believing that HR doesn’t play a significant role in inbound marketing, because after all, HR is typically associated with internal processes the likes of employee management.
Yet, HR has the potential to become so much more. Whether you want to implement inbound recruiting or boost your inbound marketing strategy as a whole, HR can help you achieve the desired results.
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Emphasizing the human element in marketing
The first and obvious change that HR can bring to the marketing table is the humanization of marketing content and materials in general.
Not only that, but HR can serve as one of the most effective touchpoints for potential customers as well as employees (more on touchpoints later on) by giving people the opportunity to come into contact with a brand representative.
And who better to represent your brand than the person with the intricate knowledge of its culture and its values?
But let’s trace back to marketing material. HR specialists understand the importance of the human aspect, as they understand the needs and wishes of the modern customer and employee.
Their insights can prove themselves invaluable to your marketing experts when creating story-driven content, sourcing and producing corporate imagery, and creating people-oriented marketing strategies in general.
2. Helping build the employee’s brand
The concept of the employee’s brand is becoming increasingly popular in inbound marketing circles as one of the best ways to boost brand recognition, reputation, and trust through the loyal team members and their social media.
However, one of the reasons why companies tend to be a bit apprehensive about this marketing method is because it can backfire if not implemented properly.
The key is to let experienced HR specialists handle employee branding instead of marketers (or at the very least they should work together) in order to help them develop a personal brand and tone of voice that truly resonates with the online audience and helps boost CRM.
Remember, their audiences is their friends and family, so there can be no sales tactic involved in their posts and online activity.
Instead, HR experts can help them refine their approach and establish a connection with their community in order to build awareness of your brand.
3. Talent acquisition through transparency
Another lucrative concept that’s on the rise is the idea of inbound recruiting.
This is the idea of using human resources to build an inbound strategy for talent acquisition that will appeal to the modern potential employee, and attract the interest of the most talented individuals towards your brand.
For this tactic to work, though, you will need to emphasize company culture and transparency.
This requires the collaboration of HR and your legal department, as it’s important to have professionals on hand the likes of a compensation lawyer who can help your HR specialists convey the benefits and inherent rights of all of your employees.
Why is this important? Because modern employees not only want to be a part of a thriving company culture, but they also need to know that they are working in an environment that cares for their long-term well-being from a legal standpoint.
If you want your inbound recruitment strategy to work, you need to emphasize cultural and legal transparency.
4. Consider all employee/customer touchpoints
If you’ve ever mapped out your customer’s journey or if you’ve mapped out the route your potential employees take to find and get in touch with your brand, then you know that there are many touchpoints that generate leads.
From email to social media, from print ads to influencers, there are numerous ways people find out about your company.
When you’re looking at talent acquisition, it’s obvious that your HR specialists can help refine and optimize the content for all of the potential touchpoints an aspiring employee might have with your brand.
This is true whether you’re reaching out to top talent, or if you’re putting out content that is supposed to inspire and motivate new team members to get in touch.
Once a connection has been established, your HR team can take over and close the deal while building a strong brand-employee relationship from the get-go.
Wrapping up
The power and potential of human resources go far beyond monitoring employee performance and managing the company’s culture.
When integrated into the marketing process just right, your HR department can help you propel lead generation and talent acquisition forward.
