A good internal communication strategy acts like the nervous system in a body: it carries vital knowledge and instructions from the brain to the extremities of the organization, ensuring every team works together under the direction of the brain. Not only that, it empowers feedback from the employees to leadership, sharing what’s working and what could improve.

Without a strong strategy in place, your right hand may not know what your left hand is doing, and the organization won’t have a specific direction that everyone is working toward.

This is especially true in hybrid, remote, and offline work environments, where not everyone can join weekly all-hands meetings or get access to business newsletters.

And here’s the problem: only 27% of leaders think their staff are entirely aligned with their organization's business goals—even worse, only 9% of employees say the same!

So how do you create an internal communication plan that effectively connects with all employees?

What is an internal communication strategy?

A strategic internal communication plan is a system of communication tools that directly supports the organization’s key outcomes by driving employee behaviors. It aligns employee work with company goals and ensures every team is pulling in the same direction.

It also plans for top-down communication, bottom-up communication, and horizontal communication, ensuring there are channels for each type.

Benefits of effective internal communication

Why isn’t an ad-hoc communication plan enough? What are you missing out on without a robust strategy?

• Greater engagement: Well-informed employees are 2.8x more likely to be engaged because they feel informed and like their opinion is valued.
• Higher productivity: Poor internal communication costs businesses $15,000 per employee due to lost productivity—good communication clarifies goals, tasks, and priorities for everyone.
• Improved alignment: Research shows that 72% of employees don’t understand their company’s strategy. Good communication ensures messages are clear and reach all facets of your organization.
• Stronger trust: One in three employees don’t trust their employer, but trust makes employees 40% more likely to advocate for the company, 39% more loyal, 33% more engaged, and 74% less stressed. Transparent, open communication is key for building trust.
• Supported change management: Change is hard, but effective internal communication makes it easier by reducing resistance and improving understanding of the “why” behind the change.
• Improved collaboration: Horizontal communication empowers strong collaboration, improving relationships, empowering cross-departmental projects, and enhancing problem-solving.

Step-by-step guide for building an internal communication strategy

Strengthen your organization’s nervous system with a robust communication plan that covers all of your bases. Follow the below steps to ensure your strategy is set up for success.
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1. Audit your existing communication practices

Check how your current channels perform. Does each message reach everyone? Do people understand each communication? Do employees participate when necessary? 

Find whether certain teams or departments feel out of the loop or don’t have access to certain communication. 

Ensure that any feedback channels reach the right leaders in a timely way and that nothing is lost.

This needs to be done for each unique audience you communicate to—the whole company, managers only, certain teams, etc.

2. Define your audiences

Different locations, departments, teams, and roles require different communication strategies—using a one-size-fits-all communication strategy won’t do it.

Segment communication channels by:

• Role or department
• Location or work environment (in-office, hybrid, frontline, etc.)
• Leadership level
• Preferred communication styles

Make sure each audience has a specific channel designed to spread knowledge and updates effectively.

3. Develop the right tools and channels for various needs

Not every message needs the same level of reach or access. Here are some examples of internal communication tools to consider:

• Emails for essential information
• Chat tools for quick, low-stakes alignment and announcements
• Manager toolkits for personalized delivery
• All-hands meetings for the greatest visibility
• Recognition platforms for cultural reinforcement
• Knowledge bases for FAQs and company details
• Department-level surveys for quick observation
• Quarterly engagement surveys for large-scale feedback

Create a hierarchy of messaging and put announcements into the right buckets to not dilute any communication. 

Use platforms like Awardco to gather, analyze, and act on employee feedback, as well.

4. Create consistency to avoid overloading employees

Companies have to strike a balance—too many messages, and employees will get annoyed and tune you out. Too few, and employees will feel lost and frustrated. The look and sound of your communication should be consistent, too, to reinforce the reliability of your comms:

• Develop a communication style guide: Establish your tone, formatting style, design, and general practices to help build trust.
• Establish consistent timing: Other than emergency communications, employees should know when and where to expect updates from you. 
• Err on the side of concision: Don’t expect employees to take more than a few minutes to stay updated. Cut out clutter and focus on critical details.

5. Construct the messages

After your plan and strategy is set up, it’s time to plan out each actual message you want to send. But how do you design messaging that will resonate with employees and keep them interested?

You have to provide clear answers to these questions:

• What is the core message? What is changing? What does it mean for the employee?
• Why is this the right decision/change/announcement? 
• Where is the information coming from? How can employees get more information?
• When is the change/announcement relevant?
• What should each person do to prepare? How are their workflows affected?

Communicate as clearly as possible, and make sure that each message you send—whether you’re inviting employees to participate in a training, announcing a new software, or sending out an engagement survey—clearly explains the what, why, and how.

Build an internal communication strategy that works

Good internal communication sets the great companies apart from the competition by clarifying expectations, directing employee efforts, and keeping people engaged through constant feedback cycles.

Use these strategies to develop an effective strategy for yourself, and reach out to Awardco to see how Awardco Engage™ can power communication, surveys, and more.