How to Get Your First Job Listings

An empty job board attracts no one. Before you can attract job seekers, you need jobs. Before employers will pay to post, you need job seekers. Breaking this chicken-and-egg cycle is essential.

The content problem

New job boards face a classic marketplace challenge:

• Job seekers won't visit without jobs
• Employers won't post without job seekers
• You need both to build momentum

The solution: start with content, then attract both sides.

Strategy 1: Backfill with aggregated jobs

The fastest way to populate your board is with backfill: importing jobs from external sources.

What is backfill?

Backfill is the practice of automatically importing job listings from external sources to populate your job board. It solves the chicken-and-egg problem by giving you content before you have employer relationships. Most successful job boards use backfill during their early months, then gradually shift toward direct employer postings as they build traffic and reputation.

How backfill works

Cavuno's backfill feature:

1. Imports relevant jobs from job aggregators
2. Displays them on your board
3. Earns you revenue when users click through

Benefits of backfill

• Instant content: Hundreds of relevant jobs immediately
• Fresh listings: Continuously updated
• Revenue: Earn per click
• SEO value: More pages to index

Setting up backfill

When you create your board, Cavuno's AI automatically generates backfill rules for you based on your board description. You can review and customize them in your backfill settings.

To set up or adjust backfill manually:

1. Go to Board settings > Backfill tab
2. Configure job filtering rules
3. Enable backfill for relevant companies

See Configure Backfill for detailed instructions.

Balancing backfill and direct posts

As you grow:

• Launch with mostly backfill
• Add direct employer posts as you acquire them
• Gradually reduce backfill reliance
• Keep backfill for supplemental content

Strategy 2: Manual curation

Actively find and post relevant jobs yourself.

Where to find jobs

• Company career pages in your niche
• LinkedIn job postings
• Professional association listings
• Industry publications
• Conference sponsor pages

How to curate

1. Find relevant job listings
2. Post them to your board (with proper attribution)
3. Link applications to original source
4. Contact companies about direct posting

Curation best practices

• Focus on quality over quantity
• Update regularly (stale content hurts credibility)
• Verify jobs are still active
• Build relationships with companies you feature

Strategy 3: Free employer postings

Attract employers by removing the cost barrier initially.

Why offer free postings

• Lower barrier for first-time employers
• Build relationships and case studies
• Generate content without manual curation
• Create habits employers will pay to continue

How to structure free offers

Launch special:

• First 10 employers post free
• Limited time offer
• Full features included

Ongoing free tier:

• Basic posting always free
• Premium features paid
• Converts free to paid over time

Nonprofit/startup discount:

• Free for specific employer types
• Builds goodwill and content
• May convert as they grow

Transitioning to paid

When moving from free to paid:

1. Give advance notice
2. Grandfather existing free posts
3. Offer launch discount for first paid post
4. Demonstrate value with metrics

Strategy 4: Partner sourcing

Use your relationships to get jobs posted.

Partnership opportunities

Employers you know:

• Former employers
• Industry contacts
• LinkedIn connections

Associations and communities:

• Industry groups
• Professional associations
• Alumni networks
• Online communities

Complementary businesses:

• Staffing agencies
• HR consultants
• Industry service providers

Approaching partners

Keep outreach brief and valuable:

1234567891011121314
Subject: Partnership opportunity - [Your Board Name]

Hi [Name],

I'm launching [Board Name], a job board focused on [your niche].

I'd love to feature [Company]'s open positions. During our launch,
we're offering free featured postings to founding partners.

Would you have 5 minutes to discuss? Happy to share more about
our audience and reach.

Best,
[Your name]

Strategy 5: Content outreach

Create content that attracts employers organically.

Content that works

• "Top companies hiring in [niche]" lists
• Company spotlight interviews
• Salary surveys and reports
• Industry trend analysis

Why content works

When you feature a company:

• They often share the content
• Opens conversation about posting
• Builds relationship for future
• Generates backlinks and traffic

Content-to-jobs pipeline

1. Create "Top [Niche] Companies" list
2. Reach out to featured companies
3. Offer free job posting as featured company
4. Convert to paid after proving value

Building momentum

The flywheel effect

Each element reinforces the others:

1. Content attracts job seekers
2. Job seekers attract employers
3. Employer jobs attract more job seekers
4. More activity improves SEO
5. Better SEO brings more traffic

Metrics to track

Monitor your progress:

When you've broken through

Signs you're past the initial hurdle:

• Organic traffic is growing
• Employers contact you (not just outreach)
• Job seekers return regularly
• Some employers pay without being asked

Common mistakes

Too few jobs at launch

Visitors who find an empty board rarely return. Wait until you have meaningful content.

All backfill, no direct

Pure backfill boards lack differentiation. Mix in curated and direct postings.

Ignoring relationship building

Early employers become case studies, referrals, and evangelists. Treat them well.

Expecting immediate results

Building a job board takes time. Stay consistent through the slow early months.