How can you distinguish between internal and external corporate communication?

It's like Dating versus Marriage. I tell people to think of external comms as Dating. You're showing up as the best version of yourself intermittently to attract people to you. Internal Communication is like marriage. Employees are committed and hope for a long-term relationship. We need to have an honest conversation every day and talk about our ups and downs. We need to make sure our values are aligned. When they are not, people either stick around and are miserable or choose to separate and go in different directions. A failure to communicate can cause despair, fear and anxiety. Internal Communication is about the conversation versus the campaign and on relationship building versus selling.

With the advent of digitization, the demarcation between internal and external communication has blurred with time. While it's difficult to restrict the content flow, there are certain focused communication points that one can look for: Adapting tone: Use a more compassionate tone for internal communication directed at employees, and a formal tone for external audiences. Define purpose/goal, i.e. for the internal audience the goal can be awareness, while for the external audience, the goal can be lead generation Use of channels: Internal communication is majorly done through the intranet, emailers, newsletter, memos etc while for external communication, channels like social media platform, press releases, &other ATL and BTL mediums are used

At its core external comms is about building and protecting the reputation fo the company, its people, and its products. That balance between building and protecting is about proactive versus reactive. It's too easy to get into reactive mode in many companies and constantly be managing issues, while foregoing the proactive reputation building work. Every org will have a different balance but it's important to organize the work and teams to ensure you are about to do both.

External communication involves an organization interacting with external stakeholders. It can be proactive or reactive, strategic or operational, with varying levels of disclosure. To ensure engaging content, we adopt a 70:30 ratio strategy. Sixty per cent of the year's engagement focuses on customer feedback—contributions to topics or sharing experiences. The remaining 30 per cent is allocated for adverts, announcements, and releases. This approach fosters collaboration, empowering clients as stakeholders, contributing to continuous improvement, and enhancing their sense of partnership in the company's success.

External Corporate Communication is directed toward external stakeholders - customers, investors, and media, emphasizing branding, marketing, product information, and PR. Utilising websites, social media, and press releases for outreach, it aims at building brand image, attracting customers, and conveying key messages to external audiences.

Fuera hay una competencia por lograr captar el interés y dentro menos porque el público, el empleado, ya está “cautivado”. El lenguaje debe estar adaptado al exterior, no olvidar que puede ser la primera vez que alguien nos vea y no nos conozca. Humildad, creatividad y constancia son algunas de las claves para comunicar externamente. Y adaptación a la conversación siempre.

Let's not overcomplicate this - the difference between internal & external communication is *only* the target audience. It's that simple. All our internal comms are developed in a way that carry our organizational message *and* directly address our employees' pain points or concerns. They are there to "sell" the feeling of open comms in our org (because open comms and the *feeling* of open comms is very different thing). External comms carry our organizational message but in a way that address that target audience's pain points or concerns and provides a solution. This concept is simple, yet not easy. Every piece of content (internal or external) has to be customized to fit the target audience or your message fails to resonate.

Tal vez no sea un mal punto de partida para desarrollar una estrategia de comunicación empresarial no diferenciar inicialmente entre externa e interna, con el fin de que ambas compartan una narrativa común. A partir de ahí sí hay que definir canales y contenidos diferenciales, pero sin perder jamás de vista que una información externa impacta en el interior y que los empleados son portavoces de la marca también hacia el exterior. Coherencia y consistencia por encima de todo.

Internal & External Communications are two sides of the same coin. The core message – of the brand/entity – would be essentially the same; positioned differently to appeal to the audience that the message is being addressed to. When building a message house, it is important to be clear on the core messages, the proof points that support these messages, and the audience. One element that often worked for me was asking: what do I want my audience to think, feel, and do, based on this message/communication? This works internally and externally.

In the dynamic realm of corporate communications, the conventional dichotomy between internal and external communications is increasingly becoming blurred. Instead, we should view corporate communications as a unified and integrated field that serves different audiences, with the internal audience being a privileged group that receives news first. This holistic approach to corporate communications emphasizes transparency, consistency, and engagement, ensuring that employees are well-informed and aligned with the company's goals. It not only strengthens internal morale but also enhances the company’s reputation externally, creating a cohesive and strong brand image.

Internal or external, communication's purpose is to build and manage the reputation of the company. Gone are the days when these were viewed as two independent mandates - a good communicator knows the difference and a great communicator is one who can integrate the two to build a compelling narrative for the company. An integrated communication approach that builds the brand internally creating a pool of "brand advocates", and enables these brand advocates to "sell" the unique value story of the company. Great people make great companies - and there is nothing better than employees narrating the story for you, amplifying other external narratives you may be driving around business.

One key benefit of internal comms that is often overlooked is not just inspiring the team when it comes to the overall vision and mission of the organization, but also fostering a genuine sense of belonging and community among team members. This is especially true for teams that are increasingly working hybrid or remote, making a sense of personal connection harder to maintain. When video calls focus on the work at hand and impromptu hallway interactions and "watercooler moments" no longer happen, people can feel isolated and unheard on a personal level. Sharing personal employee stories via comms can bridge geographic gaps, increase engagement and foster a sense of belonging. If you feel included, you are more likely to stick around.

