The Commerce Times

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Facebook is one of the new marketing trends. Courtesy of Amanda Hutteri.

March 5, 2010 2 | By Jennifer Alberti

Viral Marketing [noun]:
The strategic use of gaining access to social networks that will voluntarily pass along an advertising message.

Welcome to 2010, a decade predicted to become a catalyst for the technology-driven workforce. It’s a time when events never happen unless they are blogged about. You’re no one without 50 LinkedIn connections, and you weren’t late to your online video conference this morning because your Smartphone is programmed to the TTC’s ‘Commuter Update’ RSS feed. Warning: If you haven’t yet integrated yourself with the world of Web 2.0, you may be stuck in the early Y2K years.

Internet users spend roughly 12 hours per week online. Approximately one-third of this population belongs to social networking sites, and is thus susceptible to viral marketing campaigns. Canadian employers have realized some of the benefits of using viral marketing and social media to attract recruits. In 2010, recent university graduates will notice corporations branding their workplaces as “the best/friendliest/#1 environment”. These advertisements, instead of in print, are on websites potential employees are bound to visit. Companies now use tools such as Facebook group pages and LinkedIn profiles to connect with, and learn about, prospective employees.

The effectiveness of a campaign is measured by statistics, which track click-through rates, pays-per-click and time spent on one page, referred to as a metrics analysis system. The system is customized to target audiences that fit the recruiter’s needs. Compared to the cost of attending a trade show, becoming a member of social networking sites is a free and effective way to recruit recent graduates.

John Singer, owner the of successful Toronto-based firm Kognitive Marketing, praises how viral marketing has helped expand the number of talented people employed nationwide. Kognitive posts job openings and descriptions on popular networking sites such as Facebook pages, Craigslist and Kijiji in combination with on-campus student recruitment. Kognitive ‘pushes’ the message of excellence in work experience out to the public, and hopes for a ‘pull’ back from prospective employees, answering their requests.

Singer believes viral marketing through online social networks increases the amount of employee referrals. With the click of a mouse, current employees can recommend working for Kognitive’s team to their friends.
“This kind of marketing changes the industry for the better as long as you understand the implications. If you understand how students are using it today and how the tools can be used properly by your organization, you can and will improve results,” Singer said. “At the end of the day, social media is just like the real world, the stronger the connection, the more likely people are to take action.”

When Web 2.0-inclined companies search for employees online, compromising information that students put on their profile pages is being monitored and judged. Although Singer understands what is now the ‘norm’ of online usage (party pictures, inappropriate jokes), those employers who do not may turn down a perfectly legitimate candidate on the sole basis of their online pages. For students, it is important to always convey a fresh, professional image to the online world.

This is relatively easy, if students know how to change their privacy settings. According to a 2009 study, about a quarter of social media users made no effort to use privacy settings, and over half of users do not understand how these mechanisms work. The study, which surveyed young adults, was conducted by Dr. Avner Levin of Ryerson University and Professor Patricia Abril of Harvard.

“Corporations look to hire a complete person. This includes how they spend their time outside of corporate hours. Thus, their online identity is a part of the overall equation of who they are and potential employers have the right and legitimacy to access this information,” John Peco, E-Marketing Professor at Ryerson said.
Students should be aware of the implications of this, as a situation could arise when an employer questions a potential employee’s character, due to a poorly projected personal image or one that does not align with that of the company.

The users targeted by viral marketing are those who convey a ‘brand image’ similar to that of the recruiting industry. Professor of Marketing Communications at Ryerson, Marla Spergal, notes, “To become more desirable for an employer, a good idea is to follow their tweets, become a fan of their company, and join one of their groups. This allows the company to see that you are motivated to work, are knowledgeable about their industry and show the dedication they desire from an employee.”

A combination of displaying a professional image on social networking and viral media sites, utilizing privacy blocking settings and following industry related issues on these sites is the perfect formula for success in an environment where job recruiters have gone online.