Worried that nobody reads your internal newsletter? That your corporate magazine just clutters up desks? Check out our essential ingredients for sparkling internal communications.

Get internal comms wrong and they become a waste of time and money. But get them right, and you’ll have passionate, motivated staff – and a valuable way to connect with them.

The Big Idea

Every piece of communication needs one of these. An objective. A purpose. A raison d'être. Without one, you’ll end up with a muddled creation lacking in direction and focus. So, the first questions you should ask (and be able to answer) are: why are we doing this? What do we want it to achieve?

Changing pace

Magazines should always be viewed as a whole. And internal ones are no exception. That means thinking about which content to place at the beginning, middle and end.

Short, bite-size, important news is best near the beginning – if people only flick through the first few pages, this is what they’ll see. Put longer, more in-depth stories in the middle. Here, you’re targeting people sitting down to read your magazine with a cuppa. Keep anything more playful and less significant for the end – you don’t want to put people off with anything too heavy.

Live your values

Internal comms are a great way of celebrating and expressing your brand’s values – and there’s no better way to spread your organisation’s message than through its people. So whether you’re passionate about adventure or serious about sustainability, use your internal comms to inspire and motivate your employees and bring your brand to life.

A two-way thing

One of the most important results of communicating internally is to give your staff a sense of belonging; to encourage them to feel like they’re part of something bigger. We think the best way to do this is by getting them involved. Get them to contribute. Ask their opinions. Find out what they like, and what they don’t. And listen. Use their feedback to do things better next time.

The spice of life

You’ve guessed it: variety. It’s the only way to keep your magazine interesting, and in people’s hands – rather than in the bin. While some staff might want to read about Keith’s holiday in Cornwall, others are only interested in getting the latest on that exciting new business venture. One thing’s for sure though – nobody wants to trawl through pages and pages of samey content. The best internal magazines mix things up. Long with short. Old with new. Work with play. It’s just a case of striking the right balance.

If you’re struggling to find that balance, why not get in touch? We’ve worked our specialist magic on internal comms for businesses in virtually every sector. You can drop us a line at info@inkcopywriters.com or call 01225 731373.