?? Unlocking a Bigger Internal Communications Budget ??
Richard ..
Founder @ GossipGurus (LinkedIn Community of Comms/HR pros ) | Sales,Marketing Comms, Nurse, and Artist.
?? Unlocking a Bigger Internal Communications Budget ??
Many internal communications professionals I have spoken to in my group GossipGurus (Link here: https://lnkd.in/e8NbcHWF ) believe they lack the necessary resources to excel in their roles. If you're looking to make a significant impact and secure a larger internal communications budget, here are actionable steps to take before the next quarter.
Internal communications play a crucial role in various aspects of a business, including employee engagement, retention, and customer loyalty. To maximize the benefits of your internal communications efforts, it's essential to make the right investment.
*The Value of Internal Communications*
When advocating for a larger internal comms budget, you might encounter questions regarding the measurable value of employee communications. Fortunately, recent research provides compelling evidence of the impact and significance of internal communications.
?? Businesses with informed and connected employees witness productivity gains of 20% to 25%.
? On average, employees spend 2.5 hours searching for necessary information to perform their jobs efficiently. Accessible information saves time and boosts productivity.
?? During the pandemic, 85% of workers expressed higher motivation when managers provided regular updates on company news.
*Roles of Internal Communication Pros and Departments*
Internal communications professionals make a difference in almost every aspect of a business. However, it's crucial to demonstrate this impact to individuals who may not fully grasp the nuances of the field.
Before presenting your internal communications budget proposal, compile a list of the tasks your team handles and organize them into categories that showcase their impact. This division can include:
1?? Content creation and knowledge sharing
2?? Departmental alignment
3?? Supporting/facilitating communications for teams and leaders
4?? Enhancing employee experience and talent retention
By clearly outlining your team's achievements, you establish a foundation for demonstrating the broader impact of internal communications on the entire organization. This groundwork is essential when requesting a larger internal communications budget.
*The Importance of Planning an IC Budget*
A well-defined internal communications budget helps transform the asynchronous communication within your business into valuable, measurable assets. By preparing and allocating an IC budget, you gain the ability to track the performance and impact of your internal communications initiatives.
*Why Your Company Needs a Bigger Internal Communications Budget*
Recall the numerous benefits of internal communications discussed earlier. To achieve these benefits at scale, investing in the quality and reach of your employee communications is crucial.
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Research indicates that a 10% increase in employee engagement investments can result in business profit growth of up to $2,400 per employee per year. How? Informed employees lead to engaged employees, who contribute more to business growth and longevity.
Conversely, employee disengagement can lead to substantial costs, with annual losses totaling up to $350 billion in the US alone.
To avoid the pitfalls of a disengaged workforce and reap the rewards of an engaged one, securing an appropriate internal communications budget becomes essential.
*The Impact of Budget on Internal Communications*
A limited internal communications budget has the most significant impact on productivity and overall business efficiency. Some internal communications professionals spend up to 8 hours a week building and sending internal emails, leading to burnout and compromised communication quality.
This approach is unsustainable in the long run. With a constrained budget, reaching employees with timely information becomes challenging. Crisis communications, for instance, may take hours to develop and send, posing risks to employee safety.
Furthermore, companies with limited internal communications budgets often resort to using external marketing tools like Mailchimp for internal communications, resulting in unresponsive emails, unsubscribed users, poor deliverability, and flagged emails.
By increasing your internal communications budget, you can invest in tools specifically designed to enhance the appearance, performance, and efficiency of your internal messages.
Remember, investing in internal communications is an investment in the success and growth of your organization. By effectively showcasing the value of internal communications and its positive impact, you can secure the budget you need to deliver exceptional results.
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1 年This is a fantastic post, Richard! Budget constraints are a reality for every org and every IC team. In addition to what you've suggested here (making a compelling case for the value of investing in IC), there are also other tactics to broaden reach and impact. Today, for instance, we're hosting a large educational session for staff. To document the event, I've recruited a few non-IC colleagues to volunteer their time as "digital media ninjas" - collaborators who help capture some video footage and informal testimonials from attendees, which we can quickly edit and share out via some existing IC channels (Teams chats, intranet, etc.). Enlisting colleagues outside of IC to contribute to the production of our products is technically a "cost" on the organization (time is money; trade-offs are real; opportunity costs exist, etc.). However, I've discovered that many of my non-IC colleagues actually ENJOY making content - it's a fun way for them to flex their creative talents and contribute to our broader culture of collaboration for shared success. In short - if IC budget increases aren't in the cards, invite staff to voluntarily contribute their gifts & talents for mutual benefit. Where there's a will there's a way! ??