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Most recruitment agencies publish salary guides but few truly make the most of them. Too often, they’re treated as a one-off campaign, gated behind a form, then quietly forgotten after launch. The truth is, your salary report can do far more than collect a few downloads. It can power your consultants’ outreach, your marketing content, and your business-development rhythm for months. The right approach depends on your tech stack and follow-up process. Here are five strategies recruitment marketers use:   1. Gated but accessible  If your goal is lead generation, a gated report is still the most effective way to track and nurture interest. The trick is keeping the process friction-free. Collect only what you need: name, email, company, job title and one key question: “Are you downloading this for hiring or career advice?” That single line lets you segment your audience immediately.  Candidates get one type of follow-up, clients another. From there, platforms like SourceFlow can automatically feed those contacts into the right workflows with no manual sorting required. See how SourceFlow works Pro tip: Pair your download form with a short thank-you sequence.  1st - delivers the asset → 2nd - shows how to use the insights → 3rd - invites a follow-up conversation.     2. Go hybrid A hybrid model gives you the best of both worlds. Publish key takeaways freely (i.e., regional trends, benefits insights, or predictions) but keep the detailed salary tables behind a download. This approach builds credibility publicly while still capturing leads from readers who want the full picture. It’s also ideal for LinkedIn posts and carousel snippets, where you can tease a few stats before pointing readers to the full report. As Catherine Henderson, Founder of Boudicca Consulting (formerly NorthStar People) reiterates how clarity beats volume. The more focused and useful your preview content, the more qualified your leads will be.   3. Try a time-gate strategy Not every asset has to go live on day one. Some of the most successful campaigns release reports first to consultants for business-development use. Give your team exclusive access for a few weeks before it’s published online. It gives them a credible reason to re-engage lapsed clients  “We’re sharing early insights from our latest salary survey; would you like a copy before release?” This “time-gate” model turns your consultants into the first wave of your marketing campaign. It also lets you gather feedback before promoting the report wider. Here’s what that looks like according to Xcede Group's Head of Marketing, Janan Gok:“The user-friendly navigation of the backend makes it easy for our team to edit our content to reflect the continuous improvements we put in place. We are also pleased with the impressive response times of the support team whenever we raise a ticket.”   4. Make SEO your first priority Salary content drives consistent, long-tail traffic. According to Kaizen Digital’s analysis, there are more than 19,000 monthly UK searches for salary-related terms. That’s why some agencies take an SEO-first approach, publishing key sections of the report as optimised blog articles. It builds domain authority and keeps your brand visible for months after launch. Think of your report as a library of content: one dataset, multiple entry points. Turn salary insights into blog headlines, FAQs, or even AI-friendly snippets that answer salary-related questions directly on search engines. Optimise your content library For a deeper look at how recruitment marketers are rethinking SEO and building content that actually ranks, read our blog: SEO Landing Pages Aren’t as Effective as You Think.     5. Not Gated The smartest agencies treat salary guides as relationship tools. Encourage consultants to use the data in roundtables, client briefings, and prospect calls. Build carousel ads featuring bold salary stats or trend graphics. Share client testimonials about how the insights helped them benchmark or budget. The real value of a salary guide is its ability to open consultative conversations. It gives your consultants a tangible reason to call, email, or meet without resorting to cold selling. James Gage, North Star People Learning & Delivery Consultant shares:“BD training is a key part of my work. The beauty of a salary report is that you can have a rare opportunity to consult with your clients about the salaries and their team, the challenges they’re facing. It’s a fantastic business development opportunity.”     Turning your salary guide into a campaign ecosystem When you combine these five approaches: gated, hybrid, time-gated, SEO-driven, and consultant-led, you turn one report into a complete marketing engine. It generates leads, builds trust, fuels conversations, and continuously feeds your CRM with qualified data. To see the full rollout plan, including timelines, templates, and automation workflows, download the free Recruitment Salary Report Playbook created by SourceFlow and industry experts. Download the playbook here

