In my 8+ years as a digital marketing professional, I’ve worked with clients in need of more compelling and stronger employer branding on social media. Personally, this is one of my favorite things about working in integrated marketing communications, as I am being handed the keys to help brands differentiate themselves as the employer from a saturated market and attract and retain talent.

These brands usually come and ask, “How do we show them that we are more than just the products we sell? That we are also a company that cares for its employees, takes pride in our strengths, and instills a nurturing environment where everyone thrives?”

The solution is to simply not just tell what they can offer, because any other brand can just plaster their name on a product and claim that they are the GOAT at something. Rather, crafting and sharing a compelling story that adds more dimension to how they represent themselves as an employer. Something authentic, something raw, and something spoken from the heart. Bluff-free, just the many voices that are one with their values, culture, and vision that make them whole.

Below are some examples from my professional life:

1. Brand A is largely known for making high-quality building materials, but their nation-building advocacies are lesser known to the general public. Our team was tasked to strengthen their employer branding in a long-term partnership that brought out the best in each other. From a once product-heavy content strategy, I led the charge in disseminating their various community outreach initiatives through social media, engaging wider audiences and bringing more awareness to their advocacy programs. Employee voices—be it their accomplishments or their experiences working under Brand A – were also recognized more than ever, as were the beneficiaries of those who were supported by their advocacies.
   
2. Brand B was relatively new to the business process outsourcing industry when I took over the reins of their digital services. At the time, their main goal was to attract more talent into joining their growing company. That was my first taste of employer branding—and boy, was it not the easy peasy you’d thought it was! The noob in me was first resigned to market their benefits and qualifications every single time. A few months into that campaign, however, something sparked. One day, I came across this beautiful story on social media shared by an employee who recently celebrated their work anniversary with Brand B. The message penned was like a love letter, expressing their appreciation for helping them realize their career path. All of a sudden, it flicked the switch and realized that the way to a prospective talent’s heart is to be the ideal employer that shares the same values as yours, emboldens a culture of learning and growth, and opens doors to opportunities. Lots and lots of them. Thus followed a stream of success stories from fellow employees who celebrated wins, big or small, with Brand B.

TLDR: Employer branding is not telling how awesome your work is. It is a combination of telling the world what makes you unique, allowing employees to become your advocates through the power of raw storytelling, and championing your values through concrete actions.