06Jun

“It’s a candidate’s job market.”

We’ve been hearing this a lot from our recruiters at Green Key Resources. Our teams are extremely busy helping their clients through a major hiring surge as COVID restrictions ease up. With more jobs available and high competition for top talent, candidates have a lot of options when it comes to the next step in their careers.

Compare that to 2020, when hiring was still sluggish and candidates had limited options, it’s hard to believe so much has changed within just a year.

“Last year, if someone got a job offer, they usually jumped at the opportunity,” said Ryan Calpin, Manager of Green Key Marketing Technology. “Now, when a candidate receives an offer, it’s quite common for them to have multiple job offers at once.”

With all the career options job seekers have before them, how can they make sure they’re making the right choice? There are a few things our recruiters recommend when considering multiple job offers.

Consider Your Long-Term Career Goals

The opportunity you choose shouldn’t just be the best one right now. Make a list of your long-term career goals and compare them to your job offers. Maybe one opportunity has the salary you want but it doesn’t have the opportunity to develop in an area of interest. A great job opportunity should align with your career goals and offer the ability for you to learn, pick up new skillsets, and grow personally, professionally, and financially.

Don’t just think about where you want to be now. Make sure your Consider where you want to be in 3-5 years in your career to help you figure out which of your job opportunities is most aligned with that vision.

Look Beyond the Pandemic Era

If we learned anything from the last 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that life is hard to predict. You may be working from home now, but as many companies push to return to the office in a full-time or hybrid capacity, you may want to consider how the potential of returning to an office may impact your day-to-day at a new job.

Look at your offers and consider the following:

  • Does the company have an office that is easy for you to get to?
  • Does the company offer the flexibility that you need for working remotely, hybridly, or in the office?
  • How much will this job require you to travel in the future? Is that something you want to do, or do you want to avoid traveling for work?
  • Does the culture of the company seem like one you want to be a part of every day?

Take into consideration whether the opportunity would be one you would take pre-pandemic.

Reconsider A Counteroffer

Many companies are trying their best to retain their employees by presenting counteroffers when learning an employee is considering leaving. Although you know what is best for your circumstance, you might want to think twice about accepting a counteroffer from your current company. A few months ago we offered 5 reasons not to accept a counteroffer that you may want to consider. But in short, if you’re looking for a new role, there’s a reason. Accepting a counteroffer may be like putting a bandage on a water leak – it’s only a temporary fix to a larger issue.

Conclusion

It’s an exciting time to be job hunting! There are a lot of great opportunities for candidates. Be sure to check out some of our other resources like how to negotiate an offer, how to quit your job, how to ace a virtual interview, and our recent articles about what to include on your resume and what to leave off your resume.

Be sure to check out all the opportunities our recruiters are hiring for on our jobs page.

Feb 26, 2024

The Essence of Marketing Strategy: Driving Business Success

In the intricate world of business, a marketing strategy serves as the cornerstone upon which companies build their path to success. But what exactly is the marketing strategy, what are the different types of marketing strategies, and how does it work? In this article we’ll explore these questions and delve into the essence of effective marketing strategies.

What is Marketing Strategy?

According to Investopedia.com, “A marketing strategy refers to a business’s overall game plan to facilitate the buying and selling of its products or services. A marketing strategy determines how to reach prospective consumers and turn them into customers. It contains the company’s value proposition, key brand messaging, data on target customer demographics, and other high-level elements. A thorough marketing strategy covers the four Ps of marketing: product, price, place, and promotion.”

Types of Marketing Strategy

Types of marketing strategies include:

  • Social Media Marketing
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Pay Per Click (PPC)
  • Email Marketing
  • Content Marketing

How Does it Work?

A marketing strategy functions as a road map that guides all marketing activities and initiatives. It begins with a thorough understanding of the target market – their needs, preferences, and pain points. Based on this understanding, the strategy defines the positioning of the company’s offerings and determines the most effective channels and messages to reach the target audience.

Key components of a marketing strategy include:

Market Segmentation: Identifying and segmenting the target market based on demographics, psychographics, and behavior.

Value proposition: Articulating the unique value that the company offers to its customers and differentiating itself from competitors.

Channel selection: Choosing the most appropriate marketing channels to reach the target audience, such as social media, e-mail marketing, content marketing, or traditional advertising.

Messaging and Creative: Crafting compelling messages and creative assets that resonate with their target audience and communicate the value proposition effectively.

Measurement and Analysis: Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of marketing efforts and continuously analyzing data to optimize performance.

In conclusion, understanding marketing strategies, its types, and how it works are vital for business success, enabling companies to drive growth and engagement effectively.  

