Instagram is one of the newer social media channels, introduced in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. Designed as a photo sharing site, allowing users to edit photos with filters and share them instantly, the site grew in popularity quickly—achieving 25,000 users on its first day and within two months, reaching the one million mark. Here we discuss the potential for recruiting with Instagram.
The Implications of Facebook’s Acquisition
Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion; both platforms are now owned by Meta. There are several important implications of this acquisition for Instagram users:
- Expanded reach—Instagram immediately gained access to Facebook’s massive user base, growing from 30 million to 1.4 billion users by 2024.
- Shared user data between platforms, allowing for more integrated advertising, allowing users (and recruiters) to run campaigns across both Facebook and Instagram through a single ad platform. This makes running ads on either platform very seamless—and expands audience reach significantly.
- Enhanced features like Stories and Reels which engage users and keep them coming back to the site and, for site managers, better business and analytics tools to evaluate the effectiveness of the channel.
While LinkedIn has long held the prominent role in recruitment, other channels including Instagram are now being explored and found to offer unique benefits that companies can add to their messaging.
How Recruiters Use Instagram
Instagram was designed, and still remains, a primarily visual social channel that initially appealed to users from a more social standpoint. However, its business use has grown over the years—not just for brand-building and marketing, but also for recruitment. Recruiters using Instagram as part of their job posting mix, enjoy:
- An opportunity to share messages through visual storytelling in a very engaging way.
- A large, and very engaged, audience.
- The ability to build and promote a strong employer brand by sharing content to highlight company values, employee experiences, and workplace culture.
- An opportunity for two-way engagement, which is less likely through traditional job boards. Here recruiters can interact directly with potential candidates through comments, direct messages, and Instagram Life sessions.
Another consideration in using Instagram for recruiting is that it delivers up a different audience.
Depending on the demographics of your target audience, Instagram can help you target individuals who tend to be younger and more visually oriented than Facebook users. Instagram is particularly effective for reaching Millennials and Gen Z—78% of its users are 18-29 years old; only 15% are older than 65. Women are also more likely to use Instagram than males and users tend to be more likely to have a college education or be college graduates.
Effectively appealing to Instagram users requires different tactics than when using other channels.
Best Practices for Recruiting Through Instagram
The most important practice when recruiting on Instagram is to think visually. It is, after all, a highly visually oriented site. Consider the visual images most likely to appeal to your target audience of job seekers.
Zappos is an example of a company that does a great job with this, using Instagram to show what it’s like to work at the company, specifically for internships (a younger audience). Certainly there are others and their examples can be used to help generate ideas for your own social recruitment efforts.
Some additional best practices when using Instagram for recruitment include:
- Consider creating a specific profile for talent recruitment that can be focused on company culture and employee experiences.
- Use a combination of photos, videos, Stories, and Reels to engage visitors.
- Feature employee testimonials and behind-the-scenes photos and videos—encourage employees to get in on the action through user-generated content.
- Host Q&A sessions and virtual job fairs through Instagram Live.
- Research and use appropriate industry- and role-specific hashtags to increase visibility and reach.
- Respond promptly and authentically to comments and direct messages; interact with candidates to build relationships.
- Measure and analyze performance and make improvements over time.
- Use Instagram advertising to augment your organic efforts.
Instagram may not be the go-to channel for all recruitment needs. But if you’re hoping to connect with a tech-savvy, very visually-oriented audience, don’t overlook the many opportunities that Instagram can provide.
Don’t want to go it alone? A professionally managed recruiting campaign can take the hassle out of advertising and deliver instant results. Contact us to discuss your needs.
