We’ve all heard the horror stories of what happens when recruiters – and even directors – treat their corporate social media the way we all treat our personal social media. A private joke gets broadcast to entire rosters of clients and potential clients. It’s in the wrong context, it’s out of place, and it can bring down a firestorm of criticism.

We shouldn’t need to warn you about that pitfall. But there are a few keys to treating social media as a business that you might want to think about…

Social Media Is Marketing

Regular activity on social media is publicity you can’t buy – and publicity you don’t have to.

You can build brand awareness with insightful tweets, pictures of happy candidates now secured in their new roles, press releases on Google+ - where Google will give them a little extra weight when people search for recruitment agencies – and much more can all help you establish a presence.

Build a strong profile on LinkedIn and post steadily – don’t overuse a platform, but make sure your name and your company’s name are seen often for that subliminal marketing effect.

A Hidden Money Saver

Many recruitment agencies have a habit of paying for LinkedIn licences on behalf of their consultants – and this is a good move! However, it can have some hidden costs.

Make sure LinkedIn has your company VAT number – they invoice from Ireland and therefore charge Irish VAT, which is not reclaimable on their returns. The only way to get around this is to make sure your UK VAT number is in there with your billing information.

Pictures Tell Stories

Your social media will end up with a lot of photos of you at work on it.

Make sure you always look presentable and businesslike in anything that might be tagged to business social media, and wherever you can, try to create photo opportunities which show you at work in a professional context – a blank wall with some art behind it makes a better backdrop to your ‘hard at work’ daily photo than the crowded Starbucks on the other side of the camera.

You don’t want it to look all-business all the time – your social media is there to show your agency has personality and are people that contractors and clients will enjoy working with – but at the same time, you have to look like someone clients will be willing to work with.

Your social media needs to show you as a friend you can have faith in.