December 2008

Declining market?

- Strengthen the Online Sales Team!

The prognosis for 2009 is that job advertising will decline in response to economic conditions. It is difficult to argue against this and, while the extent of the decline will vary in MatchWork markets, the stage is set for negative growth.

This overall market situation will be counterbalanced, in part, by higher levels of activity on the Internet – and this presents opportunities for MatchWork partners which should be followed up vigorously.

Here are some points for every partner to consider: -

  • 2009 Objective – to increase online market share

Growth is possible in recession and, with superior technology and tools, MatchWork partners should focus on the online opportunity and compete more aggressively and effectively in 2009. Some proven strategies are covered below...

  • Establish a dedicated Online Sales Team

A number of publishers have already done this – but many have not. Now is the time to ensure that online market penetration is maximised – and a dedicated sales team is the proven solution.

If your specialist online sales team is already established, conduct an analysis of the online advertising competitive sites are carrying. There will, almost certainly, be new segments for you to target.

  • Outsource to minimise risk

Look at the possibilities of reaching agreement with external sales forces to maximise market penetration on a success fee basis. There will be many more takers for ‘commission-only’ arrangements in 2009.

If you need administrative support, MatchWork can provide ad registration and matching criteria registration. We are already doing this for partners in Sweden and Germany and the outsourcing principle is the same – you pay only for what you need, with no impact on your basic overheads.

  • Upgrade your offerings

Experience has taught us that premium offers generate revenue and, for advertisers, there are attractive arguments in favour of upgrading and gaining higher exposure – through Company Profiles, Top Jobs, Hot Jobs and, of course, Matching. Promote these opportunities and sell them harder.

  • Evaluate your positioning

Revenue gain through jobsite segmentation is another opportunity. Can you improve the structure of your offering by further segmentation? Should you join the shared network? These are important questions.

  • Develop the CV Database

Read the Archant case history in this issue, if you haven’t already. This tells you what you need to know – and a more detailed briefing can be arranged. There is real value in building and fine-tuning your CV database and more jobseekers will be in the market next year.

Remember also that the MatchWork team is here to support you in every way possible – we have experience in implementing all these strategies and can help you optimise the results. – Looking forward to hearing from you!