Why Recruiter Marketing Stopped Working (And What Works Now)

Recruiter marketing didn’t fail.
The rules changed — and most recruiters are still playing the old game.

In this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Zack Gallinger, Founder of TalentHero Media, to break down what’s actually working for recruiters in 2025 across SEO, LinkedIn, email, Google Ads, and AI-driven marketing.

If you’re posting, emailing, and “doing all the things” — but inbound business has slowed or disappeared — this conversation will give you clarity on why and what to do next.

🔥 Why This Episode Matters

Most recruiters are chasing short-term tactics in a market that now rewards long-term positioning.

This episode explains:

Why LinkedIn reach dropped for so many recruiters

Why cold email became dramatically harder almost overnight

Why “ranking in ChatGPT” is being misunderstood

And how top recruiters are building inbound pipelines that compound

If you want fewer cold starts and more inbound conversations, this episode is essential.

🎯 What You’ll Learn

Why recruiter marketing stopped working (and what changed behind the scenes)

The SEO strategy recruiters should focus on — and what’s a waste of money

Why cold email volume collapsed and how many emails you can actually send now

How spam filters fingerprint your messages (and how to avoid it)

The LinkedIn content mistake that attracts recruiters instead of clients

Why contrarian posts outperform “safe” content by 10x

Where to spend $500, $1K, $5K, or $10K for maximum BD ROI

👤 About the Guest

Zack Gallinger is the Founder of TalentHero Media, a digital marketing agency working exclusively with recruiting firms. With over a decade of experience in recruiter-focused marketing, Zack helps agencies grow through SEO, LinkedIn, email, and paid acquisition — without gimmicks or fluff.

💡 Extended Value

After watching this episode, you’ll stop guessing where to spend your time and money.

You’ll understand:

Which marketing channels still work

Which ones are dying

And how to plant seeds today that pay you back next year

This is the difference between constant outbound grind… and predictable inbound growth.

▶️ Listen / Watch Now

If you’re serious about scaling your recruiting desk or firm in today’s market, this is a must-watch conversation.
Hit play, take notes, and rethink how you market your recruiting business.

⏱️ Timestamp Highlights

00:03 — Why recruiter marketing quietly stopped working
06:10 — SEO for recruiters: what actually drives inbound clients
09:45 — Should recruiters try to rank inside ChatGPT?
12:30 — Backlinks, paid links, and HARO explained
18:05 — Google AI search results & recruiter visibility
24:30 — Why cold email got harder in 2024
27:10 — The real daily email limit before you get flagged
31:45 — Spintax explained (and why copy-paste kills campaigns)
35:10 — LinkedIn content that attracts clients, not recruiters
40:50 — Why contrarian posts explode reach
49:00 — Where to spend $500 vs $10K as a recruiter
56:30 — The long-term mindset most recruiters ignore

🚀 Sponsors

Atlas – AI-first ATS & CRM
Automates admin, syncs resumes & emails, and uses AI to build polished profiles and reports.
👉 https://recruitwithatlas.com

🚀 Pin – AI Recruiting Assistant
24/7 AI for sourcing, outreach, scheduling, and screening across email, LinkedIn, and SMS.
Start your free trial → https://www.pin.com/

🎯 Summit + Community

2026 Sales & BD Recruiter Summit
👉 https://bd-sales-recruiter-2026.heysu...

Join the Elite Recruiter Community
(All summits, replays, Billers Club + Split Space)
👉 https://elite-recruiters.circle.so/ch...

🔗 Tools & Links

Free Trial: PeopleGPT → https://juicebox.ai/?via=b6912d

Free Trial: Talin AI → https://app.talin.ai/signup?via=recru...

Free Trial: Pin → https://www.pin.com/

Newsletter Signup → https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv...

Follow Zack Gallinger on LinkedIn →   / zackgallinger  

Host: Benjamin Mena → http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/

Benjamin LinkedIn →   / benjaminmena  

Benjamin Instagram →   / benlmena