In order to keep up with the laundry list of tasks and initiatives internal communicators own, we need to get creative. We have to adopt a new way of thinking, the right tools, and a bulletproof internal communications strategy. Read along as we discuss the top 20 ideas to explore when building your internal communication strategy.
New to internal comms management? Don’t worry, even seasoned professionals can confuse an internal communication strategy with tactics.
To make it clear, your internal communications strategy is the big picture. It’s the long-term plan that outlines why you’re communicating, what you want to achieve, and how it aligns with your organization’s goals. An effective internal communication strategy will uphold your company’s daily operations, employee engagement, and long-term success.
Whether you’re looking to improve internal communication across departments or fine-tune your internal communication best practices, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll explore the 20 key elements you must include in your internal communication strategy to connect with employees, secure leadership buy-in, and keep your workforce informed and aligned.
Revive employee engagement with targeted, interactive emails and newsletters
Book a 15 minute call with one of our team members
Why You Need an Internal Communications Strategy
With an internal communications strategy, team members stay informed about company goals, understand how their work contributes to the bigger picture, and feel motivated to give their best effort. Above the individual level, solid internal communication strategies will help steer an organization, its company culture, and even its stakeholder reputation. Here’s, why a great internal communications strategy is make or break:
- Improves employee engagement: Clear and transparent communication makes employees feel more connected to the company’s vision and goals, which can lead to increased job satisfaction and loyalty.
- Enhances productivity: An effective internal communication strategy helps employees receive the right information at the right time. This reduces misunderstandings and confusion, helping them focus on tasks that matter.
- Supports organizational alignment: An internal communication strategy allows leadership to consistently convey the company’s goals, values, and priorities.
- Boosts employee retention: When employees feel well-informed and valued through effective communication, they are more likely to stay with the company.
- Facilitates change engagement: Whether it’s a new initiative or a major organizational shift, having a solid internal communication plan helps guide employees through changes smoothly, reducing resistance and confusion.
- Strengthens culture: Regular, strategic internal communication fosters a positive organizational culture where employees feel heard, appreciated, and part of a community.
7 Steps to Building an Effective Internal Communication Plan
Building a solid internal communication plan makes sure that your strategy can be executed effectively. Here’s how to create a winning comms plan:
1. Set clear objectives
Define what you want to achieve with your internal communication efforts. Whether you’re increasing employee engagement or improving attrition, set specific, measurable goals.
2. Know your audience
Understand who you are communicating with. Different employee segments (full-time, part-time, remote, or freelancers) may have different needs, and your internal communication plan should reflect this by segmenting your audience accordingly.
3. Choose the right channels
Select the most appropriate internal communication channels—email, intranet, video, or collaboration tools—and consider your audience’s preferences to maximize engagement.
4. Craft engaging employee messages
Focus on creating clear, concise, and relevant messages that resonate with employees. Personalizing these messages based on your audience can enhance their impact.
5. Use employee feedback to improve communications
Regularly solicit employee feedback using internal communication surveys to gauge the effectiveness of your messages and identify areas for improvement.
6. Leverage internal communication tools for optimization
Use employee engagement software designed specifically for internal communications to track, analyze, and optimize your efforts. This ensures you’re making data-driven decisions and continually improving your strategy.
7. Measure success with real data against objectives
Use internal communication goals and KPIs to assess whether your plan is effective. Analyze metrics such as email open rates, employee feedback scores, and platform engagement to refine your strategy.
For an in-depth look into building an internal communications plan, << check out this guide.
Plan like a pro: 2024 Internal Communications Calendar
Your blueprint for meeting KPIs.
20 Key Tactics to Execute a Winning Internal Communication Strategy
Even highly successful organizations can struggle to maintain alignment and momentum. In today’s fast-paced work environment, an effective internal communication strategy ensures timely, clear, and engaging messaging that keeps everyone on the same page. To achieve this, focus on integrating these essential elements into your strategy:
1. Be proactive and schedule internal communications
Proactively schedule your internal communications to maintain consistency and engagement across your organization.
Why it matters: Regular, scheduled updates prevent important messages from getting lost and ensure employees are always in the loop. When employees can rely on and expect your comms, trust is built.
When to leverage: Use scheduled communications for recurring updates such as weekly newsletters, team announcements, or important company-wide updates.
Measuring impact: Track engagement metrics like open rates, click-throughs, and time spent on content using internal communication tools.
