6 Steps to a more Powerful Internal Communications Strategy

According to Everyone Social, internal marketing involves the promotion of a company’s objectives, mission, products and services to its own employees, with the purpose of improving employee engagement, increasing overall brand reach, and ensuring the provision of value, by employees to potential customers because they believe in and understand the company’s goals and vision themselves.

With that said, we've detailed below, 6 steps you can follow to create a powerful internal communications strategy.

1. Audit your current internal communications strategy 

Firstly, you will want to take some time to map out past and current internal communications strategy, and identify what has and hasn't worked.

For a more strategic approach, frameworks such as the SWOT analysis can be used to identify areas in which you excel and areas of opportunity.

A SWOT analysis looks at the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of a project and assesses the viability thereof.

With the SWOT analysis, you need to, firstly, specify the internal company objective - in this case the execution and maintenance of an effective internal communication strategy - only then can you proceed to identify internal and external factors, which are favourable and unfavourable to achieving your overall objective.

2. Define your communications objectives

After conducting the SWOT analysis, you need to decide what you would like to achieve in the end by setting objectives for your internal communication plan.

The chosen objectives will determine how your internal communication is conducted and, as a result, should be aligned with overall company goals.

Remember that the purpose of effective internal communications is to ensure the realisation of overarching company goals.

3. Define your message and audience

Depending on the audience, your communications will range from very general and inclusive to highly targeted and exclusive.

Different parts of an organisation typically deal with various distinct situations which require the application of the organisation's various values and strategies.

Being able to send out different internal messages to specific segments of your employees allows you to cultivate the necessary values for different departments while fostering an organisational culture that ties in with, and supports, the overarching company goals. 

4. Distribute your message

From the SWOT analysis, you will have identified several factors, one of them being how to distribute your communications.

Should it be via email, social media or internal communication channels like Slack? Whatever the answer, the messages you send out need to be relevant to the issues and needs of your employees.

Make sure the copy is short, to the point and straightforward enough for your employees to read them. 

5. Assess the delivery of your digital marketing messages

With an internal communication strategy, you have to be delivering the right message, to the right audience members at the exact right time.

To ensure the straightforward delivery for your messaging, consider the following:

• Who are you targeting and when is best to contact them?
• What is the best time to send a message?
• Should I send repeat messages?
• Which resources are needed to execute the plan?
• How much time and effort is required for the plan to be successful?
• How will you know when you have succeeded?

With the necessary key performance indicators (KPIs) in place, you’ll have a means of measuring the results of your communications and seeing if you’re hitting the desired targets and building on your strengths.

6. Evaluate, learn and adapt

The chosen KPIs won't only be applied to tracking, but will also be used for optimising. Through monthly evaluations, you'll be able to assess and improve upon the efforts you're making towards your core company goals.

By constantly re-evaluating what you’re doing internally, you’ll make sure your internal communication plan is aligned with overall company goals. As a result, your company will achieve both effective internal communications through digital marketing channels and core company goals simultaneously.

For an in-depth dive into digital marketing, read our guide to digital marketing.