For some recruitment businesses, the decision to undertake PR can be a hard one. Recruitment is hugely results driven and ROI is easily measurable. PR is different, and it can take some time to see results. With this in mind, we thought we’d feature a Q&A in each newsletter with a recruiter who uses PR, and why they do so.
This edition we speak to Maggie Berry, Managing Director of Women in Technology.
Q: Why do you use PR?
A: We use PR to make female technologists aware of the opportunities available to them in the sector, as well as helping businesses to understand the importance of gender equality in the workplace. We have so much to offer the industry that one of our major goals is to ensure that every woman in technology comes into contact with us at some point during their career. This can be through a networking event, through our site, or through reading our advice in the press coverage generated through PR. Another reason is that it has a completely different effect to advertising. Anyone with the right budget can buy advertising space, but PR places you as an expert in your field within prestigious and targeted trade publications.
Q: How do you measure ROI?
A: We measure ROI by how our clients and candidates react to the press coverage they’ve seen, and we monitor increases in our web traffic following PR activity. We get a lot of feedback on articles people have read that bring to light the positive work we do. That is how we know we’re getting our message out there.
Q: What advice would you give to recruitment businesses considering PR?
A: Don’t expect advertising and instant results. PR is a completely different kettle of fish and if you’re looking to use it to promote a short-term initiative, you may want to think about your aims. For example, if you’re trying to immediately convert sales, PR may not be for you. However, PR can work wonders for longer term aims, particularly given that recruiters aren’t always the most popular of professionals. If you have a niche and want to set yourself apart from the crowd and establish yourself in key media as an industry expert, PR is definitely for you. If you’re thinking about investing in PR, it is worth noting that identifying an agency that is an expert in your field may be more beneficial than a generalist PR agency. This is certainly the case with us and BlueSky, who know the recruitment sector and can identify with the challenges we face as a business exceptionally well.