In today’s hyper-connected world bursting with news and an uncontrollable, constant flow of information, nobody would question the need for a company to have an external PR strategy. But in the (paraphrased) words of Richard Branson, “If you take care of your employees, they'll take care of your business”, which means internal PR is more important than ever.

Internal PR has a huge impact on how your employees perceive the company, affecting everything from employee engagement to overall productivity. In fact, companies with a good internal communications  strategy can see between 20 and 25% increase in overall productivity (McKinsey & Company).

So what exactly is internal PR, and how can your company create an effective strategy to engage employees?

Internal PR refers to the communications that the company conveys to the internal workforce and stakeholders. This is usually focused on building and maintaining a positive image and reputation, although increasingly internal communications can mean transparency beyond simply improving the communication for communications sake.

An internal PR strategy will often involve the following areas:

The goal of internal public relations is often to help employees not just like the company, but to love it and even feel like their input extends beyond being a cog in a machine. 

When done successfully, internal PR be hugely beneficial, especially for larger and fragmented companies with hundreds or even thousands of employees. 

While sharing the company news and even the broader company's values is obviously good for team cohesion, the benefits can be multi-faceted.

The purpose of internal PR is to promote the company to the employees and to drive engagement. And the way to succeed with that is to know your audience really well.

This work begins with what we like to call “People Marketing”, which is when HR uses the principles of marketing to promote the business in order to attract like minded, potential employees. 

Once you’ve attracted talented people who fit in with your culture, you want to hold onto them and that’s where internal PR is your friend. Research has shown that committed workers have higher employee engagement rates.

This means, not only are engaged employees happier, more involved and therefore more productive, but it also means that they can become people marketers by recommending their company as a great place to work, attracting more talent.  

And what better cheerleaders for your business than the people who make it work? 

Modern generations, especially those digital natives, have become more and more demanding when it comes to internal communication. Millennials and Gen Z-ers are particularly keen on giving and receiving feedback. But, really, doesn’t every employee deserve this level of communication, no matter the generation?

Workers increasingly want to feel valued and heard and feel like their work matters and has an impact. And this means that they need to clearly understand the reasons for the goals they’re asked to work towards - rather than blindly following orders because 'that's what corporate wants'.

A well executed internal comms PR programme can give employees the tools they need to succeed at their jobs and help them feel intrinsically motivated while doing so. It gives people the “why”, a purpose, and when that happens, people are naturally excited to get stuck into the “what” and the “how”.    

Strong internal communications with PR plays a crucial role in helping employees see the bigger picture and understand how their work contributes to the company’s overall goals. This clarity can empower them to align with strategic objectives, and push towards a common milestone.

It begins with consistent communication. When employees are consistently informed about the company's vision, values, and priorities, they become more invested in helping the business achieve its goals.

With a solid understanding of the company’s strategy, employees can work more purposefully, contributing ideas that support these objectives and reducing the risk of misalignment.

A company's reputation starts from within, before the media teams ever share company news with the public. Employees who are proud of where they work often become informal ambassadors, sharing positive stories about the company’s mission, achievements, and culture with their own networks. This type of internal pride can elevate the company’s reputation in the eyes of potential recruits, partners, and customers alike.

When employees feel connected and well-informed, they are more likely to speak positively about the organization externally.

The result? A reputation strengthened by genuine testimonials, built from the ground up by employees who feel proud to represent the company's interests both with an internal audience and their larger professional circles.

Change is inevitable in any organization, and internal PR helps employees navigate and embrace it. A strong internal PR program ensures that employees understand why changes are happening, what’s expected of them, and how they’ll be supported through transitions. 

This transparency reduces uncertainty and allows employees to feel more in control, even during periods of transformation.

Effective internal PR creates a resilient workplace culture where employees are more adaptable and open to new initiatives. There's no scathing gossip around the water cooler or fear mongering by misaligned employees; every one is on the same page with effective internal communication systems in place.

What is the difference between internal PR and external PR?

External PR is usually designed to improve the recognition of visibility of a brand, often in the form of mentions in the press or on public forums or social media. It's typically aimed at the broader public, or a specific segment of the public, and is often channelled through public relations agencies or professionals.

Internal PR focuses on the employees and stakeholders within the business and aims to create a positive internal reputation. Internal PR is usually managed by the internal comms or HR team and is entirely designed to improve company culture. 

Finally, with internal PR, the organization might rely on internal communication tools like, newsletters, town hall meetings, and employee recognition platforms. 

External PR, on the other hand, uses press releases, media monitoring software, and even content marketing platforms to reach outside audiences and shape public perception.

How to create an effective internal PR strategy

Internal PR can take many different forms and use many different channels. But the goal is often the same and these tips can help you get started.