Depending on how large the organization is, internal communications serves as a bridge-building medium for aligning employees with the vision of the organization and in more granular detail, what everyone should be hearing and doing to go in a single productive direction. External communications on the other hand when effectively deployed, brings everyone to your side of issues and makes 'outsiders' see and experience your values.

Both internal and external communication play a vital role in shaping the success of a company. Internal communication fosters a shared vision and culture among employees, leading to increased motivation and innovation. It also facilitates the flow of information and knowledge, improving productivity. External communication can establish a positive image and reputation, building trust among stakeholders, and drawing in new customers, partners, and investors. By communicating their value proposition, competitive advantage, and social responsibility, organizations can create a lasting impression and increase satisfaction and loyalty. It's essential to prioritize both internal and external communication to achieve long-term success.

Both are intrinsically linked in today's digital world; however, when developing each of them, the teams need to consider as prime audience the company employees or external stakeholders. This would impact calendars, message priorities, main speakers, among others.

The benefits of effective external communication include enhanced brand reputation, increased customer loyalty, stronger stakeholder relationships, improved market positioning, and potential business growth. Effective internal communication, on the other hand, leads to higher employee engagement, improved productivity, better alignment with organizational goals, enhanced teamwork, and a positive workplace culture. Overall, both types of communication contribute to organizational success and sustainability.

In today's landscape internal comms MUST be viewed through a lens of anticipated external exposure. Prepare your internal comms carefully knowing that all communications are just one screen grab, one forwarded email or one viral tiktok video away from becoming external. While that represents certain risk it also reminds us to carefully examine the authenticity of our communications and our promises to both our people and to our customers. Communications should always align with the company values and be something that your Leadership will stand behind, regardless of whether the audience was intended to be internal or external.

External and internal have become more integrated and less segregated . What you write on internal can appear on external platforms or be shared with media. Now more companies share internal Memos externally which means the internal audience gets the news at the same time as external. Like wise external sites like Blind and Fishbowl reveal internal water cooler moments on an external platform. With Employer Advocacy strategies employees external social media platforms can be used to share messaging the company wants to broadcast via a trusted voice - the employee. There is a thin veil between both sides. If companies really want loyal advocates they need to arm them with context before landing information externally at the same time. ???

There is no difference between the two. Internal = external. Anything shared internally can go public in a nanosecond. Therefore, everything shared must be crafted with this in mind.

Uno de los retos de la comunicación es garantizar la coherencia entre la externa y la interna. Para ello es fundamental que exista una narrativa corporativa que cobije a todos los relatos que la organización sostiene en sus relaciones con los grupos de interés. Coherencia en las palabras y en los hechos, es decir, a través de las conductas que encarnan los valores de la organización.

The lines between internal and external communications are more blurred than ever. Focus on aligning your message with your audience, and be prepared for anything shared with employees could be made public. Stand ready for unexpected scenarios, and remember that great external stories often come from within, like employees going above and beyond. Lastly, always have a clear plan for communicating campaigns to both employees and external stakeholders.

Stop calling it "internal" and "external" communications and focus on the audiences - employee communications, media relations, analyst relations, customer communications, etc. By focusing on the audiences instead of broad generic terms like internal and external, the communications will resonate more with target audiences because they were created with them in mind.

A classic question! In a simple summarized manner, Internal communications target employees and stakeholders within the organization, focusing on company news, policy updates & empowering corporate culture via intranet, internal newsletters, and meetings. External communications aim at customers, investors, and the public, promoting brand reputation and managing public relations through press releases, social media, and advertisements. They overlap in brand consistency, crisis management, CSR initiatives, and major announcements. Internal comms collaborate with HR, IT, and leadership, while external comms work closely with marketing, sales, customer service, and legal departments, maintaining distinct tones and confidentiality levels.

Never forget that your employees are also some of your most powerful external communication assets. Empower them to share good news externally with their contacts, develop and share a clear external communication policy that empowers and encourages them to advocate on both the company and their behalf. They are one of the most powerful and authentic channels for external communication yet too many companies forget about this when developing employee communication strategies.

é importante compreender a linha cada vez mais tênue entre comunica??o interna e externa devido às redes sociais. Isso fica evidente quando um colaborador faz um comentário polêmico no LinkedIn, que pode repercutir em seu ambiente profissional, assim como uma avalia??o negativa no Glassdoor pode afastar talentos para a empresa. Para uma comunica??o eficaz, é fundamental definir: - Cultura, valores e código de ética para que possam refletir tanto interna quanto externamente. - Manual interno sobre o uso das redes sociais e participa??o em eventos corporativos. - Para PR, é crucial ter um FAQ e mensagens-chave para garantir que os porta-vozes tenham um discurso alinhado com os temas mais sensíveis e contribuam para a constru??o de autoridade.