Employers usually invest a lot of money in communicating with customers and marketing their products and services. While external marketing communication is important, so is internal. Without sharing the organization’s vision, and mission with employees, they can’t act as brand ambassadors and help the business prosper. Apart from that, there are a few other reasons why internal marketing communication is imperative in any business.
Engaging Employees
Internal or external marketing, it doesn’t matter. They both revolve around communication. However, for external marketing to work out, business needs to have impeccable internal communication. How the management of the company communicates with employees has an enormous corporate impact. It affects their engagement and enthusiasm about the products or services they offer. To boost employee communication and participation, managers should connect all employees via apps or tools. There are numerous platforms to choose from. Slack, Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, or an intranet portal are worth looking into. Once the managers find a tool that suits their company the best, internal communication will improve. With excellent communication in the workplace, employees will have no other choice than to take part in activities. As they actively participate, their enthusiasm grows. When customers notice their feelings, they want to feel the same way so they become a part of the customer base.
Connecting the Brand and the Customers
Employees are the best allies when it comes to marketing. As a part of the organization, they already know everything about the brand. When they are familiar with its vision and mission, employees are the first ones to develop an emotional bond with the brand. Thanks to this strong connection, they become more eager and engaged in their work. At this point, they are motivated enough to do their part and help the business grow. Most often, employees take part in storytelling, as a marketing technique. They share stories about their position within the company, its growth, and its success. Passionate and driven employees share their positive feelings and experience with the brand to customers they interact with. This way, employees, working from the inside, help the brand connect with the outside, that is, the customers.
Aligning Employees with the Organization’s Mission
Thanks to internal marketing, marketers can deliver the message through employees to customers more effectively. When employees are aligned with the organization’s mission, they support the brand and participate in its marketing. It is easy to keep employees informed. What is important is the selection of the medium. It has to be sent through a good distribution channel for every employee to see. For example, an employee app, or an email. The content shared can be in the form of a message or a newsletter. Either way, it has to be clear and direct. Only this way will the employees get a good grasp of the company’s values. When they finally understand it, then they can move on to becoming successful brand advocates.
Building Trust with Employees and Customers
Most companies have problems with departmental silos. Employees belonging to different departments keep relevant information to themselves instead of sharing it with colleagues. This harms the employees and the business. Without information, they can’t do their work properly. However, if managers and marketers share important news and mission with employees, there is no room for misunderstandings. It gives employees a sense of transparency. In such a transparent work environment, employers and employees build trust. When there is trust between them, employees’ self-confidence grows which boosts their performance. In turn, they can deliver the necessary message to customers and start establishing a relationship with them. Apart from quality, customers value honesty and transparency the most. When employees give them the treatment they need, customers become loyal to the brand.
Hiring New Employees
Employees don’t become brand advocates overnight. It is a long process that starts from the moment they are recruited. This is where most companies make mistakes. HR managers hire the best candidate for the available position without making sure they have what it takes to become a brand advocate. On the other hand, those that avoid this trap, make sure candidates have a unique and valuable employee experience. Happy employees share their positive experience with everyone. Their stories positively reflect on the company’s image and reputation. They can make a difference and convince potential candidates to apply and become a part of the successful organization.
Similarly, former employees talk about their employers as well. Some use social media and forums, while others like to share the stories with friends and family. This is where their employee experience comes to play. If they were treated badly, they will most likely talk trash about the company. If the company and the employee separated amicably, the company’s reputation will remain intact.