🐒PRO TIP: With ContactMonkey, schedule emails in advance and segment lists by team or role to ensure the right message reaches the right people at the right time.
2. Measure success and track internal communication
Monitor the performance of your internal communications to identify what works and what doesn’t.
Why it matters: Tracking helps you understand how well your communications resonate with employees and where improvements are needed.
When to leverage: Use tracking during major company initiatives, onboarding periods, and for messages that require immediate feedback or action.
Measuring impact: Measure open rates, response times, and employee feedback to gauge effectiveness.
🐒PRO TIP: ContactMonkey’s email analytics feature lets you track internal communication email examples—from opens to clicks—giving you actionable insights into your internal communication strategy.
3. Identify communication channels that work best for your audience
Use a mix of communication channels—email, chat, intranet, or video—to ensure your messages reach all employees, no matter their role or location.
Why it matters: Different employees prefer different channels. Using a variety ensures greater reach and engagement across the organization.
When to leverage: Leverage multiple internal communication channels when launching a major initiative, announcing company-wide changes, or increasing reach among remote and in-office employees.
Measuring impact: Compare engagement metrics across internal communication platforms to see which channels work best for different types of messages.
🐒PRO TIP: With ContactMonkey, you can integrate multiple internal communication tools, including emails, surveys, and internal communication video options for a seamless experience.
4. Define your audiences with relevant insights
Segment your internal communication strategy by understanding the needs and preferences of different employee groups.
Why it matters: Tailored messaging ensures that the right people receive relevant information, boosting engagement and preventing overload.
When to leverage: Audience segmentation is critical during company-wide announcements, department-specific updates, or when targeting different employee groups, like freelancers vs. full-time staff.
Measuring impact: Analyze feedback from different audience segments to see how well your internal communication plan is received by each group.
🐒PRO TIP: Use ContactMonkey’s list management and segmentation feature to create personalized communications for different audiences, ensuring that freelancers, contractors, and FTEs get the right messages in your internal communication email templates.
5. Gain a bird’s eye view and assess your current internal comms strategy
Review your current internal communication strategy to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
Why it matters: Regular assessments allow you to stay agile and make necessary adjustments to meet the evolving needs of your workforce.
When to leverage: Use this during quarterly reviews, following major company changes, or after implementing new internal communication software.
Measuring impact: Conduct internal communication surveys and compare year-over-year engagement data to evaluate progress.
🐒PRO TIP: ContactMonkey’s internal communication tools allow you to gather feedback on your strategy with ease, helping you identify areas for optimization.
6. Ensure timely messaging to capitalize on momentum
Deliver critical updates promptly to avoid confusion and keep employees informed in real time.
Why it matters: In fast-paced environments, timely communication is essential to preventing misinformation and ensuring everyone is on the same page.
When to leverage: Use for urgent updates, crisis communication, and time-sensitive announcements.
Measuring impact: Use internal communication software to track the time it takes for employees to receive, open, and act on critical updates.
🐒PRO TIP: ContactMonkey’s automation features allow you to send timely, targeted messages without delay, ensuring employees always receive updates when they need them most.
7. Keep employees informed and empowered to build engagement
Regularly update employees with relevant information and give them the tools to provide feedback.
Why it matters: Informed employees are empowered employees—they’re more engaged, productive, and motivated to contribute to company success.
When to leverage: Best leveraged during periods of change, major organizational shifts, or when soliciting feedback on new initiatives.
Measuring impact: Measure participation in feedback loops and response rates to key announcements.
🐒PRO TIP: Use ContactMonkey’s employee feedback loops to gather real-time input. This will make employees feel heard and engaged, thus improving internal communication.
8. Monitor efforts over time and measure your progress
Continuously monitor and measure the impact of your internal communication efforts to ensure success.
Why it matters: Data-driven decisions enable you to make sure that your internal communication strategy remains effective and responsive to employee needs.
When to leverage: Implement measurement after key internal campaigns, at the end of each quarter, or before refining internal communication strategies.
Measuring impact: Use engagement analytics, internal communication survey results, and feedback loops to assess performance.
🐒PRO TIP: ContactMonkey’s analytics dashboard provides deep insights into employee engagement, helping you measure progress and refine your internal communication strategy and plan.
9. Nail down important KPIs and summarize your goals clearly
Set clear KPIs for your internal communication plan and align them with overall business objectives.
