Trends highlighted by a report by Marketing Sherpa show that around 11% of firms marketing budget is now being specifically allocated to social media.  Keeping ahead of online marketing trends and how businesses are responding to the changes of the social web can give you an edge over your more traditional peers in the careers industry.

If more businesses are including spending on social media in their spending plans, what does it mean for us as career professionals?

We need to be aware that businesses are actively researching and exploring how they can use social media as part of their business.  Generally, this falls into 2 camps, using social media to reduce areas of traditional spend, and increase revenues directly from the web.

Top Tips to stay ahead of the game:

• Learn from the fact that big businesses are now experimenting with building online presence to review your own use of social media.  Use social networks yourself personally and to market your business so you are knowledgeable about how they work and how they can be used to support a job campaign
• Build your online presence so it fits with your main marketing message and amplifies your online ability to support new clients – at the minimum you want your website/blog as your hub and a strong presence on LinkedIn, and depending on your own time and resource, Twitter, Facebook (Fanpage/ Group) and You-Tube video.
• Ensure that the services you offer and the information you give covers the benefits and risks to a job seeker or changer of the online world.  Help them understand how to maximise their online presence with their own Twitter accounts, LinkedIn account and membership of industry groups.  You can help them stand out from their competitors at an interview.
• Encourage job seekers to review not only the company website but to Google the company more widely to find out any negative buzz online, what other sites are saying about them, what customers, suppliers and current or past employers say about them, and where they are present online (a simple search on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, You-Tube and Wikipedia can help you to do this.

Use the opportunities suggested by trends such as this report, and you’ll be able to understand how firms are thinking and how you can leverage this both for your own business and for your clients.  And that’s a win-win for all.