Most recruiters, HR pros, and hiring managers recognize that when a potential employee sees a posting, her first move will probably be a visit to the company’s website. Your website is, and will likely remain, the first source of information job seekers investigate and the first point of real contact between you and your targeted applicants. So of course your website should be well maintained, professionally designed, and representative of your company’s overall brand.

But before a candidate explores your site, he or she will need to see the posting in the first place. And social media can help with this. To attract a wide pool of applicants, you’ll have to broadcast your message to a large audience. And you don’t just want any applicants; you want talented, qualified applicants who see themselves as a cultural fit for your workplace.

So how can you use social media to reach out to these people? And once you’ve found them, how can you capture their attention and encourage them to apply?

Attract Candidates with Social Media: Twitter and Facebook Business Profiles

Your Facebook and Twitter business profiles are an excellent place to start. Applicants who “like” or follow your company should be on your list of desired potential employees. Make sure these people can immediately see when you have a position available, and make sure you provide appealing, complete, and targeted information about the position using your profile, Tweets and status updates. You can lay the groundwork for this strategy by taking steps to increase your company’s “likes” and followers.

Attract Candidates with Social Media: Company Blogs

Every open position at your company should have its own blog. This is not as complex or expensive as it sounds; Worpress, Blogger and several other platforms are available that can support these blogs for free. A blog for an open position should provide detailed information about job responsibilities, messages (or even video interviews) from the hiring manager, and updates on the candidate selection process that continue until the position is filled. Include links to the blog in all job postings and on all social media profiles.

Attract Candidates with Social Media: LinkedIn

You may also want to include links to the personal LinkedIn profiles of the potential employee’s new boss, fellow team members, and company CEO. This can give a potential applicant a little more insight into the position before she takes steps to apply.

Attract Candidates with Social Media: Testimonial Sites

Talented employees are often digitally savvy, and since they’re always in demand, even in a bleak economy, they tend to look before they leap. Testimonial sites like JobVent, JobBite and Glass Door offer current and former employees an opportunity to speak anonymously about a company’s culture and workplace, so take steps to make sure these sites represent you well.

Start by running a search for your company’s name and seeing what you find. If the news is positive, great. Feel free to encourage current employees to post on these sites and share their good will. If the news is negative, attempt damage control. The best way to do this? Take criticism to heart, and make some honest improvements. Do everything you can to make sure your workplace is fair, welcoming, and representative of the company’s core values.

Contact Expert Staffing for more tips on using social media to support your recruiting strategy.