Why it matters: Defining KPIs allows you to track performance, set benchmarks, and ensure communication efforts contribute to business goals.
When to leverage: Define KPIs at the start of any new campaign or communication initiative, and review them during regular strategy assessments.
Measuring impact: Track progress toward KPIs like engagement rates, feedback scores, and overall communication effectiveness.
🐒PRO TIP: Use ContactMonkey’s KPI tracking feature to monitor performance and keep your internal communication goals on track.
10. Develop internal newsletters that build community
Create engaging internal newsletters to keep employees informed on company news, updates, and events.
Why it matters: Newsletters are a great way to share updates in a digestible format, keeping employees informed without overwhelming them.
When to leverage: Use newsletters for company-wide announcements, monthly updates, or to highlight key initiatives and employee achievements.
Measuring impact: Monitor open rates, click-through rates, and content engagement.🐒PRO TIP: Use ContactMonkey’s internal communication email templates through the email builder to easily create and send visually appealing, interactive newsletters that can be tracked
🐒PRO TIP: Use ContactMonkey’s internal communication email templates through the email builder to easily create and send visually appealing, interactive newsletters that can be tracked for engagement.
11. Promote collaboration and listen to sources of truth
Foster a culture of collaboration through clear, consistent internal communication.
Why it matters: Transparent communication encourages teamwork and breaks down silos, driving better business outcomes.
When to leverage: Use communication strategies that promote collaboration when launching cross-departmental projects or new initiatives that require input from various teams.
Measuring impact: Track collaboration metrics, like the number of cross-departmental projects and employee feedback on teamwork.
🐒PRO TIP: Use internal collaborative tools to encourage interdepartmental communication and feedback, promoting a more cohesive workforce.
12. Understand diverse needs and offer accessibility to all employees
Make sure that your internal communications are accessible to all employees, regardless of their location or role.
Why it matters: Inclusive communication ensures that every employee, whether remote, on-site, or part-time, receives the same important updates.
When to leverage: Leverage accessibility features during company-wide announcements, updates, or when rolling out new policies that affect all employees.
Measuring impact: Analyze participation rates across different employee segments to ensure no one is left out.
🐒PRO TIP: ContactMonkey’s platform allows you to tailor content for different employee groups, ensuring accessibility and a secure internal communication process for all.
13. Ask for employee POVs and offer feedback channels
Provide channels for employees to give feedback on internal communications.
Why it matters: Feedback helps you improve internal communication efforts and makes employees feel heard, increasing engagement and trust.
When to leverage: Use feedback channels after significant updates, policy changes, or new initiatives to gauge employee reception and engagement.
Measuring impact: Track the volume and sentiment of employee feedback on internal communications.
🐒PRO TIP: Use ContactMonkey’s integrated internal communication survey and employee feedback tools to create easy channels for employee input and suggestions and ensure ongoing improvement of your internal communication strategies.
14. Leverage list management and audience segmentation
Segment your audience based on role, department, or location for more personalized communication.
Why it matters: Audience segmentation ensures the right information reaches the right employees, boosting relevance and engagement.
When to leverage: Use audience segmentation during new policy rollouts, training sessions, or when sending important department-specific updates.
Measuring impact: Monitor the engagement levels of different segments to measure the effectiveness of personalized messaging.
🐒PRO TIP: With ContactMonkey, segment employee lists and target communications to specific audiences for a more relevant and impactful message using advanced internal communication software.
20 must-try newsletter ideas for better employee engagement
15. Avoid communication overload and sequence your messaging
Balance the frequency of internal communications to prevent overwhelming employees with too much information.
Why it matters: Overloading employees with too many messages can cause disengagement and make important information easy to miss.
When to leverage: Consider message timing when sending multiple updates in a short period, especially during high-stress periods like project deadlines or company-wide announcements.
Measuring impact: Track employee feedback on communication frequency and engagement rates to find the right balance.
🐒PRO TIP: Use ContactMonkey’s scheduling tools to time your communications strategically and avoid overwhelming your workforce.
16. Finesse your language and communicate clearly
Ensure that all messages are concise, clear, and to the point.
Why it matters: Clear communication reduces misunderstandings and ensures that employees quickly grasp the message’s intent.
When to leverage: Always prioritize clarity in important updates, new policies, or any communication that requires employee action.
Measuring impact: Measure how well employees understand and act on messages by tracking engagement metrics and feedback.
