Employer branding can be viewed as the sum of the total efforts of an organisation to attain a reputation of being a great place to work. Luckily, nowadays, companies are becoming more and more aware of its effects and several employer branding trends have been developed during the years.

One of them is Instagram.

Like everyone else in this modern world, you’ve probably used the photo-sharing app, Instagram, or just heard about its rapidly growing popularity. But, have you ever considered using it to enhance your employer brand?

Instagram = A Vintage Photography Smartphone App

The mobile photo sharing tool purchased by Facebook for around $1 billion in 2012 is one of the simplest and fastest growing social networks to date. It’s a photo app that adds filters to photos allowing even amateur photographers to turn their ordinary pictures into appealing works of art.  Photos can be then shared on the platform as well as distributed through Twitter, Facebook, email, and Flickr.

Instagram = Employer Branding Tool

Employer branding has been recognised by companies as an integral part of the business strategy and continues to grow in importance. The importance of social media to brand building has grown significantly since social media took off and it won’t stop any time soon. Instagram is the perfect combination of social networking tools to tell a business’s story through enhanced digital photos because when it comes to delivering messages about a company’s culture, offices, employees, activities, products and services or challenges of working in the industry, pictures can speak a thousand words. The app can have quite a big impact on a company’s ability of showing potential hires what separates the company from the competition. And because it is a great tool for those who are looking to source candidates and engage different audiences through employer branding, Instagram will easily and quickly sell an employer brand and attract high quality candidates.

How can your company use Instagram to enhance your employer brand?

If you already use other social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to engage with your company’s target audience, then you can simply connect the Instagram account to your Twitter and Facebook and start sharing great images related to just about anything that’s happening in your organisation…the world is your oyster!

Starbucks is no stranger to branding and it has been improving its employer brand through the use of Instagram by producing campaigns that show a clear transparency to the company and paints an image of the business culture to prospective candidates. Their photos get a truly global reach and demonstrate the fun and funky culture that appeals to those who are looking for a change.  With over 715,000 followers on the platform, Instagram has increased their number and quality of hires and has proven successful at helping to reach their candidate audience in a different and very personal way.

These features that Instagram offers have turned the platform into an employer branding tool and a potentially powerful niche recruitment source.

Why won’t you give it a try?