QUESTION: Mike, I would like more direction on how often and the timing for sending social media, emails, and content messages. I just finished putting 4,200 resumes in a new ATS and would like direction on an initial template and how often to reach out to existing candidates. Some are 20-year-old plus resumes and could be potential new clients. Do you have a template suggestion, especially since I have not spoken to many of these contacts in some time? My goal is to get a current resume and set up a quick call. My initial thought is to send out about 300 emails at a time so I do not get overwhelmed managing this. – Jim
ANSWER: You said 4,200 resumes, so I am going to assume 4,200 candidates with some hiring managers mixed in there with them. To be honest, the type of message you are thinking of sending most likely will not elicit the response you are hoping for because there is no motivation.
The people in your ATS do not care, especially if they are not in a relationship with you. No offense to you, Jim. What I am saying is if I sent an email to 4,200 people, they would not give a crap about me, nor should they.
Before you ask for an updated resume or to set up a call with you, I would warm them up with some really valuable content. This content does not need to be created by you. You share a YouTube short, two to five-minute video on interviewing or sourcing candidates, or some quick tip to help them with talent management.
The body of your personalized email could read:
Hi Jim,
I came across this video and thought you might benefit from the insights shared. There are a couple of really great strategies for advancing the interview process. It is only 3 and ½ minutes long. I would love to hear your thoughts after you watch it.
Mike Gionta.
P.S. Then you can have a little tagline: If you are looking to change careers, give us a call. My direct dial at my desk is _(blank)_.
The point is you want to nurture those relationships. I send out a ton of emails each week, but I do not stay up late at night sending them out individually one at a time. In those emails, I rarely sell anything in an email. I am usually educating and building a relationship.
It is in the P.S. where I include a call to action such as an invitation to join our public Facebook group or an announcement of our next event with a link to learn more.
This is a project that I would not do myself, but I would outsource to a freelancer on Upwork or through our done-for-you marketing program. Regardless of how you outsource this project, the writer can generate topics that are interesting to your clients: Leadership, management, team building, hiring, onboarding. From there the formula is simple, send out an email once a week. Once a week is acceptable because you are not selling anything. Make sure you have a strong call to action in your P.S., but I would not be hung up on getting a rapid response. This strategy may take time to generate a response but is very effective for nurturing contacts in your ATS.
Going back to your question, you said that you were going to send out 300 a week so you do not get overwhelmed. The reality is that you may have a bunch of candidates call you. However, what if they are not qualified for anything you are currently working on? If you want to generate some candidates that you can market, you do not have to target all 4,200, but you can send to a smaller list to start.
To extend this to social media, if you have a Facebook page for your business, I would repost the same content to your Facebook page with the following if you were to share, say, a TED Talk video:
Check out this TED Talk on the concept of creating diversity in the workforce. This is great, especially when he talks about at the seven-minute mark about blah, blah, blah.
That is how to maximize your use of social media, not just for a direct ask.
Great question. Thank you.
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