🐒PRO TIP: ContactMonkey’s internal communication email templates help you craft clear, concise emails that deliver key messages effectively.
17. Develop communication timelines to balance consistency and frequency
Plan a communication timeline to ensure regular updates without overloading your employees.
Why it matters: A well-structured timeline maintains consistent communication flow and avoids information bottlenecks.
When to leverage: During organizational changes, for regular updates, new initiative rollouts, and in preparation for crisis communication to enable a consistent and structured flow of information.
Measuring impact: Analyze engagement over time to ensure communications are delivered at optimal times.
🐒PRO TIP: Use ContactMonkey’s scheduling tools to build a communication timeline that fits your company’s rhythm, ensuring consistent internal communication that aligns with employee expectations.
18. Convey organizational culture and values
Your internal communication should reflect the company’s culture and core values, reinforcing them with every message.
Why it matters: Communicating culture fosters a strong sense of identity and unity among employees, driving engagement.
When to leverage: Use communication timelines when planning out quarterly updates, project milestones, or ongoing internal communication campaigns.
Measuring impact: Track employee sentiment and cultural alignment through surveys and feedback tools.
🐒PRO TIP: Use ContactMonkey’s internal communication platforms to embed company culture in every message you send, from onboarding to day-to-day updates.
19. Set a clear budget to aid with planning
Allocate an internal communications budget for your efforts to ensure you have the resources needed for successful execution.
Why it matters: Having a defined budget allows you to invest in the right tools, resources, and training to ensure effective communication.
When to leverage: Review your internal communication plan budget at the start of each fiscal year or when introducing new tools and internal communication software for business.
Measuring impact: Compare spending against KPIs to determine the return on investment for communication efforts.
🐒PRO TIP: ContactMonkey offers affordable internal communication tools that provide high-impact features without overextending your budget, helping you manage your communication expenses effectively.
20. Lean on employee inspiration to boost morale
The ultimate goal of a strong internal communication strategy is to improve employee engagement and morale across the board.
Why it matters: Engaged employees are more productive, loyal, and aligned with the company’s goals, leading to better overall performance.
When to leverage: Review your communication budget at the start of each fiscal year or when introducing new tools and platforms for internal use.
Measuring impact: Track employee engagement scores, feedback loops, and overall morale to assess improvements.
🐒PRO TIP: Regularly gather employee feedback through surveys, town halls, or suggestion boxes to gauge morale and engagement, and use this data to refine your internal communication strategy for better results.
Unmissable employee comms
Always get your message across with ContactMonkey.
Why You Need an Advanced Internal Communication Tool to Execute Your Strategy
As your organization grows, so do the demands on your internal communication strategy. If you’re finding it difficult to keep your employees informed, aligned, and engaged, it might be time to consider an advanced internal communication tool. Here are the signs that your current methods are no longer enough and a summary of how ContactMonkey can help:
Inconsistent communication: Missing deadlines or irregular updates cause confusion.
Solution: Automate and schedule messages with ContactMonkey’s internal communication software, so important updates are sent consistently and reach all employees on time.
No engagement tracking: Without metrics, it’s hard to know if messages are effective.
Solution: Use ContactMonkey’s analytics to track email opens, clicks, and engagement and gain visibility into employee interactions with your internal communication tools.
Lack of audience segmentation: Sending the same message to everyone reduces relevance.
Solution: Use ContactMonkey’s segmentation to target specific employee groups, ensuring tailored, relevant internal communication email examples for each audience.
Over-reliance on email: Exclusive email use can overwhelm employees.
Solution: Diversify your communication approach with ContactMonkey’s multichannel options, including email, surveys, internal communication video, and SMS communications to reach employees through the channels they prefer.
No employee feedback: Minimal feedback indicates poor engagement opportunities.
Solution: Use ContactMonkey’s internal communication survey features to create quick, easy-to-complete feedback forms for employees, encouraging more input and insight into your internal communication strategies.
Growing communication complexity: Manual processes can’t scale with a growing company.
Solution: Streamline complex internal communication strategies with ContactMonkey’s automation features.
Dropping employee engagement: Low engagement signals a communication breakdown.
Solution: Use ContactMonkey’s real-time feedback tools to improve communication, identify problem areas in your internal communication plan, and take steps to re-engage employees with more targeted, relevant content.
Explore how ContactMonkey can help you bring your internal communications strategy to life with one of our IC experts! Book a free demo, today and get your questions ready for answers.
