Big Company Branding Tactics for Small Companies

By now, most large employers understand the role employer brand plays in candidate attraction and have adopted a number of tactics to promote their brand. But brand promotion isn’t only for large employers. In fact, many big company branding tactics work equally well for small companies.

Here are 10 tactics small employers can implement without much difficulty—and at little or no expense.

Website Enhancements

Your company’s website is your billboard, your calling card, and a primary vehicle for attracting job candidates. With a few enhancements, you can maximize its effectiveness.
Add a jobs page to your company website. Large companies have full-blown careers sites, but a jobs page will serve the same purpose for a small company. On this page, include any open positions, along with instructions for applying; benefits offerings; details about the work environment; and other information that will help attract job candidates.
Feature employee photos at your site. Get rid of the stock photos – show the people who actually work at your company. Photos of smiling staff members, engaged in work-related tasks, make a positive first impression.
Include employee videos at your site. Let employees share their stories and tell what it’s like to work at your company. Short, video testimonials are highly engaging. These can be featured on your jobs page or another page of your site.
Clearly articulate your company’s mission and values. What does your company do, and why? Answer these questions honestly and let everyone, including would-be job candidates, know.
List any charitable organizations your company supports and any volunteer programs in which your company participates. A company that helps others develops a reputation as caring and supportive. These qualities are attractive to job seekers.

Creating Brand Awareness

Not all branding tactics center on your company’s website—or require technology, for that matter. The following will also help further your employer brand.
Issue press releases to enhance your company’s reputation. Small companies use press releases to announce additions to staff, a new office location, new products and services, and more. Press releases are written with attention to media coverage; this coverage, in turn, offers free publicity. To get media coverage, send your press releases to local newspapers, television stations, and other news outlets.
Write an article or blog post for an industry publication or local newspaper. When an employee shares expertise, it reflects favorably on your company. Again, this is an opportunity for free publicity.
Speak at a membership organization’s event. Speakers are mentioned in event marketing material and related articles, and they receive attention at the event itself. When someone from your company speaks at an event, he or she represents the company and helps position it as a leader in the field.
Join various professional organizations. When a company is a member of a professional organization, its name is listed at the organization’s website and, when applicable, in print directories and related material. This creates brand awareness, while also elevating the company brand.
Participate in community events that get media coverage. When someone from your company participates in a local walk-a-thon for charity, attends a groundbreaking ceremony for a new community center or volunteers at the local soup kitchen on Thanksgiving and receives media coverage, it reflects positively on your company’s reputation. It goes without saying that there are other reasons to take part in these kinds of activities. But the media coverage, as well as social media coverage and old-fashioned word-of-mouth coverage, can help boost a company’s brand.
These are only a few big company branding tactics for small companies.
You’ll notice that social media barely received mention. This is intentional. Social media is one way, although by no means the only way, for small companies to promote their employer brand.
In addition, small companies sometimes don’t have the staff necessary to maintain a social media campaign. These tactics, on the other hand, require little time commitment.

Paula Santonocito, Contributing Editor for Recruiting Daily Advisor, is a business journalist specializing in employment issues. She is the author of more than 1,000 articles on a wide range of human resource and career topics, with an emphasis on recruiting and hiring. Her articles have been featured in many global and domestic publications and information outlets, referenced in academic and legal publications as well as books, and translated into several languages.