Feb 27, 2024

The Essence of Marketing Strategy: Driving Business Success (Part II)

With a grasp of the fundamental concept of Marketing Strategy, let’s explore its advantages in more detail and uncover the steps to effectively craft one.

Benefits of Marketing Strategies

  • Clear Direction: A well-defined marketing strategy provides a clear roadmap for achieving business objectives. It aligns marketing efforts with overall goals, ensuring that every action contributes to the company’s success.
  • Customer Engagement and Loyalty: A strategic approach to marketing fosters deeper connections with customers. By understanding their needs and preferences, companies can tailor messages and experiences that resonate with their audience, leading to increased engagement and loyalty.

Marketing Stratego also highlights a few benefits including:

  • “Increased Brand Awareness: A strong marketing strategy helps increase brand awareness by promoting the business’s products or services to the target audience. This, in turn, leads to more recognition and recall of the brand, which ultimately leads to more sales and customer loyalty.”
  • “Increased Sales and Revenue: A well-designed marketing strategy leads to increased sales and revenue by attracting more customers to the business and increasing their willingness to purchase. This can be achieved through effective targeting, promotions, and other marketing efforts.”
  • “Better Customer Targeting: A good marketing strategy helps businesses understand their target audience and create campaigns that are relevant to them. This leads to more effective and efficient marketing, as businesses are able to reach their target customers more effectively and achieve better results.”
  • “Competitive Advantage: A strong marketing strategy can give a business a competitive advantage by differentiating it from its competitors. By creating unique and effective campaigns, businesses can stand out in their market and attract more customers.”
  • ‘Improved Lead Generation: A good marketing strategy helps businesses generate more leads by promoting the business’s products or services to the target audience. This leads to more opportunities for businesses to convert those leads into customers and increase their revenue.”
  • “Improved Brand Image and Reputation: A well-designed marketing strategy helps improve a business’s brand image and reputation by creating positive associations with the brand. This, in turn, leads to increased customer loyalty, as customers are more likely to do business with a brand they view positively.”
  • “Increased Market Share: A strong marketing strategy helps businesses increase their market share by attracting more customers and retaining existing ones. This, in turn, leads to increased revenue and growth for the business.”
  • “More Effective Use of Resources: A good marketing strategy helps businesses make the most of their marketing budget and resources. By identifying the most effective channels and campaigns, businesses can maximize their return on investment and achieve better results.”
  • “Better Return on Investment (ROI): A well-designed marketing strategy helps businesses achieve a better return on investment by increasing sales and revenue and maximizing the use of resources. This, in turn, leads to increased profitability and growth for the business.”

Now that we’ve highlighted the benefits of a marketing strategy, lets’ explore the process of creating an effective one.

According to Hubspot.com, here are the eight steps a company should take during the marketing strategy process:

  • Conduct market research: “…you need to gather useful data for making informed decisions. Market research is like playing detective, but instead of solving crimes, you’re uncovering juicy details about your customers. Market research will help your businesses make data-driven decisions for your marketing strategy. It also makes it easier to understand your target market, find gaps, and make the most of your resources.”
  • Define your goals: What do you want to achieve through your marketing efforts? Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving sales, or diversifying your customer base, well-defined goals will guide your marketing strategy.”
  • Identify your target audience and create buyer personas: To create an effective marketing strategy, you need to understand who your ideal customers are. Take a look at your market research to understand your target audience and market landscape. Accurate customer data is especially important for this step…”
  • Conduct competitive analysis: To begin your competitive analysis, start with your top competitors. Reviewing their websites, content, ads, and pricing can help you understand how to differentiate your brand. It’s also a useful way to find opportunities for growth.”
  • Develop key messaging: Craft compelling massages and creative assets that effectively communicate your value proposition and resonate with your audience. Ensure consistency in messaging across all channels to build brand recognition and trust.
  • Choose your marketing channels: You know what you have to say, now decide on the best marketing channels for your message. Your top goal for this stage of your strategy is to align your channel choices with your target persona’s media consumption habits. Start with media channels you’re already using. Then, consider a mix of traditional and digital channels such as social media, TV, email marketing, podcast ads, SEO, content marketing, and influencer partnerships. To streamline this process, think of your assets in three categories — paid, owned, and earned media.”
  • Create, track, and analyze KPIs: At this stage, you’ll shift from marketing detective to numbers nerd. With a little planning and prep, your analytics can unveil the mysteries of marketing performance and unlock super insights. Review your strategy and choose measurable KPIs to track the effectiveness of your strategy. Create a system that works for your team to collect and measure your data.”
  • Present your marketing strategy: A finished marketing strategy will pull together the sections and components above. It may also include: Executive Summary, Brand Identity, and a Marketing Plan and Tactics”