When it comes to internal communication and employee communication tools in 2021, your strategy may have evolved over the past year.

Your company may have more employees working remotely than ever before, or perhaps you’ve embraced a flexible in-office/work from home approach. Or maybe the majority of your workforce is back in the workplace by now.

Whatever your situation, it’s important to adapt your 2021 internal communication strategy and employee communication tools to connect with your workforce effectively, wherever they are, and to maintain employee engagement.

Print and Direct Mail

Who doesn’t love receiving fun mail? A print piece, when used strategically, can create a lasting impression on employees and facilitate a memorable experience.

In a time when human interaction for some is restricted to virtual meetings and phone calls, creating experiences that feel intentional and personal is more powerful than ever. So, while sending a postcard may not feel exciting, delivering tangible communication to an employee who works remotely can be just what you need to cut through the clutter.

Think of this as your opportunity to get your message directly into the hands of employees. According to the USPS, 98% of consumers bring in their mail the day it’s delivered and 77% sort their mail immediately. Because of this, print and direct mail are powerful employee communication tools to consider.

Corporate Videos

Corporate videos are another employee communication tool you can use to ramp up your internal communications. Effective videos can help you engage an audience that you may have trouble reaching through other mediums — in fact, Forrester Research has shown that employees are 75% more likely to watch a video than read text.

With videos, you can capture attention, improve understanding, and deliver important information through an entertaining and engaging medium. Plus, you have a chance to make your message stick — people tend to remember 80% of what they see and do compared to only 20% of what they read.

Creating videos that employees want to watch can be a challenge, but it’s possible! The trick is finding the right balance between being entertaining and informative. Read more about our tips and strategies for using video in your employee communication.

Internal Communication Podcasts

Podcasts can also make your communication messages friendlier and easier to digest. LinkedIn studies show that 42% of people between the ages 18-34 and 44% of department heads, vice presidents, owners and executive level managers listen to podcasts.

Podcasts are popular because they’re convenient. You can listen while cooking dinner, walking the dog, commuting, working out, and more. This gives you the flexibility to connect with employees wherever they may be.  Consider using an internal communication podcast to:

  • Feature company leadership to make them more accessible
  • Share key company updates and important upcoming events
  • Dive deeper into details about a company-wide change
  • Provide an outlet for employees and team members to share stories
  • Offer opportunities for employee recognition

Before choosing to create a company podcast, think about your company culture and communication goals. If an internal communication podcast feels like the right fit, it can become a powerful employee communication tool.

Digital Communication

Making use of all your digital resources should also be a priority in your internal communications strategy. And you have a variety of digital communication and collaboration tools to consider including internal messaging platforms, email platforms, internal intranets and websites, vendor wellness platforms, an internal social network, internal transactional platforms, and more.

When choosing your digital communication tools and communications software, it’s important to think about what will work best for your workforce so you can create solutions that meet their needs. Consider these steps for success:

  • Know your purpose and understand the problem so you can build the most effective solution.
  • Make your goal simple so you can concentrate on helping users do exactly what they want to do.
  • Make it interactive and engaging to keep users coming back for more.
  • Use targeted content to reach the right person at the right time with the right message to increase the chance that they will engage in your target behavior.
  • Improve the experience over time and stay open to feedback.

Bringing It All Together

When thinking about all your employee communication tools available, remember the importance of creating a strategic communication plan. Sharing information and communicating with employees is more important than ever, but so is how and when you choose to do so.

Ready to get started? From planning and strategy to project management, execution and beyond, we can’t wait to partner with you to create your perfect employee communication plan.