It’s becoming one of the most talked-about and implemented digital marketing tools for businesses of all shapes and sizes. We are, of course, talking about that mysterious, slightly terrifying beast that is social media.
But what if I told you that to help make your social media accounts work for your business, talking about and showcasing your workplace culture is the most crucial tool of all?
Stay with me here. From helping with your organic recruitment to creating sticky customers and building your top of funnel users, integrating your culture into your social media platforms has shifted from just a “fun, silly thing to do” to a necessity in this increasingly saturated online space.
As more and more of the online generation enter the workforce, gone are the days of old-fashioned asking around to see what a workplace is like. Rather, we’re seeing young people (my generation) head straight to socials, particularly video-centric platforms like Instagram and TikTok, to see exactly who you are as a business behind the carefully curated scenes of your website.
Culture is (and has always been) one of the most important aspects of recruiting and looking for a new job. All of a sudden, it’s no longer “did you hear that they’ve won all of these awards,” and instead “did you hear they have a 4-day work week, and an Office Olympics, AND seem to genuinely care about my mental wellbeing?” (shameless Excite Media plug there).
If people who are looking for a new job come across your social media accounts and see a workplace culture that aligns with their personal and professional goals, you’ll find that the people who are applying for jobs with you start to look more and more like the right fit. All because you posted a few videos and carousel posts, displaying exactly what your workplace culture looks like — no payment required.
Showing what your workplace culture looks like on socials will help filter in and/or out the people looking for jobs — meaning that you get to spend less time on going through countless resumes, and more time on building your business. All with the peace of mind that your social media platforms are working away for you in the background to bring you the right people.
Ahh, that old chestnut: “people feel connected to people”
It’s a tale as old as time – and if you’ve ever worked in a digital marketing space, you’ll have heard this classic adage as often as Instagram updates its platform: people feel connected to people.
It might sound simplistic, but I can guarantee you that it has been proven to work, time and time again. People feel connected to people, and the same principle applies to your social media platforms. Anyone and everyone can post about the same services you offer, but what will help set you apart in a saturated online space is your culture (showcasing your expertise is another crucial element of this, but that’s a conversation for another time).
Think back to your daily scrolling routine – the businesses that will stick in your mind aren’t the ones that had the most extensive service offering, or serviced the largest areas, but rather, are the ones that have that super fun monthly trivia event, or unpacked the reason behind their care-driven work flexibility. You will naturally be drawn to this type of content, and for good reason. Humans crave connection, and in an increasingly online world, that connection and culture are what will make you stand out from the crowd.
How your culture can help create sticky customers through socials
The goal for any business should be to increase the stickiness of its customers. And whilst social media might not immediately jump into your mind as a tool to do this, I’m here to tell you that it can be one of the most powerful, underutilised tools in your arsenal.
But what do we mean when we say sticky customers? No, it’s not those horrific sticky hands that would end up broken on ceilings – we’re talking about customers who feel invested in your business, who stay with you for a long time, who recommend you to their friends, who feel a deep, personal connection to the success of your business. Sticky customers are in it for the long run – and showcasing your culture on socials is a great way of developing and nurturing that stickiness.
Think about it – the more you talk about and demonstrate your culture on socials, suddenly, you’re not just any old plumber from around the block – you’re good ol’ Joe with the early Friday knock-offs to go to the water park with his kids – something you talked about in a video, explaining why you’re pro work-life balance and how that extends to your business.
I don’t know about you, but I would immediately feel more connected to Joe and would be more likely to hire him to fix my leaky sink. Because I know, without having looked at his website or his pricing, or even having chatted to him on the phone, that this is a company and a culture that I want to support and get behind.
It’s as simple as that — truly. If people can see that there is a good, strong workplace culture shown through socials, they’re more likely to assume that this also extends to the work that your people are doing. People who work in a supportive and stable work environment are naturally going to thrive more, and that extends to the work they do.
Your culture defines so many aspects of your business, and if you’ve got a great culture, you should be shouting about it from every rooftop available (or in this case, social media platforms).
Top of funnel social media marketing is useless without your workplace culture
The marketing funnel is probably something you’ve heard of before – and if not, here’s a short and sharp refresher. Essentially, we’re talking about the journey that your customers take before they convert. Firstly, there’s the top of funnel, which is where a customer first discovers you, then, there’s the middle of funnel, the evaluation and consideration stage, before finally, the bottom of funnel, the final purchase stage.
What if I told you that talking about your workplace culture on social media could be one of the best tools for attracting top of funnel customers? Think about it – we’re trying to get more people to be aware of your business. And one of the best ways to do that is through organic social media posting. Users are finding new businesses through social media every single day, through things like the Explore tab on Instagram or their TikTok FYPs.
But what gets them to stick around and be invested in your content? You guessed it – it’s your culture. Users aren’t on social media to be marketed at, and yes, there are clever and creative ways to navigate around that as we move to the bottom of the funnel. But for top of funnel marketing, we just want people to know your name, and the easiest way to achieve that is by showing your culture.
It could be a video of your latest culture event (those internal trivia sessions get highly competitive), or a monthly carousel post that shows off just how many dogs came into the office that month (cliche, but there’s nothing better in my opinion). Whatever it is, it’s all contributing to not only getting your brand name out there but also starting to get people interested in your business.
We’re not trying to convert people (this happens later with your strategic digital marketing campaigns, like SEO or a BOFU Google Ads campaign), but rather, we’re simply trying to educate people about your business. And what better way to do that than to talk about the culture that sets your team apart.
Not talking about your culture on socials? You’re missing out.
Having a good workplace culture will always be something to shout from the rooftops about, but if you aren’t actively talking about it on your social media platforms, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity – one that your competitors might already be utilising to their full advantage.
So what are you waiting for? We’re aiming for progress, not perfection here — pick up a camera, start taking photos or videos of the after-work BBQ, or the in-office lunch from GYG, and start posting. There’s no time like the present.
