Good communications – from the inside, out

Like the phrase, ‘charity begins at home’, good external communications start internally. A company or organisation wanting to raise its profile in the outside world hasn’t got much chance of success if its internal messages aren’t crystal clear.

Effective internal communications are essential to the smooth running of any business. Done in the right way it can motivate, inspire and help retain staff, and although not immediately obvious, can aid your external PR ambitions. A happy employee that feels totally ‘in the loop’ about what is going on in the organisation they work for is more likely to be an ambassador for that company, spreading the word to all they know about how great it is to work there. It can also reap monetary rewards too, because that same happy worker will also wax lyrical about the fantastic products and services that you offer, increasing sales and boosting your bottom line.

There are many tools that can be used to deliver successful internal communications. These can range from intranets and emails to more traditional newsletters and notice boards. A good PR/communications agency will be a trusted colleague in creating your internal communications strategy, guiding you through some key considerations such as:

• Assessing the effectiveness of your current strategy together with the content and resources used.
• Talking to your staff, finding out how they like to receive their information and what they want to hear from you.
• Reviewing your current communication methods – could they be delivered more effectively or economically?
• Employee surveys – carried out before and after campaigns to see if attitudes have changed; messages have hit home, etc.
• Delivering the goods – writing your internal communications strategy, implementing it, and creating informative and entertaining content that your workforce wants to read.

Don’t forget – the best communications are two-way. Giving your employees the chance to contribute and have their say will achieve better results than if it is just seen as a ‘top down’ exercise. And you might learn something valuable about your company into the bargain!