The ultimate guide to writing an internal communications plan in 2023

" Knowledge is power " said the scientist and philosopher Francis Bacon in 1597 (" Scientia potentia est ", in its original Latin version). This maxim is especially true in the professional world, where information sharing and exchange are inextricably linked to team building and productivity.

But then, what is the methodology to adopt in order to draft an effective internal communication plan ? The answer in this article! 🧐

Internal communication plan: why do it?

The internal communication plan is a roadmap that allows a company's communication to be kept on track and promotes the sharing of information. In practice, this roadmap defines the lines of communication to be followed, according to the strategy previously defined by the company.

The communication plan specifies the objectives and targets of internal communication, as well as the tools to be used to achieve them. The ultimate goal of a communication plan? To effectively deliver a message to a target audience.

👉 Adopting good internal communication is all the more crucial in a growth context. Indeed, the larger a company becomes, the more delicate internal communication becomes. However, to facilitate team cohesion, it is essential to encourage the exchange and sharing of information!

💡 Lacking inspiration for your internal communication strategy? Here are 6 examples deciphered.

In a company, the communication plan can be carried out by several people. These people differ depending on the size and nature of the organization. The founders of the company may be involved, as may the human resources team, or the communications department.

When should an internal communication plan be drawn up?

There are several reasons for wanting to draw up an internal communication plan.

-> This approach is very relevant if your employees have told you that they want more information about the company's current events, strategic objectives, current challenges, etc. In short, it is an excellent way of facilitating top-down communication (from the management to the employees).

-> If a major transformation is in the works in your company (it may be a structural change, the adoption of a new tool, a new business strategy, the evolution of the company's internal policy on talent development, etc.), it may also be worthwhile to conduct an internal communication campaign. What is at stake here? Highlighting key information. In this case, setting up a change management is also a good practice.

-> Finally, if you notice a drop in mobilization or commitment within your teams, deploying an internal communication strategy can also help to remobilize the troops.

💡 Internal communication vs. HR communication: what are the differences?
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Internal communication concerns all communication flows circulating within a company. In other words, it is all the communication actions for the internal teams of a company. HR communication, on the other hand, can be internal to the company as well as external (in the context of recruitment campaigns, work on the company's employer brand, etc.).

What is the added value of an internal communication plan?

In many ways, internal communication creates commitment. It fosters team cohesion and allows information to be disseminated quickly (especially between managers and employees, and vice versa).

Its role? To share the company's news, current issues, strategies, etc. with employees. In short: it is above all a matter of providing teams with the information they need to work effectively on a daily basis.

Developing internal communication can meet different types of needs: these may concern human resources, business or operational issues, management issues, etc.

Good internal communication also makes it possible to unite teams around a common project, to stimulate their sense of belonging to the company...

💡 Think about adapting your strategy according to the nature and size of your business. Depending on whether you are a family business with 30 employees or an SME with 300 employees, your communication needs will not be the same!

Methodology for creating a communication plan

Internal communication naturally draws its inspiration from the fields of communication and marketing. Thus, as with the drafting of an external communication plan, drafting an internal communication plan requires certain key steps to be followed.

This includes the following steps 👇

Carrying out an inventory

What are the company's needs in terms of internal communication, possible areas for improvement, employees' expectations? Based on this assessment, it will be easier to establish the budget to allocate to your internal communication!

Ask your teams to find out more about their needs! Does the HR team feel that new recruits have enough information about the company when they join? Can the teams interact with each other without difficulty?

Define the targets of the message

They may be directors, managers, employees, field teams, specific professions, etc. To be relevant and understood by all, the message conveyed by the company must therefore be as personalized as possible.

Yes, not all information can be disseminated to as many people as possible. Some information is confidential or sensitive, others are of lesser priority... There is nothing like a good segmentation of information to deliver the right message to the right person at the right time.

🎉 Good news: using an intranet allows you to communicate effectively by targeting the messages sent to employees! For example, the news highlighted by the company on its intranet can vary according to the different departments, their issues, etc.

Define messages  

Of course, the aim here is not to plan several months in advance all the messages you will like to share with your teams. It is mainly a question of having in mind the main themes to be addressed in your daily communications.

For example, when you ask your employees, you may realize that they lack information on the job offers available in the company, on its training policy, on its current strategic issues... Make a note of the essential subjects that are important to your teams, and set yourself the objective of addressing them regularly in your communications!

💡 To identify the key topics that deserve internal communication, ask yourself, for example, what your employees need (or want) to work more efficiently. Ask yourself which topics should be circulating in the company, which ones are struggling to circulate...

The right thing to do? Appoint an ambassador in each team / Business Unit responsible for reporting key information about their team, their successes, news, challenges, etc.

💡 Always remember to state the purpose of your communication, and the issues it raises. Every message must have a purpose to be relevant.

Create an editorial plan

Once you have identified your needs and your targets, it is time to think about the actions to be taken to communicate effectively internally. How can you do this? By creating an editorial plan - an essential tool for those who wish to communicate with rigor and method.

This editorial calendar must specify the desired frequency of internal publications, the communication channels to be favored ((newsletters, internal events, reports, intranet, company social networks, etc.), the different types of message associated with each target, etc.

Every communication action should follow Lasswell's famous pattern, namely: 👉 Who - says what - through what channel - to whom - and with what desired effects.

💡 In order to reach as many people as possible, think about varying the media and frequency of sending your messages!

Carry out regular monitoring

The essential step in any project undertaken in an organization! Its purpose? To measure the effectiveness of internal communications in order to highlight possible areas for improvement.

Remember that there is no point in "communicating for the sake of communicating". Valuable communication is first and foremost engaging.

Some examples of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to monitor on a monthly basis to measure your employees' engagement and receptivity to your messages:

-> The opening rate of internal newsletters internal.

-> The rate of use of internal communication tools by employees (including the rate of employee engagement on your company intranet).

-> The rate of employee participation in internal events or meetings (not directly related to work, but rather to the life of the company).

💡 Besides the traditional KPIs, it is also possible to measure the effectiveness of your communication actions by conducting surveys dedicated to your internal communication strategy.

How to write an internal communication plan, in brief

Internal communication is a real strategic tool that helps federate and engage teams, strengthen the corporate culture... In addition to improving working conditions - and facilitating remote working!

However, this approach cannot be improvised. To succeed in your internal communication strategy and manage it on a daily basis, it is essential to design an internal communication plan (and apply it!).

👋 To make information flow efficiently within your company, don't hesitate to equip yourself with a solution like Mozzaik365. Our tool, which integrates directly into Microsoft 365, allows you to create an engaging digital workspace, rhyming with team cohesion and knowledge sharing.

Things to remember

The internal communication plan is a roadmap for exchanging
information within a given framework. The steps to carry out a communication plan are :

📌 Conducting an inventory ;

📌 The definition of the message targets ;

📌 Message design ;

📌 Developing an editorial plan ;

📌 Measuring effectiveness.