For most established corporates communication channels are already in place, but perhaps your internal comms is in its infancy and needs to be established. With 10 years’ experience specialising in the field of internal comms we know what works.
The key is two-fold:
- Establish a variety of channels – just an intranet or one noticeboard isn’t enough. People consume content in different ways so you need to cater for that to reach your audience.
- Integration of messages across these channels.
Here’s some pointers:
- Build or make better use of an existing social network platform e.g. a blog, Chatter, Yammer or the like. Integrate designed images into chat feeds to bring interest and a diversity of content.
- Launch an internal newsletter. Your newsletter is a useful tool to give news stories or information posted to your intranet a second chance at being seen. We typically use newsletters as reminders and a summary of top news and items for information or action once a month.
- Conduct an employee survey to get a sense of where you’re at with internal communications. Do employees know what’s happening in the business? Are they engaged and excited about the business strategy and purpose? Use the outcomes from the survey to create a communications campaign that fills the gaps identified.
- Incorporate incentives into campaigns. The proverbial carrot is important to gain employee interest and to draw them in to participate in activities.
- Use digital signage to circle messages or noticeboards on wheels that can be moved around your office or building so that it doesn’t start to blend into the background and go unnoticed. And change it up. One month use A4 posters on the noticeboard and the next print a few larger format ones.
- Appoint an internal brand ambassador per quarter. This should be someone who is passionate about the business and brand; a natural people’s person who can spark conversation and deliver messages through the grapevine in a positive and controlled manner.
- Harness the power of video. Video is a powerful way to communicate your brand story – and here we don’t mean brand as in consumables. A brand can be any campaign or message you need to deliver.
