Internal Communication Strategy 101 Guide: 7 Steps & Bonus Tips

What is meant by internal communication strategy? 

Let’s look at definitions of internal communication given by experts. 

One is by Tench and Yeomans, two notable public relations and communication figures. Their explanation is as follows: 

"The planned use of communications actions to systematically influence the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of current employees."

The other definition by Russell Grossman, the director of communications at the Office of Rail and Road in the UK, says:

"To help leaders inform and engage employees, in a way which motivates staff to maximize their performance and deliver the business strategy most effectively."

So, in basic terms, you can think of internal communication strategy as the process by which a company shares information – like messages, ideas, or resources – within itself. The communication happens between people, between departments, or from management to staff, helping to steer everyone towards the company's goals in a cohesive way.

Why does an internal communication strategy matter?

Now let’s look at why you should consider implementing a solid internal communication strategy in your company:

It brings about a strong corporate culture

A strong company culture helps your employees cooperate professionally and well with one another. And to build such a culture, you need to have a good internal communication strategy in place. 

Boosts employee morale and fosters a sense of trust in the company

Employees who are kept in the loop of the latest on-goings of the company feel informed and, in turn, feel like an integral part of it. When employees are in the loop, their morale gets a boost, fostering a sense of loyalty that can last for years.

Sharing stories is a good practice in this regard. And it’s not just about sharing the good times. Openly discussing both successes and challenges, like a failed project, can make your team bold in taking risks or admitting mistakes. This kind of openness not only promotes honesty but also drives innovation and personal growth among the team.

Helps in times of crisis

Having a reliable internal communication strategy makes navigating in times of crisis, like a financial one, better. You can convey important messages in a timely manner and avert the disaster before it progresses into something bigger. 

Improves employee productivity and engagement

A well-informed employee is more productive and engaged. They understand how their role aligns with company goals, increasing their sense of purpose and job satisfaction. 

Additionally, regularly updating employees about a company’s financial health and future planscan motivate people to work harder.

Promotes collaboration

A good internal communication strategy helps teams collaborate on important projects. Teams get all the necessary information at their disposal to complete their tasks. 

This is especially useful in the software industry. For example, the video game industry has multiple departments working in unison. In a good game company, the programming, the game design, and the testing departments (among many others) work together in a harmonious way. These teams exchange information instantly to meet the insane deadlines that video game industries are known for.  

Prevents silos and misinformation

Information can become siloed without a good internal communication strategy. Misinformation can spread, leading to confusion and misaligned efforts. 

For instance, employees might receive incorrect or incomplete information if a new policy is communicated through word-of-mouth rather than through official channels. One department might interpret the information one way, and another department might interpret it another way. The actions they then take may not be aligned with each other, causing problems in the future. 

What should your internal communication strategy include?

Below are some basic building blocks of a solid internal communication strategy

It should ideally include a feedback system

Internal communication should be a two-way street. Both employers and employees should be able to communicate with each other, and the latter must be able to share feedback.

Feedback can be in the form of surveys, where you can ask employees questions like “What are we doing that you agree with?” or “How informed do you feel about the new changes in the organization? ” 

Platforms for communicating

Some of the best platforms for internal communication include Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Riverside, depending on your use case. These help you send important messages to other company members through text or video. 

Audience segmentation

Not all internal communications are meant to be for everyone in the company. Sometimes, you’ll need to send important announcements only to specific departments. In such cases, tools like Slack, email, and Microsoft Teams can help you segment employees based on role and function in the organization.

Newsletters

This can help keep employees updated about the latest news, updates, and initiatives. 

Engaging media

If your employees are the hard-working kind and are busy all day with work, reading walls of text is the last thing they want to do. So, make it a point to keep the information in announcements interesting and engaging. 

How to create an effective internal communication strategy: 7 Steps

Let’s look at how you can build your internal communication strategy from scratch

Step 1: Assess your current situation

If you already have an internal communication strategy in place, even a rudimentary one, review it. See what’s working, what needs to be improved, and what you need to scrap. 

You can ask yourself questions like:

• How effective is your current strategy?
• What impact has it had so far on the company culture?
• What software are you using, and what are their limitations and strengths?
• Do people feel tuned in to the company culture?
• Are people tied to the values and culture of the company?
• Is there a problem that occurs frequently, like: Do people feel they aren’t getting enough updates from management, or do they feel underappreciated?

Step 2: Identify your audience

When crafting the message, make sure it is tailored to the specific audience that it’s intended for. Not all messages need to be sent to the entire company. Some need to be sent to specific departments or people. 

Depending on the message you want to convey, you can segment the company by department, role, location, or any other parameter. 

Step 3: Set clear goals

Your internal communication strategy needs clear goals. These goals can be anything from:

• Improving employee engagement
• Increasing transparency
• Enhancing collaboration among teams
• And more

For instance, if the strategy is to launch a new product, the goal might be to make more people aware of the new product internally. Or, if you want to streamline operations, the goal could be to clarify these new processes to the employees.

