Successful internal communication via newsletter

Successful companies owe their success not only to what they do, but also to how they do it. This includes in particular the employees, because if they are motivated and feel well looked after in the company, this contributes significantly to the success of the company. It does not matter whether they work in a group, a medium-sized company, a start-up or in a public authority. But what contributes significantly to inspiring employees for their own company and to binding them to it is communication.

Communication is not only important externally, but also internally. Only well-informed employees feel valued and connected to their own company. Internal communication is therefore an important component for every successful company. There should also be no lack of occasions, because most employees are interested in what is happening in the company, even if they are not directly affected by it. Thus, very general information can be the reason for a newsletter, such as innovations in the company (e.g. introduction of a home office), business reports or the establishment of a new location, but also department-related information, such as the introduction of new employees, the current advertising campaign, information on new software applications or newly acquired customers are presented. What is always particularly interesting for employees are additional services, such as invitations to company events, information on sports courses, the current canteen schedule or employee discounts.

In principle, the smaller a company is, the more personal is the communication among each other and also across the different levels. However, personal discussions, workshops or meetings quickly reach their limits, even if direct dialogue can be seen as positive. On the one hand, above a certain number of persons, an exchange in this way is organisationally difficult to manage and, on the other hand, there is a lack of commitment. One or the other person has misunderstood something or has not noticed something and therefore does not act as desired.

The situation is different with media communication that is comprehensible for everyone. The channels that are used for this are manifold: employee magazine, intranet, videos, social media, handbook, chat, blog, newsletter… In larger companies, the intranet often forms the basis, because overall, digital solutions are now predominantly used. A clear favourite is the eLetter, the internal counterpart to the classic newsletter for external communication.

This speaks for e-mails in internal communication:

• Appropriate target groups can be formed (e.g. trainees, department heads or individual departments)
• Notifications are location-independent and immediately available.
• An individual and personal approach is possible.
• The newsletter/eLetter is a so-called push medium, which means that the recipient does not have to ask for it. This removes a hurdle for the employee.
• The appearance of the eLetter can be flexibly adapted to the corporate design or a specific occasion.
• Regular and open communication strengthens the bond and increases motivation.
• Information and knowledge transfer is direct and does not get lost in one place.
• In addition, a company newsletter offers a direct feedback channel to stay in dialogue. However, this channel must then be used.

Central and decentralized internal communication can be combined:

Internal newsletters do not always have to come from the management or the communications department. It can also make sense for individual departments to pass on information about IT changes or new customers directly. This strengthens the sense of community, lowers the barriers between the individual departments and counteracts hierarchical structures somewhat.

The next question is, is it enough to simply write a roundmail, which might contain a nice picture or should it be done a bit more professional? Of course, for a ten-man company a simple roundmail will be enough. For larger companies it can look quite different.

A professional e-mail marketing tool is already available from external communication in many companies. So why not use it for your own employees as well? Because compared to a simple and plain e-mail, a professional eLetter offers a number of advantages.

Advantages of eLetters:

• Professional eLetters can be prepared and scheduled.
• By creating and using target groups, the appropriate recipients can be easily selected and nobody will be forgotten or bothered with unrelevant information.
• With an appropriately designed appearance (template), branding and perception also takes place internally. The same requirements apply here as for external communication: user-friendly and consistent.
• eLetters are easy to personalize and individualize.
• Automations are possible: an automated campaign that you created for a conference, for example, can also be used slightly adapted for the summer party or an internal training course. Also welcome and orientation campaigns or date-controlled mailings (birthday, thanks for 3 years of commitment) can be easily prepared and realized.
  
• A professional mailing system also allows you to measure the success of your campaign. In this way you can see which topics are particularly interesting for the employees or which topics perhaps need to be better prepared in order to be heard more.
• Teamwork is supported: Particularly in the case of group structures, there is often not just one person working on the relevant communication. With professional solutions, it is easy to involve the various responsible persons in the creation.
• It is also practical that eLetters are archived centrally and that there are no problems with possible data protection requirements.

If you cannot or should not fall back on an already existing e-mail marketing tool, there are a few things to consider when choosing a system, because the decision for a system usually represents a long-term commitment. Important factors in the selection are: the operating model, the necessary range of functions, necessary interfaces to existing databases and systems, as well as the use of support and, of course, the costs.

It is also important to know whether you want to go for a cloud-based variant or an on-premise solution. Here it must be clarified internally on which focal points are to be particularly emphasized. Here is a short comparison of the most important advantages and disadvantages:

	Cloud solution	Inhouse solution
Advantages	No hardware purchase and maintenance effort No administration effort for the operation of the software Faster deployment through simple implementation Solutions can be scaled according to individual requirements, as suppliers are usually designed for high shipping volumes Use of the latest software version through regular updates	Maximum data control, as addresses and data are not passed on Usually no ongoing fixed costs for the use of the software Can be integrated into the existing IT No threat to server reputation from additional system users
Disadvantages	Recipient data is stored off-site. Via the provider selection only control possible in which country the recipient data is stored Running costs for the use of the software Higher costs for sending per email	Purchase and maintenance of hardware Internal administration effort for the operation of the software High non-recurring expenses for the acquisition or development of the software