Will Astbury

Expert Insights

Salary reports have been around for decades but in recruitment marketing, the smartest agencies still use them to win trust, traffic, and new clients. The truth is, salary data isn’t old news. It’s one of the most in-demand and consistently searched topics in recruitment, with more than 19,000 monthly UK searches for salary-related content (Source: Kaizen Digital analysis, 2025). Whether you’re running paid campaigns, nurturing a CRM audience, or arming consultants with better BD tools, salary reports continue to outperform trend-driven content because they answer one of the most timeless questions in hiring: What’s the market paying right now? Benefits of Salary Reports   Salary data builds authority and drives action Salary content is universal. It resonates with clients, candidates, and consultants alike because it speaks to something tangible: value. When presented with insight and structure, a salary guide becomes a conversation starter, a credibility builder, and a lead generator rolled into one. Will Astbury, Global Head of Marketing at SourceFlow, puts it plainly: “Recruitment and staffing firms NEED to put salary reports at the heart of their content strategy. When run well, salary report campaigns can be a source of client leads for MONTHS.” The agencies that get it right treat salary data as part of their brand ecosystem. They distribute strategically through blogs, landing pages, and consultant outreach so the insight fuels every layer of their marketing funnel.   Real-world proof: Revoco’s lead engine Take Revoco, a tech recruitment agency that consistently generates leads through its salary guides. Their reports are woven into both client strategy and marketing campaigns and the results are measurable.Harry Butcher, Marketing Manager at Revoco, explains: “Salary guides are still valuable…it’s the data that everyone wants. People want to know what they’re getting paid, people want to know what to pay their team - it’s that simple. You may think your clients receive hundreds of them, but that’s not the case. They’re only receiving a couple a year and they still find them really useful. The key is to make yours stand out. We receive a few huge leads from our salary guides each year.” That’s the power of relevance: a well-executed salary guide fuels conversations, conversions, and long-term client trust.   Why the concept hasn’t aged, instead has evolved According to Catherine Henderson, Founder of Boudicca Consulting (formerly NorthStar People), the reason salary insights still dominate is simple: they deliver value on both sides of the hiring equation. “Try as we might, the concept of a salary survey hasn’t changed in decades of recruitment marketing! Why? Salaries are the key component in client and candidate decision-making in our world. Your recruitment business is sitting on a goldmine of demanded content. No matter how you gather the data, or how you present it, salary reports continue to be one of the most powerful, added-value content pieces that we as recruitment marketers can produce.”  The difference today is in execution. Modern salary reports are cleaner, data-driven, and designed for engagement. They combine placement data, AI-assisted role mapping, and visualised insights to keep readers scrolling. Agencies using platforms like SourceFlow take it further; embedding these guides into websites with landing pages, pop-ups, and automation workflows that track, segment, and follow up with every download. It turns a static PDF into a measurable marketing engine.     How Salary Reports Create Conversations Salary data works because it builds credibility over time. It gives consultants a genuine reason to reach out. Not to sell, but to advise. That kind of interaction isn’t just good marketing; it’s great business development. For many recruitment teams, a salary guide is the bridge between marketing and sales. It positions your brand as a partner, not a pitch, and helps consultants open doors that cold emails can’t. As Kris Holland, Founder of Kitto Recruitment Marketing, puts it: “The distribution is as important as the creation of the asset itself. Make sure you’ve got time, effort and energy left to distribute it far and wide once it’s ready. That might mean outsourcing the creation, so you can put everything into getting it in front of the right people.” Done right, a salary guide becomes a living campaign — one that fuels your brand for months, not days.   Ready to build your own? If you’re still treating your salary guide as a once-a-year marketing exercise, this playbook will show you how to turn it into a long-term growth tool. Salary data isn’t going out of style any time soon. It’s the one topic your clients will always care about and the one tool your consultants can use to spark meaningful conversations. To learn how to create, package, and promote yours the smart way, download the free Recruitment Salary Report Playbook. It comes complete with templates, timelines, and real-world examples from experts across the industry. Download the playbook here

