Marketing Your Open Jobs

By: Harry Joiner, Management Recruiter
Ph. (678) 795-0900

Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick is on the cover of Bass Player magazine this month.  This I know because I went to the Publix up the road today and saw the magazine on the newsstand.

Now, I'm not a bass player.  But I am a Cheap Trick fan.  Plus, I'm a drummer and I found it perplexing that Publix did not stock Modern Drummer.  Why, you ask?  Because circulation analytics for retail distribution is a science -- and I'm sure Publix stocked Bass Player based on the historical sales of that title at store # 12365 in Roswell, GA.  From this one can surmise that there are more bass players in my store radius than drummers.  I guess that makes me a hot commodity.

As I thumbed through the magazine, I wondered how I could reach the twenty or so bass players who would also thumb though those pages -- and the handful who would ultimately buy those five copies.  Who were they?  What kinds of music do they like?  Would they like to have a beer and possibly jam some time?  After all, we're local -- and we have in common an appreciation of Tom Petersson.

Then it hit me:  Why not come back to the store and insert post it notes into the pages?  "Roswell-based drummer seeks Tom Petersson sound-alike for jamming and possible gigging. Call (678) 795-0900."  Ethics aside, it's certainly targeted -- both psychographically and geographically. And that's what you want in your advertising.

Question:  Who's your target employee -- and what do they read?  Where do they hang out?  How can you reach them?  Put yourself in their shoes, and walk through an imaginary day with them.  Then go to those place and advertise your open position.  This is called Guerrilla Marketing -- and it's worth knowing how to do if you are a specialty retailer in need of hourly employees who belong to a certain niche or subculture.