Launching an internal communication campaign in a large organization can sometimes feel like shouting into a void. You spend weeks crafting the perfect message, designing assets, and coordinating approvals, only to have your email open rates hover in the single digits.
In a corporate environment saturated with information, simply hitting “send” is not enough. To truly engage your workforce and drive behavior change, you need a strategic approach that cuts through the noise. Whether you are rolling out a new benefits package, promoting a sustainability initiative, or reinforcing company values, the success of your campaign depends on how you package and deliver it.
Here are 10 actionable tips for crafting internal communication campaigns that actually get seen, understood, and acted upon.
1. Define Clear, Measurable Goals
Before you write a single word, you need to know exactly what you want to achieve. “Raising awareness” is too vague. Be specific. Do you want 80% of employees to complete a survey? Do you need to reduce IT support tickets by 20% during a system migration?
Setting concrete goals allows you to measure success and adjust your strategy in real-time. If your goal is action-oriented (e.g., signing up for a program), track conversions. If it’s knowledge-based, use quick polls to test understanding.
2. Know Your Audience Segments
A blanket message sent to “All Staff” rarely resonates with everyone. The needs of a sales team on the road are vastly different from those of developers in the office or frontline workers on a factory floor.
Segment your audience and tailor your message accordingly.
- For Leadership: Focus on strategic impact and ROI.
- For Managers: Focus on talking points and how to support their teams.
- For Employees: Focus on “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM).
By personalizing the angle, you make the campaign relevant, which increases engagement.
3. Leverage the Power of Visuals
We process images 60,000 times faster than text. In a busy workday, employees are far more likely to notice a compelling graphic than a dense block of text.
This is where tools like Connected Company shine. Instead of burying your campaign visuals in an email attachment, push them directly to where employees are looking:
- Screensavers: Create a digital billboard campaign that plays whenever a computer is idle.
- Backgrounds: Deploy a branded desktop background that keeps the campaign theme top-of-mind every time they minimize a window.
Visual consistency across these touchpoints creates a professional, cohesive feel that signals importance.
4. Choose the Right Channel Mix
Don’t rely on a single channel. Successful campaigns use a multi-channel approach to ensure coverage.
- Email: Best for detailed information and official records.
- Chat (Slack/Teams): Best for quick reminders and Q&A.
- Intranet: Best for hosting long-form resources and FAQs.
- Connected Company (Screensavers/Lock Screens): Best for high-visibility awareness and driving traffic to other channels.
For example, use a screensaver to tease a new initiative and include a “Read more on the Intranet” call to action. This drives traffic from a passive channel to an active one.
5. Keep It Concise and Scannable
Attention spans are short. If your message takes more than 30 seconds to read, you’ve lost half your audience.
- Use Bullet Points: Break up text to make it easy to skim.
- Bold Key Information: Highlight dates, deadlines, and actions.
- Get to the Point: Put the most critical information in the first sentence.
Review every piece of content and ask: “Can I say this in fewer words?”
6. Use “Hero Notifications” for Urgent Calls to Action
Sometimes, a polite nudge isn’t enough. If you have a deadline approaching or a critical compliance requirement, you need a channel that demands attention.
Hero Notifications from Connected Company allow you to send full-screen, unmissable alerts. Use these sparingly for maximum impact.
- Example: “Only 2 Days Left for Open Enrollment! Click here to finalize your benefits.”
This ensures that the stragglers who ignored the first three emails finally take action.
7. Create a Campaign Timeline (The “Drip” Method)
Don’t dump all the information at once. Structure your campaign like a marketing launch.
- Tease Phase: Build anticipation (“Something new is coming…”) using mysterious lock screen images.
- Launch Phase: The big announcement across all channels.
- Sustain Phase: Share success stories, user tips, and progress updates.
- Close Phase: Final reminders and “last chance” alerts.
A drip campaign keeps the momentum going without overwhelming employees on day one.
8. Empower Your Managers
Managers are your most powerful communication channel. Employees trust their direct supervisors more than corporate headquarters.
Equip managers with a “Campaign Toolkit” before the launch. Include:
- Talking points for team meetings.
- FAQs to answer common questions.
- Slide decks or one-pagers.
When managers are aligned and confident, they become champions of your message.
9. Incorporate Feedback Loops
Communication should be a two-way street. Don’t just talk at your employees; listen to them.
Include a mechanism for feedback in your campaign. This could be a dedicated Slack channel for questions, a simple “suggestion box” email address, or a quick pulse survey.
If employees feel heard, they are more likely to buy into the initiative. Plus, their feedback can help you tweak the campaign mid-flight if something isn’t landing correctly.
10. Measure, Analyze, and Optimize
Return to the goals you set in Tip #1. Did you meet them?
Analyze the data from all your tools:
- Email open rates and click-throughs.
- Intranet page views.
- Connected Company engagement metrics.
- Survey results.
Identify what worked and what didn’t. Did the screensaver drive more traffic than the newsletter? Did the Hero Notification spike compliance? Use these insights to refine your playbook for the next campaign.
Elevate Your Next Campaign
Effective internal communication is part art, part science. By combining strategic planning with the right tools, you can transform how your organization shares information. Moving beyond standard emails to utilize the visual real estate of screensavers and lock screens ensures your message is not just sent, but truly seen.
Ready to give your next campaign the visibility it deserves? Explore how Connected Company can help you engage your workforce and drive results like never before.