Will Astbury

Expert Insights

Recruitment moves fast, and so does the pressure on marketing teams to keep up. Whether you're leading recruitment marketing for your agency or just starting out, you’re expected to deliver stronger campaigns, better digital performance, and tools that help consultants work smarter, not harder.To give a clearer picture of what that looks like in practice, we’ve brought together feedback from the people who use SourceFlow every day. These stories come directly from recruitment marketers and agency leaders who’ve seen the impact on their website conversion rates, workflows, and day-to-day delivery.   How VHR Lifted Their Recruitment Website Design & Confidence in Their Brand   Jennifer Robinson — Head of Marketing, VHR Global “I felt like we were progressing as a company, but with the (old) website, which is the face of the brand, it was always kind of letting us down a bit. And now I feel like the website is so good. It represents what we're trying to do.”  Before SourceFlow, VHR’s website wasn’t keeping pace with the business. It looked outdated, was difficult to update, and didn’t reflect the strength of their brand or the quality of their service. With SourceFlow, the difference was immediate. Jennifer’s team can now update pages quickly, launch ideas without developer delays, and rely on a site that integrates cleanly with their CRM. The website finally matches who they are as a business and they hear it from clients and candidates too. Watch the video to see how VHR strengthened their brand and website experience with SourceFlow.   Turning Strategy into Action for a Growing Recruitment Brand   Kathrin Barnes — Business Support & Marketing Manager, Rize Recruitment “They have helped us tremendously to identify where we are at the moment and where we want to be in the future. I truly believe that they can help us get there.” For Kathrin, the value was twofold: a clean, modern website and a clear sense of direction. SourceFlow helped define where the brand sits today and where it needs to move next, supporting long-term growth rather than just a technical build. The team experience stood out too: knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely collaborative throughout the process. See how SourceFlow helped Kathrin’s team clarify their direction and build for the future.   Running End-to-End Recruitment Campaigns with Zero Friction   Kaylyn Nesbeth — Marketing Manager, ERSG “Using Source Flow has improved my marketing as it's enabled me to run campaigns end to end seamlessly, get the results that I want and we've gained so many more users on our website as well.” Kaylyn saw an immediate uplift in website users and campaign engagement after shifting to SourceFlow. But the real win was speed. With the page builder, she can edit, test, and adapt content whenever she needs; no designers, no developers, no delay. It’s a platform built for marketers who want to move fast without compromising the brand. Watch to see how ERSG runs faster, more flexible campaigns with SourceFlow.   A Platform Built Around the Recruitment Marketer, Not the Tech   Rebecca Lauder-Fletcher — Head of Marketing, SGI “I think that it puts the recruitment marketer at the center of everything that it does and the real focus is that the marketer owns that platform…I think it's just an absolutely smashing platform and tool.” Rebecca has been with SourceFlow since its early days, watching the platform evolve in features, design, and capability. What matters most to her is ownership: marketing teams can run the website themselves, adapt quickly, and stay close to the numbers. From customer service to functionality, she describes SourceFlow as a platform that grows with you rather than holding you back. Here’s how SGI gives ownership back to their marketing team through SourceFlow.   What Recruitment Marketers Want from Their Tech Stack   A few Lunch and Learn highlights we caught on camera: Watch the video to see how SourceFlow supports those goals.   See What SourceFlow Could Do for Your Team   If you’re exploring options for recruitment website design, or looking for a recruitment marketing platform that’s built around the way you work, it helps to hear from people already using it. These are only a handful of the teams who’ve chosen SourceFlow to support their marketing, websites, and wider go-to-market strategy. Found this useful? Share it and follow us on LinkedIn for more recruitment marketing insights. Explore the platform to see what SourceFlow could do for your team. Book a demo today. Get a Demo

Will Astbury

Web design

Everyone wants something from you…yesterday. The consultants want candidates. The MD wants leads. The ops team wants brochures.And you? You’re trying to turn busywork into measurable results. Being the first marketer in a recruitment agency can feel chaotic; no systems, no strategy, and no one quite sure what you do. Truth is, every successful recruitment marketing function started like this. Messy, reactive, and full of learning curves. At this year’s RecConnect Leadership Summit, SourceFlow’s Global Head of Marketing, Will Astbury, shared a framework on how to switch on your marketing and use it as your lead machine. Here are some practical takeaways every first-time recruitment marketer can use to build credibility and deliver results.   1. Focus on Quick Wins When you’re juggling twelve things a day, it’s easy to spread yourself thin across social posts, newsletters, and job ads. Start with campaigns that feed the pipeline, not just fill the calendar. Salary ReportsIf your agency tracks placement data or salary trends, you already have the makings of a report. Done properly, one salary guide can run for six months and generate hundreds of downloads; each one a warm lead when segmented and followed up. Download our Salary Report Lead Magnet Playbook here. EventsPartner with consultants to host small, useful sessions: breakfast roundtables, LinkedIn Lives, or webinars. You don’t need huge budgets; 30–50 attendees is enough to prove impact and spark future business. Content-to-CRMMake sure every blog, form, or download routes straight into your ATS or CRM. Test it weekly. If it isn’t tracked, it didn’t happen.Pick one KPI for the next four weeks: the number of tracked contacts added to your CRM from campaigns. Explore more frameworks and ideas on the SourceFlow Resources Hub.     2. Build Consultant Trust Your biggest challenge isn’t creativity. It’s credibility. Consultants are protective of their desks and sceptical of “marketing leads.” Earn their trust by making them the heroes of your work. Sit in on client calls and turn their insights into posts or event topics. Feature consultants in your content; their expertise gives instant authority. Share every small win: inbound enquiry, event sign-up, salary-guide download. Send short weekly updates linking your marketing activity to their pipeline. Trust grows through proof, not explanation. Once they see your work turning into client conversations, they’ll champion it. Will Astbury speaking at RecConnect about recruitment marketing for consultants.     3. Play the Long Game in Recruitment Marketing Quick wins matter, but lasting impact comes from consistency. SEO and brand building take time — months, not days. If weekly publishing feels too much at first, aim for two strong posts a month and build from there. Over time, you’ll see compound growth in web traffic and inbound leads. As Will put it: “Marketing success in recruitment is measured in momentum, not miracles.”     4. Stay Consistent Structure beats stress, so create weekly rhythms: Monday – review CRM data and performance. Midweek – publish or promote key content. Friday – share what worked (and what didn’t). Learn your tech stack well enough to self-serve, but ask for help early.  Resilience isn’t doing everything alone; it’s knowing where to find support. And when the chaos hits, remember: every junior and senior recruitment marketer started exactly where you are.     Prove Your Value Build credibility in recruitment marketing with consultants, play the long game with SEO, and turn chaos into measurable results. At SourceFlow, we help marketers connect content, campaigns, and CRM so every action feeds the pipeline.  Explore how SourceFlow supports recruitment marketers

