The need for communicating internally in a company never ends. Whether it’s sending out new policies, shouting out corporate successes, communicating your company’s quarter strategy or simply making an announcement, internal comms are vital lifeblood in any organization.
But there is a problem. When all these notifications add up, company employees don’t view them the way you do. Instead, to them, your communications are nothing more than a source of digital noise and gradually will pile up in a virtual waste bin with no more than a cursory glance.
This common frustration is reported in almost every corporation by people who work for internal communications and employee engagement. Are you one of them? If so, you need to ask yourself a few questions before composing the next internal communication to ensure employees open, read and act upon them. In our previous blog we checked out 5 questions Internal Communications should ask. Now we present 5 more questions that you should carefully consider, and learn why RedFlag is the ultimate solution for your internal communication needs.
1. Does my communication generate interest among employees?
This perhaps is the most critical question that you need to ask yourself for it explains the one reason why employees ignore most internal communications. Little or no effort has gone into making the content interesting; the format of the message is formal and boring.
If there is a big event coming up, why not give the employees a teaser? Never underestimate the power of suspense. Just drop a few hints while withholding the full picture. If they feel like they are missing out on something, employees are likely to read your next email. For this to work, though, you have to ensure the lid is tight on grapevine, and endeavor to be the originator of news by acting quickly.
Also, you could deploy graphics, a preview video, and emojis to spice up your message while staying informative. Drop the corporate speak by keeping the language simple as if you are writing to a 12-year old.
Likewise, brevity is essential if you want to keep things interesting. After you have drafted your internal communication, take time to slice and dice. Keep it short and sweet.
2. How can I capture the reader’s attention?
Remember that staff members are super busy and you need to give them a reason why they should prioritize reading out your message. So you need to ensure that your messages are not just flat, boring content but instead should be catchy and generate excitement. Craft your message to ensure your employees are not only engaged but also entertained.
So how do you achieve this? First, pay attention to your titles and headers; you’ve got to nail the title! The title, heading and introduction are the first to capture every reader. You have very few seconds to grab their attention, so take a little extra time to make it catchy.
People appreciate something that will add value to them. Therefore, pique their interest by communicating upfront what’s in it for them; how they stand to benefit from the message contained. But how about if what you are communicating is just news, an update or report of a past event? Then think like a news reporter and think beforehand how you’ll lure your audience. Ask yourself, what was the highlight of the event? What was the greatest achievement in the quarterly report? Start your message with these interesting parts. This approach will get them hooked instantly!
3. What other channels can I use to communicate apart from email?
If your internal communications are almost always ignored, ask yourself, ‘I’m I putting all my internal communication eggs in one basket?’ The likelihood is high. So stop it, get creative and have a multi-channel approach. Use a different channel for each type of message. For example, an event could be communicated on a poster while a serious policy change might require a well-documented email or intranet blog.
Also, why not experiment with media? Try using videos and visuals. These are powerful tools at your disposal. Infographics, photos, or even simple memes are digestible and likely to grab the attention of employees than a whole load of text.
Similarly, text messaging could be a powerful tool for internal communication. Research indicates SMS have a way higher open rate than email. Thus it could be most appropriate for quick, urgent messages.
Conveniently for you, our simple, multi-channel communication system RedFlag, allows you to deliver real-time alerts and critical information to groups of any size via email, text messages, voice calls, social media, intranet, and signage.
4. Is my message personalized?
It is difficult to ignore someone who calls you out by your name as opposed to another who shouts out “Hey there!” Keep this simple trick in mind as you send out your messages.
Start by defining your audience, then tailor and personalize the contents of the message. Instead of a general salutation, use the employee’s names, and alter the language, tone, and content to suit each person or department. For example, you cannot use the same language and tone for employee emails to accounts department and engineering department.
Personalizing internal communications may sound to be a tedious endeavor, but it needs not be with RedFlag. Apart from allowing you to personalize your messages, it allows recipients to customize how they receive messages, and they can respond with their customized alerts and updates.
5. Am I asking for feedback?
Communication is two-way street, right? Indeed no one wants to talk without being listened to, and the reverse is true. Therefore an important technique that successful internal communication executives deploy is to get the employees engaged by asking them for their feedback.
There is another reason why asking for feedback works perfectly for internal communications. People generally love to make their opinion heard. It is for this reason, for example, that social media is always abuzz! Hence, you will be smart to always ask for your employees’ feedback, so that each time your message goes out, they will view it as an opportunity to air their views.
By keeping the doors of communication open, the employees will always be motivated to read your messages because they know that you are also listening to them. Additionally, it will make employees feel part of the decision-making process in an organization.
Cut through the Noise and Grab Your Employees Attention
True, it may feel a daunting task to get your message read by employees. But as you contemplate these five questions, you realize that making seemingly simple yet significant adjustments to the way you craft and deliver your message is all the change that’s needed.
Besides, RedFlag equips you with all the help you need to achieve success with ease. Employees might not be necessarily drooling for your next communication, but you’ll be sure to grab their attention when you do communicate.
Discover how RedFlag is the easiest way to send real-time group notifications.