It’s easy to get caught up in trying to communicate your brand strategy to your customers, but what about your employees? Internal brand communication should promote the core culture, identity, values, principles and ways that the organization works. This may mean creating a set of tone of voice guidelines that HR and the internal comms team use when communicating with any employee.

Your business can have a suite of successful internal comms tools, but without leadership involvement, it won't amount to much. It’s crucial that the voice of leadership is heard regularly in the organization to help everyone feel like they are on a collective journey and part of something important.

This is why leadership should regularly be given the opportunity to share business strategy overviews, progress reports, news, wins and losses, and general observations, using various channels and platforms.

This is really a kind of “internal marketing” and a great way of keeping employees informed on the vision of the management to get them behind the company’s purpose and vision. 

Read More: How to create a corporate communications strategy

Being intrinsically motivated and having a purpose at work is important, but so is company culture. A job is so much more pleasant when you like the personalities around you so why wouldn’t it be important to like the company's “personality” too? 

Internal PR helps nurture our workplace culture by boosting morale with things like social events, communication, messages of encouragement, and recognition of company-wide successes like winning awards.    

Awards, sales milestones and ground breaking achievements all happen because of people. Whether it’s hitting a new target milestone after many months or years of hard work, getting a promotion, or simply going the extra mile to help out a work colleague in the day-to-day, it’s something worth bringing attention to. Apart from the obvious joys of celebrating someone’s success, it’s also a way of strengthening a supportive and collaborative working culture. 

Employee recognition boards are a great way to show people that they matter.

Even with the best communication practices, information can get lost without a dedicated platform. Implementing an internal PR intranet software streamlines the process, giving employees a central hub for all updates, announcements, and key resources.

This creates a structured way to efficiently manage internal communications, keep everyone in the loop, and help people to easily access information that matters to them.

An intranet is really helpful because every member of the internal audience, from leadership to team members can have the chance to share news, celebrate wins, and post updates in real-time.

Read More: Best Apps for Corporate Communication

Digital signage is a powerful tool for improving internal communication, offering a dynamic, visual way to display key messages around the office. Placing screens in high-traffic areas, like break rooms and lobbies, ensures that employees stay informed on critical updates, team milestones, and any news or events happening within the company.

With corporate digital signage, you can easily highlight company values figures, feature employee achievements, and even share key company metrics. This approach aligns everyone with the organization’s goals and creates an engaging, visually driven communication channel that’s impossible to miss.

One reason why an internal communications strategy is so important is that it doesn't just mean sharing news with the team; it can truly facilitate active listening. Encouraging two-way communication lets employees feel their voices are valued, creating a supportive, collaborative environment. This could be through regular feedback sessions, Q&A forums, or digital suggestion boxes that give team members a way to share ideas or concerns.

Creating these feedback loops fosters transparency and trust, strengthens connections within the team, and helps employees fully engage with the company and its culture.

Read More: How to Share Community Feedback

Practical examples of internal PR activities

Internal PR doesn't have to be a complicated task that requires a top-down redesign of your entire internal comms strategy. Your organization can begin with simple daily, weekly, or monthly activities that keep employees in the loop and open dialogue with your internal audience.

Here's a breakdown of what that might look like for a typical organization.

Teams with employees around the globe have been relying on Slack for communication for a while now. It's an effective tool for rapid, peer-to-peer communication, and with clear guidelines, your team can keep clutter down to a minimum and prioritize effective information flow.

An office digital signage solution is also effective at sharing daily updates. From sharing key info to milestones, and employee celebrations, you can roll out announcements rapidly across all your screens with a few clicks.

To maintain a commitment to transparency, you can use internal comms systems to create weekly roundups covering financial, technical, and commercial updates. Employees can consume this at their convenience, respond with comments or emojis, and engage in real-time discussions.

Office hangouts can be a great way for employees to bond and connect over something other than KPIs and milestones. You can set up a Culture Club full of employee representatives that can organize these social events based on what the team wants. Plus, use tools like Donut app to pair remote colleagues for virtual meetups so they can join in the fun

During these parties, you can add different activities to the list ranging from individual employee recognition, to a monthly team wins celebration.

Improve your internal PR with digital signage

Your business’s internal public relations rely heavily on effective communication. When senior team members consistently share core values, objectives, and milestones, employees gain a clearer understanding of the company’s direction and feel more connected to its mission.

Digital signage can be a powerful tool for supporting and improving your internal communications. For example, your screens can display messages in high traffic areas and improve visibility of announcements. You can also use screens to share real-time updates, whether that's sharing your sales dashboards or upcoming team events.

And with ScreenCloud's digital signage solution, you can create content in a few clicks, manage several screens from a single location, integrate your current business solutions, and so much more.

Try ScreenCloud with a 14-day free trial and see how it can transform your workplace communication and internal PR.

Internal PR is a name given to certain aspects of internal communication within organizations. How can you use internal PR for your business?

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The Guide to Good Internal PR

The Guide to Good Internal PR

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