Remote, hybrid, in-office, out-of-office … wherever you happen to sit, there’s one thing that follows you everywhere: your inbox.
Amid a huge variety of tools and platforms, email remains a steadfast foundation for internal communication. Yet, as workplaces evolve and technology advances, many companies find themselves using tools that were never set up to scale internal email. Most of these organizations have run full speed into the limitations of traditional email tools, or are trying to shoehorn an external email marketing tool into handling internal communications.
Having a dedicated internal email solution and learning to embrace its pivotal role in reshaping and modernizing internal communication dynamics is key.
Email Isn’t Dead—in Fact, It’s Still Very Much Alive
Despite the rise of chat apps, collaboration platforms, and social intranets, email continues to be the most-used form of internal communication—it’s a core part of the strategy for 94 percent of internal communication teams, according to Workshop’s 2024 Internal Communication Trends Report.
There are some key reasons for this. Email transcends geographical boundaries, time zones, physical constraints, and even generational gaps. (Recent studies show that three-quarters of Gen Z individuals regularly use email for communication, whether for personal or professional purposes.)
Employees are checking their email, and the best way to communicate with an audience is to meet them where they’re at.
There isn’t a business on the planet that isn’t using some kind of tool for email. Many organizations are going straight through the email service itself, have upgraded to email marketing software, or have opted for an internal communications platform that offers email as a channel (such as Workshop).
Modern Email Features for Modern Organizations
Many of the restrictions of using a traditional email client simply come from doing things the “old way” and operating in a system that very much feels like it’s from 1999. Attaching PDFs, sending to a listserv, and getting limited (or no) data are all reasons why email can feel like an archaic employee communications solution.
Many modern email platforms are offering suites of features that are much more dynamic, engaging, and data-driven.
Here are a few key strategies for modernizing your internal communications:
Interactive Content
Embedded surveys, GIFs, videos, and comments are all ways you can create more engaging content right within an email.
Personalization
You can use merge tags and segment different rows, images, and links for different lists (all from within the same email). Tailor your messages to specific audiences using segmentation and personalized content, ensuring that each recipient receives relevant information tailored to their role, department, or interests.
List Management and Targeting
Distribution lists can be created without IT or marketing requests, thanks to integrations with active directories, human resources information systems (HRIS), or payroll systems.
Integration With Communication Tools
Similar to marketing solutions, some platforms will offer cross-channel distribution with the internal communication channels you use the most.
Deeper Insights
Analytics go far beyond open rates and read rates to give you the ability to segment data by department, location, role, read time, and so much more. Leverage advanced analytics tools to monitor campaign performance and gain valuable insights into audience behavior, preferences, and trends.
Mobile Optimization
Ensure that your emails are optimized for mobile devices, enabling employees to access critical information anytime, anywhere, from their smartphones or tablets.
All of these features are baked into an internal communications email platform, such as Workshop.
How to Send Internal Emails in 2024 (and Beyond)
If you want to truly modernize your internal communications, picking the right tool is key.
Relying solely on the usual email platforms for team or company communications doesn’t give you much insight into how your messages are landing, especially when juggling diverse distribution lists, which can be a headache (especially with a big team).
Your messages might be boring and unengaging, too—mostly plain text with very little pizzazz, or you’re sending out PDFs left and right for important updates.
The second-best approach is to use email marketing software. It sounds promising: Platforms offer analytics and templates to spruce up your content. But they’re built for customers, not coworkers. You don’t want your teammate unsubscribing from your messages like they’re dodging spam.
Plus, if your email software doesn’t sync with your HRIS system, you’re still stuck managing a custom distribution list or continually working with IT to do so: removing employees who have left and adding employees who have been hired. (Here’s a longer, in-depth look at the many reasons why many marketing email tools don’t work for internal comms.)
The absolute best email software for internal communications is just that: email software for internal communications. Workshop was built from the ground up for this specific use case. It offers more engaging designs, robust analytics, and better management of your employee emails. It syncs with your HR data so you can create targeted messages and always have up-to-date distribution lists, and it provides multi-channel communication options.
Other solutions that you may run into in a search to solve your internal email needs may require overcomplicated packages and bloated toolsets. Some might try to rope you into buying employee apps or company intranets, promising the moon but delivering little engagement. Stick to simplicity, functionality, and alignment with what your organization needs.
Embrace the Future of Internal Communications
The future of internal communication won’t mean abandoning email, but we do need to view it through the lens of modernization and engagement.
Aim to transform your text-based internal memos into great employee experiences that match your organization’s brand, encourage interactivity, and drive real business results.
Rather than risking it all on a new channel for employee communications, or a custom-built intranet that will take two years to build, consider that the smartest and most future-proof solution could be to invest in the channel that your teams already use the most: email.
To find out more, visit Workshop.