I have written before about how to have excellent content for your company newsletter. But before all those tips are put into action, it’s important to understand the value of this communications tool.
Large organizations face the challenge of keeping employees happy and focused on the same goals. Company policies and values become meaningless when they are not implemented regularly. According to a Gallup poll, a mere 23 percent of employees say they can apply the company’s values to their jobs and only 27 percent strongly agree they “believe in” their company’s values. Employees admit they do not know their own company’s policies. Even management is often not familiar with their organization’s core values.
Internal newsletters certainly offer the benefit of keeping employees informed of the organization, including changes, new products and team growth. Additionally, newsletters can serve as a forum for further conversation.
What are some other benefits of producing an internal newsletter? Here are 5 reasons to consider:
1. Employee motivation
This is the first reason that needs to be considered when shaping your internal newsletter. You want your employees to be happy and motivated. They also need to know they’re a part of the overall team. No one wants to think his efforts are going nowhere and that he is a piece of a statistic. When employees are motivated, they stick around. This reduces turnover and ultimately, financial costs.
2. In the know
When we feel as if we’re “the last to know” something important, it’s a bit degrading. A newsletter lessens the impact of feeling left out. Through the newsletter’s content, the employees understand the company, its products and the people, so they can appreciate the impact they have. Sharing information builds trust. And trust strengthens employee loyalty.
3. Résumé builder
The newsletter is read by management – often by corporate management – as it should be. Employees’ article contributions, complete with bylines, show others more of their creative strengths. It isn’t just the writing, but often the subject matter because employees will write about their area of expertise. This is an effective way to build one’s résumé as one moves toward advancement within the company.
4. Education
Newsletters continue the education process. Employees and management are educated on the company, its policies and its products and services when first hired. But policies change. The company makes advancements. Its products are improved. That’s why a continual feeding of knowledge is important to improve the education of an organization’s people. Newsletters, again, keep everyone in the loop.
5. Knowledge sharing
Companies will often share events and experiences with other branches within their organization. Your newsletter is another tool to aid in sharing such information. You can easily refer to certain articles either in meetings, group settings or via email to help others gather facts to implement toward the advancement of the organization.
Goals
You only need to keep in mind three goals for your newsletter:
- Keep employee morale high
- Help employees feel that they are a part of the team and of the big picture
- Lower retention rates
Reflect on all the above and how it ties into your organization, and you will be motivated to produce this effective internal marketing tool.
If you do a company newsletter, you’re going to want this article questionnaire template for your writers. It’s FREE and user-friendly: Simplify the newsletter process – Article questionnaire template.
Want more? Download my FREE, one-page tip sheet: 5 Tips for Your Company Newsletter.
If you are thinking about starting a company newsletter or have one but want to revisit its effectiveness, send me a message. I’d be happy to answer your questions. I’ve been shaping newsletters for a long time!
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