By John Chambers
There are many quotes about finding one's balance in life. But oddly enough, many of them are about imbalance – about predominantly focusing on initiatives that are the most important so you're never completely in balance. In the search for proverbs from ancient philosophers to illustrate this, I found a line from a more modern figure:
"I've learned that you can't have everything and do everything at the same time."
– Oprah Winfrey
This has never been more apparent than in today's economic environment.
As you and your members plan for 2010, budgets are still limited while the economy slowly gains traction. So if you can't have everything, why not focus your recruitment and promotions on targeted areas? Niche solutions will pave a path to the hospitality audiences you really want to reach. It might be something Oprah never thought about, because focused advertising such as geo-targeted Web banners, regional recruitment, and career communities for specific industries are effectively doing "everything at the same time." At least everything necessary, even if these areas don't represent a balance of every available resource.
Targeted outlets usually mean less of a chance for not-so-qualified professionals, making it easier for you and your members to do more with less money.
"Recruiters want to target specific types of candidates … that's why the niche sites are fairing a bit better," the AIM Group states.
The Wall Street Journal has reported a similar trend.
"Corporate hiring managers also say they're using niche job sites more because the big boards produce too many unqualified applicants," the Journal noted way back in 2007.
Think about it. What are top areas for industry promotions and recruitment? They likely include:
• Job postings: How can these be targeted? The data is on the side of niche Web sites.
• Email: Recruitment campaigns can often be distributed based on geography, industry and job type.
• SEO & other advertising: Find media outlets that are niche or at the top of their game, and weigh whether or not they can be directed at ideal hospitality audiences. There are multiple surveys and other tools to measure advertising outlets such as B2B magazine's annual "Media Power 50" list.
Remember it all comes down to juggling resources so the right areas and audiences get the most attention.
Another wise character – Albert Einstein – summed it up by saying "life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
Help your members maintain a balance of imbalance. Stay new. And think niche.