Wanna know what drives me crazy? Do you really?
It’s that conversation that I have over and over with staffing firm owners and executives who consider marketing to be “optional.” They say…
“Yeah, we’ll get around to it when things slow down/pick up,” or…
“We’ll invest in marketing once we have more revenue,” or my personal favorite…
“Staffing is relationship driven, so we really don’t need marketing.”
Hey, I get it. Marketing feels like this hazy thing that sucks up money with no real ROI. Sales and operations are bringing in actual dollars today, while marketing is this fuzzy, long-term play. Now for some truth — if you’re treating marketing as an afterthought, you’re stalling the entire sales process and leaving serious money on the table.
What’s happening right now in staffing?
Competition is fierce.
Candidates are elusive.
Clients are skeptical.
Your sales and recruiting teams are out there fighting with one arm tied behind their backs if you are not investing in marketing. They’re trying to open doors or source candidates while competitors are walking in with brand recognition, superior content, and a social media presence that positions them as industry and market leaders.
I’ve heard too many staffing leaders create a false dichotomy between sales and marketing. “We’re sales driven,” they say proudly. Too bad, because effective marketing added to a strong sales program makes the outcomes exponentially more lucrative.
Marketing isn’t just a creative logo or a catchy tagline. It’s about clearly articulating why your staffing firm exists, who you can best serve, and how you solve the client’s problems better and differently than the other 30,000 staffing firms out there. It’s also about building a brand that resonates with clients and candidates. Finally, marketing creates content that positions you and your firm as the go-to in your market or vertical.
The most successful staffing firms I’ve worked with don’t see marketing as a side function that competes with sales for resources. No, they see marketing as the key to making every sales conversation more effective. They understand that being good at what you do isn’t good enough — you must be visible, memorable, and unique.
Let me ask you a final question:
In a world where your prospects are bombarded with options, without an effective marketing program, how will they…
Find you?
Remember you?
Choose you?
It’s time to stop treating marketing as just another expense and start seeing it for what it really is — an investment that pays dividends. Every time.