How To Start an Internal Company Newsletter: Is a News Feed the Best Solution for 2024?
Oct 6, 2024
Ron Cors
Internal communication is the backbone of a thriving organization. Whether you’re running a small business or a large corporation, keeping everyone informed and engaged is crucial for maintaining productivity, morale, and company culture. Traditionally, many companies have used internal newsletters to share important updates, promote achievements, and keep teams connected. But in 2024, is the traditional email newsletter still the best way to communicate internally? Or is there a better, more modern solution like a news feed that can deliver these benefits more efficiently?
In this blog post, we’ll explore why starting an internal company newsletter is still valuable—but why a real-time news feed, like the one offered by Pebb, might just be the best solution for 2024 and beyond. We’ll break down how a news feed can streamline communication, improve engagement, and make your company’s internal updates more dynamic.
Why Start an Internal Company Newsletter?
The concept of an internal newsletter has long been used to ensure employees are on the same page about company activities, policy changes, and cultural events. A well-constructed newsletter can help:
Enhance communication: By centralizing important updates, newsletters keep everyone informed about the company's direction, announcements, and key initiatives.
Build company culture: Newsletters are an effective way to recognize employee achievements, celebrate milestones, and promote a sense of belonging.
Onboard new hires: For new employees, a newsletter can serve as a valuable resource to learn about company history, values, and processes, speeding up the integration process.
However, despite these advantages, the traditional email newsletter is starting to feel outdated. In today’s fast-paced work environment, where employees are spread across different locations or working remotely, it’s easy for these emails to get lost in the shuffle.
Many employees report that they either ignore or forget to read email newsletters, no matter how important the content might be. So how can companies keep their internal communication fresh and effective?
The News Feed: A Game-Changer for 2024
This is where a news feed comes in. Platforms like Pebb provide a modern solution by offering an interactive, real-time news feed that allows employees to stay up to date on the latest company information without the drawbacks of email overload.
In fact, 2024 is the perfect time to rethink your communication strategy, and here’s why a news feed might be the right choice:
Real-time updates: Unlike a newsletter, which might be sent weekly or monthly, a news feed allows you to share updates instantly. This means important information—such as leadership changes, product updates, or policy shifts—gets to your employees the moment it’s relevant, not days or weeks later.
Two-way communication: One of the limitations of a traditional newsletter is that it’s a one-way form of communication. Employees receive the information, but there’s no room for them to interact with it. A news feed, on the other hand, encourages employee participation through comments, likes, and even questions, creating a dynamic dialogue rather than a static broadcast.
Mobile-first access: With an increasing number of employees working remotely or on the go, having a mobile-first solution is crucial. According to research, 60% of workers check work-related updates on their mobile devices. Pebb’s news feed is optimized for both desktop and mobile, ensuring that your employees can stay connected no matter where they are.
Reduce email overload: In a world where inboxes are already crowded, sending more emails isn’t always the best solution. A news feed allows you to reduce the number of internal emails while still ensuring employees have access to all the information they need, whenever they need it.
Multimedia capabilities: News feeds are perfect for incorporating visual content like photos, videos, and infographics, making your updates more engaging. Did you know that people retain 80% of what they see compared to just 20% of what they read? A news feed allows you to combine text, images, and even video to convey your message more effectively.
Increased engagement: A news feed doesn’t just inform—it engages. Employees can interact with posts, share feedback, and collaborate in real time. This builds a sense of community that’s harder to foster with traditional email newsletters.
Why a News Feed is Better Than Traditional Newsletters
Let’s face it, the old way of doing things doesn’t always fit the needs of modern businesses. While traditional internal newsletters certainly had their moment, the demands of today’s workplace require more dynamic, interactive communication methods.
Consider these key advantages of switching to a news feed:
Faster distribution: No need to wait for the next newsletter issue—information can be posted immediately.
Wider variety of content: A news feed supports multiple content formats, making it easy to share videos, images, and interactive elements alongside standard text.
More opportunities for feedback: By allowing employees to engage directly with posts, companies can gather real-time feedback on announcements or updates.
How to Set Up Your Company’s News Feed
So, you’ve decided a news feed is the way to go—now what? Let’s take a look at how to effectively set up your company’s internal news feed with Pebb.
1. Set Your Objectives
Before you get started, think about what you want to achieve with your news feed. Is the goal to improve communication across departments? Promote company culture? Keep employees informed about product developments? Understanding your objectives will help guide the content you share.
2. Choose Your Categories
On platforms like Pebb, you can create different clubs (categories) within the news feed to keep content organized. For example, you might want to create clubs for “Company Announcements,” “Team Achievements,” “Event Updates,” and “HR News.” This will help employees easily find the information that’s most relevant to them.
3. Engage Your Employees
Encourage your team to get involved with the news feed. Whether it’s by liking, commenting, or sharing their own updates, employee participation is key to creating an interactive and engaging space. Make it a place where all voices are heard, and your employees will feel more connected to the company.
4. Post Regularly
A news feed is most effective when it’s used consistently. Set a regular schedule for posting, even if updates are frequent. This helps build anticipation and ensures employees know when to check the feed for the latest news.
5. Use Multimedia to Boost Engagement
Remember that people engage more with visual content. Don’t hesitate to post videos, photos, and even GIFs. Pebb’s news feed supports all these formats, helping you capture your team’s attention with more engaging posts.
The Role of a Knowledge Library
Another key benefit of using Pebb for your internal communication is its Knowledge Library. This feature allows you to store and organize important company documents, files, and media in a central hub. While Slack and traditional newsletters often bury files in threads or emails, Pebb makes it easy to keep all important information accessible and searchable in one place. This way, employees always have access to critical resources without having to dig through endless emails.
Is a News Feed the Right Solution for Your Company?
Switching from a traditional email newsletter to a dynamic news feed may seem like a big change, but the benefits are clear. By embracing real-time communication, boosting employee engagement, and simplifying access to important information, a news feed can transform how your company shares news internally.
Ask yourself: Is my current communication strategy as effective as it could be? Are your employees engaged, informed, and connected? If the answer is no, it might be time to explore what a news feed can do for your team in 2024.
Wrapping Up
While internal newsletters have long been a staple of workplace communication, 2024 calls for a more modern, efficient approach. Here at Pebb, with real-time news feed and Knowledge Library, we offer a dynamic way to keep your team informed, engaged, and connected—no matter where they are or how they work.
So, is your company ready to make the switch to a news feed? It might just be the communication solution you’ve been looking for.