Are you playing the wrong sport on a whole new field? It's time to change the game, not the goal!
With a plethora of emails flooding inboxes, the Internal Communications (IC) teams face a major predicament – how to keep their employees engaged. The barrage of vendor, internal, and other emails that are continually piling up has led to a considerable shift in the communication dynamics in workplaces. This surfeit of emails is precisely why new generations of employees are increasingly stepping away from the conventional email communication model.
The golden age of email seems to be fading into the backdrop as the environment has dramatically evolved since its heyday. Today, sophisticated SPAM blockers like Superhuman and potent filters from Apple and Google shield the inboxes, making the email reach less effective. The ubiquity of Microsoft Teams has revolutionized internal communication within organizations. Moreover, tools that were once used to bolster personalization are now leading to redundancy as everyone mimics the same newsletters. The traditional news consumption patterns have also experienced a paradigm shift with audiences moving to platforms like TikTok and Instagram, reflecting a stark change in preference and consumption patterns.
In the face of this sea change, email campaigns often encounter a typical cycle. They might initially be successful for about six months, but soon the email performance starts to plummet drastically. Despite the team's earnest attempts at innovation, personalization, tweaking calls to action, experimenting with different software tools and more, the email performance never bounces back to its prime levels.
But why does this happen? It's a classic case of saturation. Companies rapidly reach a saturation point where there are fewer buyers receptive to cold emails. The fact is, a large proportion of audiences will never be open to emails – be it due to an oversaturated inbox, a personal philosophy of not responding to IC emails, stringent spam filters, or simply the sheer volume of emails. And worryingly, this proportion is only growing with each passing day.
So, how do communications leaders navigate this challenging landscape? The most innovative among them are using a four-pronged approach:
Brand Ambassador Program: Leveraging employees as brand ambassadors can promote genuine interactions and increase brand visibility.
Video-First Communications: Videos, given their engaging nature, can drive a higher response rate and provide an effective alternative to traditional emails.
Modern Engagement: Embracing platforms like Soundbite where the audience's attention is focused can lead to better interaction and engagement.
Analyzing Event Stream Data: Utilizing data to target high-value audiences can help identify potential audience segments and tailor communications accordingly.
With these tactics, IC teams can not only navigate the complexities of the contemporary communication landscape but also elevate their communication strategies to new heights, successfully driving engagement and fostering connection in the face of shifting audience preferences.