Company newsletters are a great channel for telling stories of employees across locations and functions. Building human connections by sharing these faces and voices of employees can open visibility across silos and make frontline employees feel seen and heard. Company newsletters require some backend work through asking employees to answer questions over email, interviewing employees for articles or recording them for internal videos. Here are three steps to effectively boost employee participation in company newsletters:
1. Start with a trusted editorial board.
The base of any internal newsletter starts with a diverse and well-integrated group of employees that make up the editorial advisory board. These representatives can provide insight to current company events and name appropriate nominees that will understand the monthly theme and agree to participate. Working with this group gives a warm introduction to potential participants and provides a common denominator so reaching out doesn’t feel like a cold call. Having a dependable editorial board can provide a list of secure nominees and boost employee participation in company newsletters from the very beginning.
2. Keep messaging inviting and approachable.
When reaching out to nominated newsletter participants, it’s important to speak to them like they are human – with respect and kindness. This can be seen as a favor from these employees and when approached with a friendly tone, participants are much more receptive to reply. Also, employees can feel intimidated by this process, so it’s important to communicate with reassurance that they are qualified to be featured. In this Best Practices, we further explain how powerful tone of voice is when connecting with employees.
3. Celebrate their involvement.
It’s an honor for nominees to be picked out of the employee base and chosen to provide their insight for these newsletter articles, and that should be celebrated! At Tribe, we always say that newsletters are a great way to treat employees like celebrities and when they receive this visibility, they feel more appreciated (read more, here). Not only should these employees be praised for their contribution to an internal newsletter, but this reinforcement can motivate them to raise their hand for the next publication or prompt them to recommend participation to their coworkers.
Internal newsletters are a great communication resource and require an easy but crucial approach to increasing employee engagement.
Interested in learning more about how to boost employee participation in company newsletters? Tribe can help.
