It’s hard to believe that social media networking is nearly two decades old! That’s right. Some of us have been sharing and connecting with others online for almost 20 years.
Let’s recap.
LinkedIn first hit the scene in 2003. But due to its niche professional appeal, Myspace is what dominated social media popularity. From 2005-2008, Myspace was the largest social media platform in the world. It was mainly popular with artists and musicians, but also offered a means to connect globally with people and professionals in all industries and interests.
In the meantime, Facebook entered the scene in 2004. And while it started as a college students only networking site, the platform quickly evolved. By 2006, it was open to the general public.
Next, came Twitter. Then Instagram — the first strictly visual social sharing platform — tailing behind in 2010. And the list goes on and on.
So, what do all of these apps have in common for recruiters? The people! Social media gives you access to a diverse range of users from all over the world with all kinds of talents, skills, and connections.
There’s no doubt that job boards have their place in the recruitment world when trying to find and hire a medical sales representative. But, if you’re looking for authenticity, social media is where it’s at. This is where you’ll find candidates being themselves, sharing their interests, showing off their talents, and building relationships.
If nothing else, social media offers extra insight into candidates that you can’t get by reading what’s written in their application.
Here are five ways you can use social media to recruit the best talent for a medical sales representative role:
1. Search relevant hashtags
Hashtags first started out on Twitter, but they’re now synonymous with almost all the major social media platforms. When it comes to your social media recruiting strategy, it is essential that you utilize the power of hashtags.
These easily searchable links are the perfect way to find and connect with potential top talent. It can also be a helpful way to promote your medical sales representative job openings so that job seekers can find and connect with you as well.
Hashtags are really versatile. Depending on how you intend to use them, you might develop different strategies for different platforms. But no matter what, make sure you know which hashtags are popular in your industry. Otherwise, you won’t be able to attract the right talent.
Here are some quick hashtag tips:
According to ShortStack, using one to two hashtags in your tweet can double your engagement. However, don’t go overboard — using more than two drops engagement. Maximize this feature by using the most relevant hashtags to connect with medical sales talent on Twitter.
For example, #biopharma or #biotech are simple, yet detailed, hashtags that can lead you to a specific audience. That being said, don’t do random hashtag plugs just to join the conversation. Your tweets will come across as spam (not an attractive look for a recruiter).
Most Facebook users follow their individual news feed, not a hashtag feed. So if someone’s searching a hashtag on Facebook, they’re specifically trying to discover information or engage with those in that particular industry.
Similar to Twitter, use only one to two relevant hashtags to help increase your reach to the right Facebook users.
In 2019, Instagram started to shift the way users “like” posts — one of the most popular metrics to track and evaluate post engagement. However, even with this shift, recruiters can still utilize hashtags to reach and engage with targeted audiences.
Instagram allows you to share up to 30 hashtags. And unlike Facebook and Twitter, it’s best practice to use as many of those 30 as you can! However, don’t force yourself to think of 30 hashtags if you can’t. You don’t want to be spammy, attract the wrong users, or become part of an irrelevant conversation or search.
Although hashtags are still fairly new to this platform, it’s a great way to help users find your medical sales representative job postings — and vice versa. Search and follow focused hashtags on LinkedIn to discover people and content faster, in a more targeted way.
There’s no limit to how many hashtags you can include on LinkedIn. But we suggest using up to three so that your content and searches stay relevant and don’t get lost.
Pro tip: There are many resources and tools, such as RiteTag, that can help you find, track, and use the best hashtags for your industry.
2. Join groups
More than 1.8 million people use Facebook groups every month. With this in mind, it’s safe to say that the Groups feature on Facebook and LinkedIn can be great places to find both active and passive candidates.
To find the best medical sales representative candidates, follow these tips when considering which groups to join:
- Look for industry-specific groups. For example, if you search for “medical sales” on LinkedIn, you’ll get over 1,000 results for groups! Read the description and purpose of the group before joining to make sure it will be beneficial to your strategy.
- According to Omnicore, there are 90,000 schools listed on LinkedIn. Tap into their alumni networks to see who is sharing trends, asking questions, and putting out content related to your industry.
- Use our hashtag tips above to find groups that will help you reach and connect with your target audience!
- Lastly, most of these groups have guidelines and rules. Be sure to read and follow the instructions regarding how you can share information about open medical sales representative roles or how you can contact members. You don’t want to be flagged or blocked for not following the rules!
Pro tip: Join groups for the sake of learning with/from other recruiters as well! It doesn’t all have to be about finding talent. Growing in your recruiting skills is important, too.
3. Engage in discussions
In order for your social media recruitment strategy to work, you need to actively engage in meaningful conversations with potential candidates. Don’t just create and implement a strategy, build up a network, and forget about it. You need to put in the work if you want to utilize social media correctly to find top talent.
If you’re searching relevant hashtags, don’t be afraid to jump into the conversation and engage!
If you find the perfect group of eager potential medical sales representatives, initiate contact! Send them a message or comment on their post.
Thanks to social media, it’s easier than ever to reach out and connect with potential top talent. Don’t be shy about it.
Pro tip: It’s OK to ‘like’ fun posts! Just be sure the content you engage with accurately reflects your company’s culture and values. You don’t want to give candidates the wrong impression or represent your company in the wrong way.
4. Share industry trends
Don’t just use your social media platform to post job listings. Show that your platform has additional value by sharing industry news, trends, job search tips and tricks, recruiting hacks, etc. This will keep you on potential candidates’ radar — even after they may have found a different job.
By becoming a valuable resource for industry information, users are more likely to follow your account and keep your posts in their news feeds. As a result, when you do post a job listing, you are giving yourself the greatest reach possible.
Pro tip: When sharing industry trends, maximize your reach with the stories feature. More and more users are giving up scrolling and are turning to stories to get their content. For example, Instagram stories are viewed by 300 million users each day!
5. Get personal
Social media was meant to bring people together on a personal level. Don’t forget to include that component in your strategy.
Let your personality shine through! Social media gives you an outlet to show candidates you’re a real person, too. By making your interactions more personable, you are letting potential employees know that you recognize their lives, interests, and passions are real and meaningful.
Pro tip: To add a personal touch, congratulate network connections on work anniversaries, wish them a happy birthday, and celebrate each other’s accomplishments.
