Phil Brown, partner and advisor at The Growth Activists says, “When SMEs have an aligned, integrated external and internal communications strategy it can lead to business growth, building trust with employees, attracting the right talent and better strategic alignment. A smart internal communications strategy will help staff feel more engaged, connected and heard.”

Phil has put together his top tips for small to medium sized businesses to ensure their external communications and internal communications are aligned.

The pandemic caused one of the biggest workplace transformations in the past century: normalising working from home.

It has had a huge impact on the way businesses operate and many people are continuing to work completely remotely. Alternatively, a hybrid model of both work from home and in the office is now normal.

Another workforce phenomenon affecting businesses, big and small, is the ‘Great Resignation’. The combination of stagnant wage growth, inflexible workplaces and people reassessing their values and goals is causing them to look for new workforce opportunities – and often for businesses that value sustainability and ethical work practices.

This is having rippling effects on small to medium businesses across Australia.

6 reasons to make sure your internal and external communications are aligned

Retaining and attracting valuable staff has never been more important.

A key factor in this is ensuring that your business has a solid communications strategy, to reach and engage both internal and external audiences.

Here are six ways to help your business align internal and external communications:

1. Be consistent and constant with your messaging

Creating a culture within your company that unifies your business for the workforce, customers, clients and even suppliers is vital.

Employers should be clear and consistent in their internal messaging, so employees are able to externally communicate the correct messages. For small businesses, your team is the first line for outreach to new customers, and to look after the ones you have.

Being constant and consistent in your messaging allows you to grow the business from the inside out.

2. Value employee input

One of the most valuable resources of your business is your employees – they are able to tell you which channels and what messaging is most effective for an internal communications strategy.

And communication is not a one way street. Feedback is a gift and should be encouraged in a space of psychological safety. So it’s vital to have a two way open channel of communication with them. Employers can set up an internal feedback process to better communicate with staff.

Valuing employee input leads to increasing your team’s feelings of being heard, creates a sense of belonging in the workplace, and will ultimately improve your approach to internal communications and retain those valuable employees.

3. Tools for success

Small and medium businesses must set up their employees for success by providing them with the essential tools and knowledge for effective communications.

From a documented onboarding process that clearly outlines the organisation’s strategic direction including brand, sustainability and values, to ongoing training and strategic planning days that involve the team.

Using social media for business is a great way to start, and Facebook (now Meta) Workplace is the business version of Facebook – it uses a similar format to the platform they are already most familiar with in their private lives. Used well, it creates an informal space where employees can engage with each other, executive teams can talk to the organisation, and provides instantaneous feedback to managers.

Giving your employees access to tools will ensure that your internal and external communications are aligned. Providing employees with tools for success will enable them not only to deliver what is expected of them, but to motivate and inspire them in their work.

4. Employee advocacy

Your employees are the first and best advocates of your business. It is vital that they understand the business strategy and brand story for when they communicate externally with friends, family, colleagues or the general public about where they work and what they do.

Employee advocacy is a powerful tactic for an integrated communications strategy. It can lead to more customers, increased brand awareness, and attracting new talent.

5. Create an integrated communications strategy

Creating a strategy for how you communicate both internally and externally will increase efficiency.

The strategy should include three key things:

• Channels – Which channels you communicate in, and when to use each channel according to the different types and priority of messaging.
• Content – Communications pillars and key messaging; what is it that we are going to be communicating to the workforce?
• Audience – Who we are communicating to and who are the different employee personas? Does this workforce include any volunteers or board members?

6. Consider a business consultant

An integrated and aligned communications strategy can easily become an afterthought when there are other priorities.

Business consultants are beneficial for small and medium sized businesses wanting to align their external and internal communications, as they can develop tailored strategies to suit your team.

Businesses should consider smaller consultancies, as they work faster and have a more creative and flexible approach compared to the big consulting firms.

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