Do you ever take the time to pay attention to those targeted ads clogging up your Facebook feed?
This morning, a quick glance at my own feed reveals an ad for a local gym (giving you some indication of my halfhearted attempt at a New Year’s resolution) as well as one for home insurance (I became a new homeowner recently).
It’s no secret that Facebook uses very specific targeting in the creation of its ads, drawing upon a user’s clicking behavior as well as listed activities, interests and groups. This allows businesses to reach out to users who have a more likely natural inclination toward their products. And now, this targeted behavior is coming to a job search near you…
Changes to Targeted Advertising
Facebook has recently announced that they plan to test new ad targeting systems that could also help business find employees.
The specifics of how this new targeting system works have just been revealed in a company blog post. Rather than simply focusing on pages a user has “liked,” targeting will now also take specific information, including employer information and job titles, into account. This will most likely appeal to recruiters who can target their ads specifically to potential employees.
They can now target ads to those who are already part of a specific industry, or who may have the right qualifications for an open position.
What This Means for LinkedIn
It’s been speculated that this could make Facebook stiffer competition for LinkedIn, which currently relies on B2B marketing and recruiting for a significant percentage of its profit. Its Talent Solutions tools, which allow companies to recruit new employees, accounted for 57% of LinkedIn’s profits in the third quarter of 2013.
As Facebook makes it easier for businesses to use its existing advertising system to reach out to a massive audience for B2B marketing and recruitment, this could cut into LinkedIn’s profits.
What This Means for You
But what does it all mean for the average job seeker? There are already a number of ways to use Facebook to your own advantage in the job hunt, including placing targeted ads of your own and using your network to share your talents or seek out elusive openings.
Some businesses already use Facebook advertising as a recruitment tool, searching for new graduates from a certain school or individuals who have expressed interest in a certain industry. Big names like Gap, AIG and Pepsi already use Facebook to share entry-level positions, while small businesses often post openings on their pages to find employees who have existing brand loyalty.
As you search for a job, be sure to keep your job titles, responsibilities and interests on Facebook current because this could help recruiters find you in the future.
Like LinkedIn, your Facebook profile could essentially turn into a searchable resume. (Tweet this thought.) The changes to targeted advertising will be rolled out over the next couple of months, so now is the time to start clicking more consciously and updating all of your employment information to allow keyword-minded recruiters to find you.
Used in combination with LinkedIn, this could potentially double your chances of finding satisfactory work.
What are your thoughts on Facebook as a potential rival for LinkedIn?
This post originally appeared as a guest post by Rachel MacDonald on Career Enlightenment.
Image: Flickr
