Social media platforms beyond LinkedIn present an opportunity for manufacturers to reach local talent and engage with employees in creative ways.
Redline Plastics LLC faced a challenge to establish itself as a new employer brand in Manitowoc, Wis., when it was rebranded from Dowco in 2018, Mary Kahler, marketing manager at Redline, told PN.
"We're competing [in the Manitowoc/Sheboygan area] locally for talent because there are quite a few manufacturers in this area," Kahler said. "There's so much history with large companies … [and] nationwide brands that people are familiar with because they've probably had family members or friends [working there] … or just because they've been around a long time."
Redline is currently hiring for "a number of positions," Kahler said. "We add an ad spend to reach new people. If we boost a post or create an employment ad [on Facebook], we are able to drive a lot of traffic to our careers page."
Using Google Analytics, Redline can track where the leads come from. From Redline's career page, users can navigate to its series of YouTube videos that feature a "day in the life" of different work opportunities, such as machine operation, "to give people a better perspective" of the position, Kahler said. "They get a feel for the organization … having that baseline of continuous employer brand content."
The company is using Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok posts to both compete for local talent and retain current employees, she said.
Aside from LinkedIn marketing efforts, Redline's Facebook posts get the most engagement, Baxter Colburn, marketing content strategist at Redline, said.
Sometimes posts that the company makes on Instagram Reels have "massive impressions," Colburn said, "but that is very hit or miss."