Will Astbury

Expert Insights

Do you still rely heavily on cold calling and BD? You’re probably wondering why you’re still not seeing the lead flow you should. Recent analysis shows that cold calls now convert less than 2% of prospects into meaningful opportunities, while inbound leads cost up to 62% less to acquire than outbound ones. This doesn’t mean having to abandon the phones; it’s a matter of building a joined-up recruitment marketing system where technology and consultants drive the same pipeline. Will Astbury, Global Head of Marketing at SourceFlow, broke it down into three pillars during his session at the RecConnect Leadership Summit: Team, Tech, and Campaigns. Will Astbury speaking at RecConnect on recruitment marketing strategy     1. Build a Recruitment Marketing Team That Behaves Like Revenue A great marketer won’t transform a pipeline alone. You need a team that thinks like sales, acts like revenue, and is backed for the long term. Recruitment marketing performance depends on culture, not just skill. Hire for resilience, not just reach. Look for candidates who’ve thrived under pressure, not just produced content. Align incentives with outcomes. Tie marketing bonuses to tangible ROI: meetings booked, qualified leads, or revenue influence. Create a voice at the table. Include marketing in SLT conversations. When marketers help shape strategy, they own the result. Protect their runway. Give space to deliver long-term campaigns like SEO or salary guides that compound over time. Hire marketers who can deliver under pressure     2. Integrate the Right Tech to Unblock Your Pipeline Your website isn’t a brochure. It’s your most valuable business development asset. “If your website and ATS aren’t integrated, you’re operating blind.”  When inbound leads can’t flow directly into your CRM, consultants are left chasing spreadsheets, not signals. Studies from Forrester confirm it: businesses with tightly aligned website, CRM, and marketing systems see 67% more leads, 36% higher retention, and faster lead response times than those without integration. Phase 1: Foundation Tech Stack Website with embedded conversion tracking CRM/ATS integration for instant lead routing Email automation and reporting Phase 2: Acceleration Tools Webinar platforms (like StreamYard) for lead capture BD automation flows (like SourceWhale) Data enrichment tools to track hiring-manager job moves When these systems sync, marketing-generated leads are visible, trackable, and immediately actionable. Recruitment marketing tip: Integration turns visibility into velocity.     3. Run Fewer, Bigger Campaigns for Longer You don’t need 15 ideas. You need three done brilliantly.  Salary Reports – When structured properly, a single report can generate hundreds of downloads and open doors for consultants for up to six months. Use light forms, segment by intent (hiring vs career), and trigger automated follow-ups. Events Programme – Run at least four a year. Grassroots, affordable, and audience-led. Focus on speakers who add value over style, and treat no-shows as future leads; they’re still part of your funnel. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – The slow-burn channel that builds authority. Publish useful, specific, and relevant content around your niche. Over time, Google and AI-driven engines reward depth and intent, not volume.  For a deeper look at this, read Recruitment Marketing Insight in 2025: SEO Landing Pages Aren’t as Effective as You Think.     4. Measure Momentum, Not Moments Building a lead machine takes consistency. According to SourceFlow’s benchmarks, agencies that execute these pillars see an average +30% increase in client leads within six months and up to 100–150% growth over two years once campaigns compound. Attract → Nurture → Convert → Expand Your Next Three Moves If your consultants are still doing all the heavy lifting, it’s time to change how your pipeline works. Recruitment isn’t short on effort; it’s short on systems: Give marketing a number. Assign revenue-linked targets and commission marketers like a sales function. Unblock your tech. Prioritise ATS/CRM integration and automation before chasing new tools. Commit to consistency. Salary reports, events, and SEO…and repeat them for 24 months. Cold calling will always have a place,  but the firms winning in 2025 are those whose marketing, tech, and consultants are finally playing on the same team. Ready to Build Your Own Lead Machine? Your website, CRM, and campaigns should be doing more than attracting attention, they should be generating conversations, leads, and placements around the clock. At SourceFlow, we help recruitment businesses build the digital infrastructure to do just that. From strategy and website design to marketing automation and analytics, we’ll show you how to connect every part of your funnel and prove ROI along the way. Get in touch with SourceFlow to learn how to use recruitment marketing as your own lead machine.  

Will Astbury

Expert Insights