In today’s competitive job market, establishing a cohesive and attractive online presence is crucial, especially for local community employers aiming to attract young talent. This is a well-known fact, prompting many to focus primarily on social media and their website as the main destinations. However, there’s another powerful player that can drive organic traffic and awareness to your brand: Profiles. 

Many organizations have profiles or opportunities to create profiles for their organization or as employers. These sites often serve as the first exposure potential talent has to your brand and are designed to encourage discovery. By ensuring your brand is present and consistent across multiple platforms, you can open new avenues for traction that lead to three key outcomes: 

• Making your brand more memorable
• Drawing your audience toward clear actions
• Connecting your brand with a clear and concise purpose and values

Here’s how to ensure you’re maximizing these profiles:

1. Start by unifying and condensing your brand.
   Profiles provide a snapshot of your organization, so how can you leverage the strengths of your website and marketing materials to create a clear, concise view of your organization? 
   

• Mission and Vision: Keep these short and digestible for a younger audience.
• Key Images: Ensure your icon, colors, and imagery represent your mission and vision effectively, echoing your brand. Use images to compensate when your company name may not clearly indicate your industry.
• Memorable Elements: Take advantage of opportunities to include a description, cultural insights, types of jobs, and more. Highlight what makes your company stand out and a strong community player. Craft accessible language that captures your brand’s essence and values for a younger audience.

2. Identify All Avenues and Opportunities
   There may be more platforms than you realize. Use these three pathways to identify where your presence can be established: 
   

• Core Social Profiles: Assess whether your social platforms tell a cohesive story about your organization. Even if you don’t actively maintain all of them, ensure your core information and images are consistent across platforms.
• Hiring Sources: Do you have a presence on local school or employer talent platforms? These internal channels are vital opportunities. Ask if you can provide a profile or key information to present your organization positively.
• Early Talent Development: Many school districts use platforms or tools for college and career planning—often free for organizations to participate in. Examples include SchooLinks, Handshake, and WayUp. Engage with local schools to see how you can establish a presence on these platforms.

3. Create Clear Steps 
   

Limit Links: Profiles often offer numerous links and information, but be strategic—guide your audience to the most relevant destinations. Limit your shared links to one or two social profiles that are regularly updated, and direct users to the easiest-to-navigate application portal. Consistent destinations enable you to measure engagement and use that data for adjustments or increased traffic. 

Pathways: Define a clear call to action or destination. Do you want students to follow your Instagram? Or direct them to your job board? Make sure that goal is clearly communicated. Provide instructions on how to navigate to these key points. Consider engaging students in ways that provide them with the information they need while enhancing their experience.

Finally, post!
This one-time effort can yield incredible, long-lasting impact as more students and candidates search online for their career pathways. 

If you’re interested in learning how to optimize your profile and access points, book a complimentary session with us or join one of our monthly webinars to discover best practices for connecting with early talent.

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