Step 4: Choose the right communication channels

To communicate your message, do you want to use email? Newsletters? Platforms like Slack? 

You can use Slack to send shorter messages in real-time and also if you want to get quick feedback from employees. 

Newsletters are great for monthly or quarterly updates, sharing company achievements, introducing new employees, or conveying messages from the CEO. 

Emails can for anything that requires a formal tone. An example would be policy updates like social media policy or remote work policy. 

Video is ideal for company-wide addresses or CEO messages, training or educational content, employee onboarding, etc. 

Step 5: Create the right content

Your messages should be clear, direct, and engaging. Don’t overwhelm the reader by giving too much unnecessary information. 

The following are some popular types of internal communication messages:

• Success stories
• New product updates
• New hire details
• Employee or company success stories
• Policy announcement emails
• Business video messages on company updates, Q&As, or other announcements. 
• Direct messages through platforms like Slack or emails 
• Feedback requests
• Personalized email to an individual or team to acknowledge achievements
• Town hall meetings using a video communication or webinar platform like Riverside

Step 6: Review the success of your strategy

This can involve several steps like:

• Sending surveys to employees where you ask them questions like around how clear and relevant the message was and how often do they want updates.
• Monitoring changes in employee or team behavior and performance.
• Keeping track of retention and turnover rates.
• Using exit interviews to get insights into the communication culture of the company.

Step 7: Adjust strategy accordingly

Use the feedback you got from the above step to adjust your overall internal communication strategy. Analyze the feedback, identify patterns or areas for improvement, and implement changes. Based on the evaluations, you can pilot new approaches to communication strategies with select teams and departments. 

5 Tips for developing your internal communication strategy

Here are some essential tips to make sure your internal communication strategy is a success. 

Keep communication fun wherever possible

Work can be stressful. So a message that’s light, fun, and interesting is more likely to be received well. 

It’s not always possible to keep things upbeat, though. Some messages have to be serious. For example, those talking about financial struggles in a quarter. 

Use messages that inspire action

In addition to keeping things interesting, also use inspirational language where possible. Remind people about the company’s values. You can also add call-to-actions so people know exactly what they need to do. 

Use visual imagery and graphics

Use visual media like infographics, photos, etc, to keep the message interesting. 

Use video

Video messages can replace long meetings. You can convey whatever you want to convey to your employees without dragging them into a long meeting.  

Video messages are also better than text messages because they humanize communication. 

Make sure the messages are clear

Keep the messages clear and concise; remove any ambiguity. This will avoid confusion that can spark between different people or departments on how the message gets interpreted. 

Bonus: Best software for implementing effective internal communication

The following tools are commonly used in companies for internal communication:

Riverside

Riverside is a powerful internal communication tool that you can use for:

• Sending internal communication videos
• Creating and uploading high-quality presentations 
• Creating high-production-quality demos
• For hosting town hall meetings with 1000s of employees of the company. 

Let’s have a look at the features that make Riverside a great video internal communication tool for your company: 

• ‍High-quality recording resolution: You can record video in up to 4K and audio in up to to 48kHz. Record your important company announcement by video and share it on the intranet or email. ‍
• Presentation recorder: Upload your presentation slides and assign someone to control your slides, then get a 4K recording of the talk.‍
• Clips generator: Our Magic Clips feature uses AI to find the most important clips of your recording and automatically extract them. These clips can be shared through email along with the whole video to make it convenient for those who don’t have time to watch the main video. ‍
• Branding: Add custom branding to your videos, including background and logos‍
• Live sound effects: Media Board for live mixing during your town hall meeting or other presentations. You can upload and include audio and video in your recording.‍
• Live streaming: Host a recording session for up to 8 people and 1000s of audience members, any of whom can join the stage using the live call-in feature‍
• Highly accurate transcriptions: AI transcription in over 100 languages, so you can address team members from across the world with no issues
• ‍Built-in teleprompter: Script and teleprompter feature that lets you record while reading from the script

Email and Newsletter software

Almost all organizations use email for internal communication and to make major announcements. They use popular email platforms like Gmail and Outlook. The medium also allows you to send your message to specific departments or individuals. 

Businesses also use newsletters to share the latest achievements and struggles within their companies. Mailchimp and ContactMonkey are two widely used platforms for creating newsletters. 

Intranet

An intranet is a private network set up within an organization that can be used for:

• Sharing important news, updates, policies, and more
• Communication, like instant messaging, between different parts of the company
• Sharing of important documents and resources
• And more

Slack

Slack is a popular collaboration app that is for instant messaging between individuals and groups. Users can communicate through a wide variety of formats, including text, video calls, video uploads, GIFs, etc. 

Microsoft Teams

Teams is another popular tool used by many major companies for their internal communication. It has instant messaging, video conferencing, file sharing, and collaboration, and it integrates seamlessly with the Microsoft 365 suite of apps.