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How to repurpose content on your recruitment website to build an engaging newsletter

We’ve talked before about utilising and repurposing content on your website for social media. A regular newsletter is another way to make the most of the content you work hard to produce. A great email newsletter can increase your database, engage candidates and clients, build your brand and instil trust and loyalty in your readers.

But what makes a recruitment email newsletter great? What elements do you need to include to ensure yours fulfils your goals? How do you manage it? Our guide to creating and managing a stand-out e-newsletter using content from your recruitment website should help you to get started.

  1. Define your audience

    What are you trying to achieve with your newsletter and therefore who are you targeting? This should be the first question you answer as it will alter the content of your newsletter. Is your aim to keep clients informed of current industry news and offer tips on onboarding/hiring techniques/employee retention, etc? Perhaps you want to re-engage previous clients with content that shows you as an industry leader and an expert in your field. Maybe you want to focus on candidates, sending them tips and techniques to help them through the recruitment process, plus the freshest jobs on your website. Your goal will inform your audience, which will inform everything else – content, tone, style, and so on. You may decide you want to create more than one newsletter to target different demographics.

  2. Make it un-deletable

    How many times have you seen a newsletter from a supplier in your inbox and immediately clicked ‘delete’? Generally, that is because either you’ve read one before and it wasn’t relevant, interesting or engaging, or because the subject line was so boring you immediately lost interest. Research has shown that the average open rate is only 18%.  We are all busy so a newsletter needs to be worth the time it takes to read it. The subject line is vital – it is the first thing that will be read and if that doesn’t connect with the reader in some way it may not even be opened. Make it interesting and exciting but also concise, keeping it to just a few words – think snappy and catchy.

  3. Choose relevant content

    Go back to step 1 and remind yourself what the goal of your newsletter is and who you’re writing for. Now choose relevant content from your website, from company news to helpful articles. Avoid anything too salesy or you may put your readers off. Direct selling is not the aim here. You want your readers to look forward to your newsletters because they learn something new or are entertained in some way. You may need to bulk the newsletter out with curated content from other websites and blogs. In fact, it is a good idea to do the work for your readers and present them with the best articles/podcasts/webinars from their industry. Just avoid linking to anything on competitors’ websites!  

  4. Make it visually interesting

    When they open up the email, make sure it looks great – a clear layout, with images and snappy headings. Make it a feast for the eyes as well as the mind. Break text up into short chunks, interspersing it with relevant imagery. Ensure it is branded with your company colours and includes your logo. Keep the flow with a consistent design and easy to read structure and link to articles with just a short description in the newsletter itself to reduce the amount of text on the page. 

  5. Settle on a call to action

    Depending on the type of newsletter you are sending a call to action may not be relevant but if you want your readers to perform an action after reading it then you need to focus on the wording. A newsletter aimed at candidates might encourage them to ensure their CV is updated or that their registered details are correct. Maybe you want clients you haven’t worked with in a while to contact you. Whatever it is, make it clear and link it to the correct page on your website so that they can easily perform that action. 

An e-newsletter can form a strong part of your content marketing strategy but you need to stand out in the clutter of an overflowing inbox. Ensure the content is relevant and helpful, informative and insightful, and that the newsletter is visually appealing. What it isn’t is a sales email. Don’t overly push your services or you will lose readers. This is your chance to connect with clients and candidates, to build a relationship. You want to make a good impression, inspire confidence with thought pieces and boost your brand. Your email newsletter can be a powerful weapon in your recruitment marketing arsenal if it is done well.  

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