Per Harvard Business Review, more than 90% of employees report wanting weekly communication from their company in the WFH era. However, the demand for more employer communication doesn’t mean more redundant communication. As we can all attest, inboxes are full and daily notifications are through the roof. Plus, with U.S workers using an average of 9 apps a day to complete work tasks, digital fatigue and tool overwhelm are slashing productivity, especially in distributed teams. 

These employee satisfaction and engagement concerns all point back to an outdated internal comms strategy that relies on one-way communication, lacks personalization, and stands detached from external company branding. 

Information Overload v. Intentional Interactions

In a world where the line between informing and engaging is becoming increasingly blurred, remote-first companies are often left scrambling for employee attention in an information-saturated digital infrastructure. No doubt, the old memos that once dotted our inboxes are no longer sufficient, but what constitutes a better alternative? How can modern collaboration software become more inherently interactive and diversified? 

The answer lies in uniting internal communications strategy with internal marketing to seize each and every opportunity for motivation and morale. Moving beyond the traditional approach of one-way broadcasts, an internal marketing perspective helps create two-way conversation and foster more substantial employee interaction and engagement that instills a sense of purpose and belonging. 

Here are five tips to consider, made simple to execute and track using Cleary’s internal comms framework:

Transforming Executive Emails Into Campaigns

The era of executive emails as the primary mode of company-wide communication is fading. Today, envision launching internal campaigns that mirror the creativity and strategic depth of external marketing efforts. Effective messaging relies on repetition and diversity, ensuring that key messages are not just delivered but also resonate and are embraced across distributed teams. 

At the heart of this approach internal comms/marketing approach is the use of varied channels and iterations to ensure your message is both understood and embraced – paying attention to the visual aspect of your communications along the way. A well-formatted, stylized, and branded email can stand out in a crowded inbox, making it easier for employees to differentiate and engage across multiple channels. Along these lines, Cleary ensures that your multi-channel communications don’t take up precious time, with an integrated post-once platform that triggers targeted notifications across your entire comms infrastructure. 

Measuring the Pulse: Engagement Surveys and Communication

How your internal communications are perceived by employees is essential for their longterm efficacy. Implementing regular engagement surveys can provide invaluable insights into what aspects are resonating and which need adjustment. 

This firsthand feedback is indispensable for continuously refining your strategy, ensuring that your internal comms/marketing efforts genuinely enhance engagement. With Cleary’s tools, gathering and analyzing said feedback is integrated directly into the intranet platform, enabling a responsive and adaptive communication approach that helps management get a leg up against competitors. After all, only 16% of employers are frequently using technology to routinely monitor employee engagement. 

Gamifying Knowledge: Quizzes About Updates and Mission

Interactive content like quizzes can transform how updates and company missions are received. They not only serve to educate but also to engage employees in a format that is both fun and memorable. These can be excellent tools for reinforcing knowledge and instilling company values, fostering a culture of continuous learning, engagement, and most importantly, authenticity. 

Authenticity is the name of the game in the modern workplace when it comes to culture and values, but it is hard to acquire. By striving to find some levity in gamifying knowledge, people managers can help make communications more personable, which is essential to a positive employee experience in a remote-first work environment. 

Narrative Shift: From Customer Stories to Employee Stories

To create a more engaging and relatable internal communication environment, shift the focus from customer stories to those of your employees. By sharing real-life tales of success, challenge, and perseverance from within your team, you humanize the organization and foster a stronger connection among employees.

Furthermore, this narrative shift is a great way to revamp your employee recognition tactics. One advantageous means of uplifting and engaging your team is supporting their use of social media, offering shareable content and engaging in interactive, brand-forward activities like giveaways and incentive programs. This approach not only promotes your brand but also celebrates your employees, making them feel valued and part of a larger story.

Prioritizing Internal Pre-Launches

In a time where information travels faster than ever, it’s vital that any major company news, from product launches to messaging shifts, is communicated internally first—even if it’s just an hour ahead. This not only shows respect for your team but also ensures that they are your first advocates, fully briefed and ready to support.

Pre-launches are a great opportunity to imbue more personalization into your messaging, fostering a stronger connection and sense of rapport with your team akin to an internal hype machine. On the whole, it’s a great excuse to get the whole company united and informed about new developments. With Cleary’s All-Hands meeting framework, companywide collaboration is made much more efficient and organic – perfect for supporting internal pre-launch celebrations. 

In all, cementing a dynamic company culture doesn’t just boost employee morale and retention, it has a tangible effect on business outcomes. Notably, Forbes reports that strong culture correlates with a 4x increase in revenue growth. 

By adopting a two-way branding approach that aligns internal communications with internal marketing, companies can create an environment where employees feel valued, connected, and engaged. This not only enhances productivity and satisfaction but also builds a strong, cohesive brand identity that resonates both internally and externally.