Internal Communications

Internal communications—part of business communications— includes the interchange among employees, managers and owners within a company or government agency.  Inter-departmental communications and infra-departmental communications include emails, memos and instructions. Today, instructional and informational videos play a large role in the communications within an organization.

To read full length scripts, click on images below.

An internal communications video produced by CMS Writing may announce corporate policy, relay instructions on a new process, or motivate employees. An effective internal communications video:

1. Informs: tells people about a new direction or corporate policy:
2. Demonstrates: offers explanations and a friendlier approach to the new corporate policy;
3. Persuades: runs interference between new policy and employee resistance;
4. Motivates: encourages employee buy-in;
5. Convinces: shows the pros and cons of a position to encourage a change of view point;
6. Involves: energizes employees to take action and participate in the conversation;

 

According to political scientist and communications theorist Harold Lasswell, internal communications fall into four categories: PRINT, including magazines, newsletters, brochures; FACE-TO-FACE, including team meetings, conferences, round-table discussions, town meetings; WORKSPACE, notice boards, plasma and LCD screens, window decals.

The last category in Lasswell’s breakdown is: ELECTRONIC, communications accessed through the computer, telephone, television or other devices. Video communications, for example, are transmitted by email, Intranet, video and webcasts and DVDs. And include: all-team meetings; training and e-learning; CEO messaging; safety training and video newsletters.

According to David Jackel, partner at Boston-based corporate video production company Shave Media says that employees will opt to watch a short video over reading a long document. Jackel says, “Video is a powerful tool for internal communications because it allows companies to engage with their entire organization through uniform messaging that is much more compelling than an email. Recipients of internal communications videos are more likely to fully absorb the intended message than they would through more traditional media.

Employees download corporate online videos to their computers and TVs, and stream the videos to smartphones, tablets, and iPads, so only videos with high production value will keep the employee audience engaged and entertained.