Knowing how to stay ahead--Digital marketing strategies

No matter what the industry, there is no denying that technology and the ever-growing digital landscape has become a very important factor in how we conduct business from day to day.  We now have multiple tools at our disposal to market ourselves, our business and services.  Knowing which avenues to take and which output to concentrate on is important in any digital strategy, but before we can put together a game plan we need to better understand the playing field.

Recently, the Pronexia team had the pleasure of sitting down with Thomas Hormaza, Director Quebec at Catalyst Canada; Québec Digital Education Committee/SEO Course Lecturer at the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada for a presentation on the current digital status in Quebec.  

Go mobile or go home

Mobile has been and continues to be on the rise in Quebec (up from 40% in 2006 to 57% in 2012).  At the rate things are going, there is no denying that most Quebecers will be accessing all of their online content through a mobile device.  That means having a mobile friendly website, email newsletter & blog.  If it can’t be accessed while on the go, you’re losing a large chunk of your audience.  A mobile device is also the perfect platform for watching videos (up from 16% in 2011 to 37% in 2012) and YouTube is the second largest search site in the world (we’ll let you guess which one is number one).

It’s time to get social

If your digital strategy does not include social, it’s time to start now.  With Facebook leading the way in total Quebec population reach, social networks are becoming more and more a part of our daily routine.  Sites with a heavy focus in sharing single items & images have already seen much success in the social scene.  For example, Pinterest saw a 782% increase in unique visitors in Quebec during 2012.  When you compare that to Facebook (who of course has a much larger user base then Pinterest), an 8% increase in unique visitors – that says something.

Start your search

Whether it’s paid search via SEM or organic growth through SEO, search is at the core of any digital presence.  If you’re not familiar with RTB (real-time bidding) then it’s definitely something to look into.  RTB is the process of buying online placements to reach your target audience and the potential to attract even more traffic to your website is immense. 

So what does this mean for recruitment?

The recruitment industry has a reputation of being “old school”.  Here at Pronexia, we feel ahead of the curve, but this presentation really opened our eyes on other areas where we can improve.  Creating exclusive content is key in attracting viewership and gaining followers.  Once that audience has tuned in, you need to earn their trust, tap into emotions and use targeted tools to truly differentiate yourself.  Now more than ever, it is important to share your opinion on certain subjects and not become part of the white noise.