Brand identity must be maintained. Let’s just start with that. 

As we look upon the coming horde of content creation—intensified by the perpetuation of large language “AI” iterations and potential entities—in awe at the sheer amount of it all, we must consider what is next or what is now, even.  

“But, I am me, and no one will ever be me other than myself,” you say, and you’d be wrong. Users don’t know you, and if your SEO is in place, they might have a cursory understanding of your role, but they don’t really know you, your people or what you do differently. If you do know what you do differently, that’s a good starting point, but you’re really going to have to lean into the nuances of what makes you the <insert adjective> <insert role or purpose> in the <insert appropriate industry or area of service>.  

Your existence as a business in even the most ideal market conditions is a testament to your ability to defy the odds, serve an overlooked space or, at the very least, you’re lucky—but let’s be a little real. The odds will eventually adhere to the laws of probability, spaces will always become crowded, and luck runs out if it even exists.  

Know thy self. Websites, social media and marketing campaigns are opportunities to deepen your story, to build trust with your existing clients and create opportunities to form new and profitable relationships. Hopefully, you’ve already been utilizing these tools to flesh out your brand identity, creating a voice and a space you can do business within, and a presence people can rely upon to act in predictable ways.  

The professionals and businesses you service as a recruiter have expectations, but gutting your brand identity in favor of a more generalized position in hopes you will draw business from arenas you’ve never done metaphorical battle in is not one of them. It would be like going into a burrito shop, hoping for your favorite Huevo con Chorizo burrito, and the guy taking your order is all like, “Would you like to try our noodles? We aren’t just about burritos anymore.”  

If you are really good at burritos, be about your burritos and trust that your dedication to burritos will keep your customer base coming back and growing. Obviously, this is a metaphor, but if you’re an expert in aerospace or manufacturing or finance, grow your expertise and expand your ability to service your targeted industries in organic ways, paths that the industries you focus on demand, with needs you can pivot to fill effectively and efficiently.  

The national economy is in flux. People are nervous. Things are changing, and the way business is conducted needs to change with it. We get it. However, generalizing and making the claims that you can service any industry without the manpower or the experience, without restructuring, adding staff or making connections to spaces you occupied before, is not only disingenuous but also dangerous.  

I can swim, but I’m not a shark. Without the resources offered by being a colossal firm, for midsized to boutique talent acquisition, specialization is your lifeblood and your constant opportunity to remain visible by remaining citizens of a population of professionals that hold a more unique position than just a recruiter. You are manufacturing recruiters, government staffing firms, cybersecurity recruitment specialists, food and beverage executive search experts, agribusiness headhunters and insurance recruiting professionals. Without your distinction, your previous specialized experience is only relevant to the businesses you’ve stopped shining a light in favor of a wider and more diffused focus. I guess what I’m saying is, deciding to be a generalist will get you lost unless you have an army of specialists who can make it a viable position to take.   

There will always be another business coming for what you see as your part of the pie, and the only way you can protect the proverbial pastry is to make your presence, expertise, and the value of your services undeniable. AND the only way to do that is to maintain a very specific brand identity that can be backed up by a digital footprint and actions and values that deepen and legitimize your organization’s persona. You need to know what you do, how you do it and most importantly why you do it—and no matter what it is, be honest and genuine because there’s no hiding anymore.  

We live in the age of the feed, where what we do and what we’ve done are part of the consumer’s decision-making process. Changing who we are is not as simple as a few copy changes and sending out some emails to industries you’d like to work within. It’s a long walk to transforming your brand identity. I’m not saying it’s impossible or not to do it. Seize upon opportunities if they present themselves, but don’t give up or give in to potential pressure, surrendering who you are in an industry you’ve worked hard to make your mark in.  

Double down. Double down hard on who you are. Increase your marketing. Start calling more companies of all sizes, from startups to household names and push deeper into the industry(s) you specialize in to see just how much you have to learn. Make your expertise a year ago seem trivial to the knowledge you hold now, and make your website, digital marketing and social media reflect how ready you are to obliterate the obstacles no one can, especially a-year-ago-you.