5 Low-Cost or Free Ways to Build Your Employer Brand

Your employer brand — how current and potential employees and key stakeholders perceive your organization as a workplace— is one of your company’s most important assets. Despite branding’s importance, iHire’s 2019 Employer Branding Pulse Survey showed that 59.2% of businesses either had no employer branding strategy or were unsure of their branding efforts.

How to Build an Employer Brand

Traditionally, many employers don’t view building an employer brand as a priority, believe it’s a task for marketing departments only, or think that it costs too much money. However, it’s essential to have a comprehensive employer branding strategy, no matter how small or large your company may be.

But there’s good news: It’s possible for employers to enjoy low-cost employer branding strategies — and even free employer branding opportunities.

Low-Cost Employer Branding Strategies

If you’re ready to get your organization on the right track with employer branding but don’t know where to start, you’re in luck. We’ve compiled a list of low-cost or free employer branding opportunities to try, below.

1.  Evaluate your culture. Evaluating your company culture is essential to creating and cultivating your employer brand – and it costs very little to do so. Start by sending out regular employee surveys to gauge their job satisfaction and gather ideas for ways to improve your culture. There are plenty of free survey tools available, such as Google Forms and SurveyMonkey.

Consider asking for staff feedback in exchange for gift cards to encourage participation. You should also be prepared to make policy or procedural changes depending on survey results. Remember, when employees are happy at work, they’re more likely to tell their friends, which turns into free advertising for you!

2.  Promote your company culture on social media and your website. Spread the word about your organization via social media channels or your company’s website — another low-cost strategy for building your brand. If you have an in-house marketing department, chances are they can handle the messaging and posting. Examples of things to promote:

• A “day in the life” video showcasing what a typical workday looks like at your organization.
• Employee shout-outs to recognize hard work.
• Photos of events your company has hosted, whether it be for charity or employee appreciation.

3.  Share employee testimonials. One of the best (and free) ways to showcase your employer brand is by sharing employee testimonials. Post testimonials on your website and on social channels that highlight how much your staff loves your company. When soliciting for testimonials (whether for your own website or via a third-party review site like Glassdoor) encourage employees to be specific. They should mention things like great compensation and benefits, fun culture, and advancement opportunities to help you draw in top talent.

4.  Apply for awards. Nothing makes your company look better than external recognition. Research local, regional, and national awards that honor best workplaces. Some local awards may be free to apply for, but be prepared to pay a fee for some of the larger programs. Regardless of price, the press coverage and bragging rights that come with winning a “top workplace” award can positively impact your employer brand for years to come.

5.  Set up company profiles. Many of today’s job boards and talent communities – including iHire – offer free company profiles for employers. These profiles allow you to showcase your job openings, share company photos and videos, list your benefits, and more to attract talent and raise brand awareness. To set up your free iHire profile, simply log in to your account and select “Create Company Profile” under “My Organizations” on your dashboard.

It’s never too late to create a powerful employer branding strategy that attracts and retains talent. If you’re interested in additional employer branding resources, check out our Employer Branding Toolkit.