Want to achieve the best internal communications? Make them snack-sized

Written by
Engage
published
Jan 27, 2023
Category
Internal Communication
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Sending out the best internal communications with the right messaging is as important for you, the sender, as it is for the reader. Your message needs to clearly highlight the key points succinctly in a manner that is easily understood by your recipient.

Bite into the best internal communications

Most organisations today know the importance of producing the best internal communications. They’re the bridge between management and ordinary employees, allowing them to stay on the pulse of what’s happening around them. As important as internal communications are, however, it’s important to remember that it’s . Bear in mind that we live in an always-on world where thousands of pieces of communication vie for our attention daily. That can be stressful, and if your communications are adding to that stress, your employees will quickly get tired and ignore them.

But how can you get around this fatigue? Start by making your communications snack-sized.

Make it convenient

When you think about snacking, you don’t think about tucking into giant portions of food that take hours and hours to get through. You think about convenience and ease of use. Think about your internal communications in the same way. You need to deliver your message in the simplest way possible.

Let’s say you’re about to send out a lengthy email, covering an upcoming event being hosted by your organisation. Do you need to send it as an email? Or could you distil the event information into an image sent out on the company Slack Channel?

Make it easy to access

Another important aspect of convenience is ease of access. Think about why a rushed person would choose a meal from a fast-food outlet, or a handful of snacks, over a slow-cooked meal at a fancy restaurant.

In most cases, it’s much easier to find a fast food outlet or supermarket than a restaurant. More importantly, there are far fewer barriers involved in getting to what you want.

The same should be true of your internal communications. Your employees shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to get to the content. They should be able to access it where they want to. Whether that’s via text, email, or instant messaging is up to you to find out.

Make it delicious

The reason people go back to snack food time and time again is because it’s delicious. If it tasted awful, they’d soon give up on it.

You must apply the same principles in order to attain the best internal communications.

They shouldn’t just be a presentation of the facts, but also a means of surprising and delighting your employees. They should also always add value, ensuring that employees want to engage with the content.

Know when to go the other way

As useful as snack-sized content can be, there are going to be times when your internal communications need to be more substantial.

If something really important is happening, you’re going to need to take a fuller approach. On these occasions, a quickfire instant message won’t cut it.

Instead, think about town-hall meetings, training days, and one-on-one sessions run by your organisation’s most skilled communicators. Knowing when to use which approach isn’t always easy — but figuring it out is always worth the effort.

Boost your best internal communications

Do you need help putting together snack-sized messages to create the best internal communications? Contact Engage today.

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