By Heather Whaling
If you’re reading Spin Sucks, odds are that you already know PR is so much more than media relations.
But, for those of us who specialize in external communications, we sometimes undervalue—or even forget!—about a critical component of PR: Internal communications.
My team recently worked on communication for two large merger and acquisition projects.
When two companies become one, internal communications is a high priority.
We all know internal stakeholders can be our best external advocates.
As such, reassuring, educating, and equipping internal audiences is mission-critical.
Just as external PR has been upended by technology, technology has revamped internal communications, as well.
(Just look at all the tools the Spin Sucks/Arment Dietrich team uses to communicate on a daily basis!).
How can you innovate internal communications?
Here are a few ideas to get the wheels turning.
Generate Snackable, Sharable Content
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, listacles, infographics, and GIFs spread for a reason.
As you’re developing internal communications, think about how to package your content in a way that will encourage internal audiences to share it with their external networks (when appropriate, of course).
Provide Surprise & Delight
Awe-inspiring campaigns, which marketers often refer to as surprise + delight, shouldn’t be limited to A-list influencers.
Quite the contrary, create a campaign to show appreciation and boost morale with a special gift, message, hand-written note, or token of appreciation.
Cultivate Internal Champions
Internal communication can’t start, stop, start, stop.
In other words, it won’t work if you only devote effort internally around big announcements.
Instead, develop an internal ambassador program.
Train your ambassadors in social best practices. Encourage them to nurture and grow their professional networks. Involve them in communication efforts all year round.
Embrace Video for Internal Communications
Major company announcement? It’s time to draft an email from the CEO.
Except that’s boring—and we know visuals are more memorable.
Embed a video from the CEO in that internal email. It’s a perfect opportunity for the CEO to speak directly to employees.
Personalize Video
Personalized video works extremely well for consumer brands such as Warby Parker.
The same concept can be applied to internal communications to strengthen relationships, confidence, and loyalty.
When?
Let’s say you’ve been working on a major product launch. Show appreciation for the dedication and extra hours through a video personalized to the individual viewer.
This can be an especially effective way for large organizations to maintain strong ties between the executive team and the rest of the organization.
Update Policies and Procedures
When a couple of brands come together—or when companies experience rapid growth—social media policies and procedures are often overlooked; yet, these guidelines are critical.
We recently helped a Fortune 50 brand audit, update, and revamp their social playbook.
It’s not the most glamorous PR activity, but it’s critical to avoiding crisis, ensuring consistent social interactions, and setting internal expectations.
So, the next time you’re developing a PR strategy, consider opportunities to update internal tactics.
Apply a fresh lens, add a layer of technology, and get creative.