If you want to see some of the most creative, innovative, and thoughtful marketing work being done today, look to talent attraction and place marketing.
Cities, regions and states around the country are creating gorgeous websites, resonant messaging, and strategic social media campaigns with the goal of showcasing their quality of life, job opportunities, outdoor recreation, and — yes — cool breweries.
If you work for a chamber, economic development organization, city, or state, there’s a good chance you’re investing in and working on talent attraction marketing, and I’m not just saying this: you’re probably doing a great job.
Your talent attraction marketing efforts may include:
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Branding and messaging
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A website dedicated to talent attraction/quality of life
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A job board
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A relocation guide
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An ad campaign
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Social media accounts and campaigns
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PR campaigns
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An incentive program
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Curated images and content
These are all valuable pieces of the talent attraction puzzle, but we need to talk about a critical aspect of talent attraction that’s not often talked about, focused on, or invested in: talent attraction infrastructure.
Your talent attraction infrastructure is the systems you put in place to engage, track and convert the leads you’re grabbing with your effective marketing work. Think of your talent marketing like the bright, shiny billboard telling everyone “Here’s why you should live here.” And then, think of talent infrastructure like the roads, bridges and tunnels that lead them to their new home.
Talent attraction infrastructure is the “what’s next” piece of talent attraction. It’s where the results of your marketing efforts can be seen, measured and managed. It’s why we created RoleCall.
If you’re not putting infrastructure in place to support and leverage your marketing efforts, it massively diminishes their efficacy — like a bridge without a foundation. You know that your marketing is resonating, but other than website and social media analytics, you have no way to track and report real success. Because, let’s face it, real success means new residents.
Talent attraction infrastructure may include:
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A centralized Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool to funnel all talent leads from all marketing sources
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A strategy for managing and engaging with those leads
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A system for handing talent leads off to employers
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A unified coalition of organizations, employers and stakeholders supporting the work
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Local ambassadors answering questions and engaging with new residents
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A system to follow up with incentive program applicants who didn’t make the cut
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Metrics beyond clicks and impressions to measure actual success and conversions
Doing talent attraction marketing without setting up your talent attraction infrastructure is the equivalent of Best Buy running an ad for a microwave without a “buy now” button, or a hair salon investing in Google ads with their contact info clearly listed, but no receptionist or appointment setting software.
It’s a city saying “We want you here” and “We’re welcoming” and then letting the phone go unanswered when a prospective resident calls. It’s a state investing millions in a publicity campaign to convince people it’s a great place to live but not having a call-to-action for all the people who are convinced, and no way to track success.