Creating your internal communication strategy: 8 key steps

You want to improve your internal communication to take advantage of all of its benefits! But do you have an action plan? Are you wondering what to do ?

Start by taking stock of your communication! How do you currently communicate? Are your employees receptive to your communication actions ? These questions must absolutely be answered !

Many companies are content to keep their internal communication alive on a daily basis. But, without a formal strategy, it is impossible to take advantage of all the benefits of internal communication. 

Are you ready to move forward ? Discover immediately the 8 key steps to creating your internal communication strategy 🚀

#1 – Define who is responsible for internal communication

Internal communication is not a one-person job. Depending on the messages the company wants to convey to employees, several people or departments may be involved.

✔️ The communication department, to create content and animate the life of the company

✔️ Management, to set the course, inform on strategy, major projects and communicate on results

✔️ Human Resources department to enhance skills and share actions to support employees

✔️ The manager, as a relay point between employees and management and to unite their teams

✔️ The Economic and Social Committee to communicate on internal events and create links

✔️ Employees because they are at the heart of the company and embody the corporate culture

#2 – Create your internal communication strategy by setting clear objectives

It’s good to want to create your own internal communication strategy! Giving meaning to this process is even better ! So what are you trying to achieve with your internal communication actions ? 

If it’s to announce the next first aid course, you’re not going to communicate in the same way as you would to promote the Friday night karaoke night. The same people will not be speaking and the tone of the second post will be more playful.

We have identified 10 objectives to help you animate your internal communication :

• Inform
• Motivate and unite
• Engage and involve
• Improve recognition at work
• Contribute to the quality of life at work
• Develop the corporate culture
• Develop the employer brand
• Recruit new employees
• Facilitate management
• Increase productivity

#3 – Identify the messages to be communicated internally

Now that you know your internal communication objectives and have divided up the roles, it is a good idea to get organised to avoid misunderstandings.

Create an editorial board to list the messages to be conveyed over the coming period. For example :

• Management’s message on the results of the quarter
• HR publication on the forthcoming arrival of Jean-Paul in the accounting department
• Message from the Communication Department about the resumption of Yoga classes every Thursday at noon
• Communication on Michel’s retirement, after 40 years of good and loyal service
• Information about the Wednesday board game evening
• Video of the leader thanking the teams
• Photos of the music festival

As you can see, you can alternate between editorial and multimedia content. The next step is to plan the scheduled posts. And here we go!

#4 – Know what tone to use in your internal communication

Obviously, the tone depends on who is posting and the message. But in internal communication, the aim is to create proximity, embody the corporate culture and unite employees. 

Our advice ? Use a light tone to encourage interaction between employees. For example : "It’s the music festival today. How about we create our own internal playlist ? Share with us the song that makes your heart skip a beat."  🎷

#5 – Establish an editorial calendar

If everyone posts when they feel like it, the whole thing is likely to be messy and unreadable for staff. The messages will clash and your objectives will not be achieved.

How do you keep the pace ?

Work on the editorial planning. This is an essential step in creating a good internal communication strategy ! Avoid posting 18 times a day so as not to inundate employees, but not once a quarter either.

Otherwise, they will not have the reflex to go and see what is happening regarding internal communication. For example, you can post light content once a week, economic information about the company once every 3 months, etc.

#6 – Choose the right internal communication tools

There are several types of internal communication tools :

• Letter
• Email
• Telephone
• Company Intranet
• Corporate social network
• Paper display board
• Bulletin board
• Steeple

How do you choose the ideal tool to boost the life of your company ? You need to know your target audience well before choosing a solution: are you dealing with employees in the field ? Working from home ? Not so tech-savvy ?

Rely on collaborative! Use letters, emails, telephone to transmit specific information. But don’t forget your goal : to choose an internal communication tool that will allow employees to speak out.

#7 – Get employees involved in internal communication

The aim of internal communication is to make all employees feel involved. Why ? Internal communication has many benefits for employees, which will benefit the whole company. Read our article on the subject:

 👉 The 10 benefits of internal communication in companies  👈

How ? Get employees involved by setting up ideas boxes, conducting surveys or posting recognition messages. Remember that every employee must be taken into account to create an effective internal communication strategy !

#8 – Measure performance and adjust your internal communication strategy

How do you measure the effects of your internal communication ? Ask employees directly through an internal survey. What do they think of your internal communication actions ?

What are the points of improvement they have identified ? Don’t you just love it when a plan goes off without a hitch ? But you still need to have a plan, a well-defined internal communication strategy to put your actions on the right track.