3 Different Ways To Create An Intranet Content Strategy

An intranet content strategy sets out the central approach to what is published on your employee experience platform (EXP), and when. It's becoming more important than ever as we continue to compete for attention and help employees filter through all of the noise.

And while an overarching ‘intranet strategy’ defines the channel’s objectives and target audiences, as examples, the content strategy is more focused on the approach toward the publication of news, communications, and other updates that are regularly shared to the platform.

I’m no stranger to feeling confused and disengaged when an overwhelming amount of seemingly disconnected content is published on an intranet or EXP. But, as internal communicators, we’re responsible for connecting the dots and ensuring a more cohesive approach to the content shared through one of our most important internal channels.  

It can be difficult to know where to start.

So, here are three different approaches to creating an intranet content strategy that elevates the impact of your internal comms.  

What is an intranet content strategy?

An intranet content strategy is a structured plan detailing what’s going to be published on your intranet or EXP.

It does what it says on the tin by defining the strategic approach towards what is published, why, and when.

At the highest level, it is a plan for what types of content are posted and when. At a more detailed level, it provides structure and strategic direction to the communications shared via the intranet, helping to tie everything together and support employee engagement.

3 different approaches to creating an intranet content strategy

The strategy itself can be formatted in several different ways; it could be something like a list of principles, a set of quarterly themes, or a rolling topic calendar.

Whichever format you decide to go for, you need to take some time to think about the best strategic center point. I’m talking about the compass of your approach, around which you can build a content strategy.

In my experience, there are three main approaches: corporate values-based, company strategy-based, or fully-segmented.

Let’s explore each one in a bit more detail…

Approach 1. Corporate values-based

One of the most common approaches to creating an intranet content strategy is to center it around your organization’s corporate values.

This means clearly highlighting how each news article or story that you publish links back to one (or more) of the corporate values. Practically, each piece of news-related content could be tagged to its relevant value, or perhaps labeled in the main image.

Taking a values-based approach shows how the organization is living and breathing its values. It helps employees cut through the noise by categorizing topics in a logical way. And it supports company culture by clearly demonstrating the importance of the values, which can positively impact morale and engagement.

Centering every news article or story around corporate values also acts as a great filter to avoid information bombardment or content overwhelm. But the downside is that it can be quite limiting, and the strategy can easily be thrown off kilter when there’s an important communication that does need to be published but may not logically tie to one of the values. 

Approach 2. Company strategy-based

Similarly to a values-based approach, centering your intranet content strategy around the organization’s strategy is a popular and logical option. It brings structure and cohesion to the content being published on your intranet, clearly showing how everything ties together.  

70% of internal communication professionals say they are responsible for strategy awareness within their organizations. So it’s not much of a surprise that the same report ranked “engaging teams on purpose, strategy and values” as the top priority for internal communicators last year.  

Aligning day-to-day intranet content and messaging shows employees how the news and updates being communicated fit into the bigger picture. It can help raise awareness of the organization’s strategy while highlighting important connections to the overall mission of the company.

Strategic alignment is a core driver of employee engagement, so any opportunity to demonstrate links to the organization’s strategy is valuable.

In my opinion, centering your intranet content around key pillars of your company strategy can be a win-win. However, as with the values-based strategy, it can also be limiting and restrictive when there are important employee messages that perhaps don’t clearly link to one of the organization’s strategic pillars.  

Approach 3. Fully-segmented

The final approach that I want to consider is a ‘fully-segmented’ content strategy.

Unlike the other two, creating a fully segmented intranet content strategy means all of the content that employees see in their intranet news feed is targeted and personalized. This level of personalization ensures that different teams or individuals receive the most relevant information based on their roles, locations, interests, or other filters.

Adopting this kind of segmented intranet content strategy makes sure that people across the organization see the content that matters most to them. It’s an inclusive way of doing things, and it can be an effective way to reduce information overload and increase engagement.

Introducing personalized news feeds was a key step that parcel delivery company, Evri, took when revamping its internal comms with a new EXP. The personalized approach allowed the company to segment content publication times in line with shift patterns, ensuring the platform was as inclusive as possible for both online and offline employees.

The challenge with this approach comes in ensuring consistency across the workforce and avoiding the formation of silos. This can be avoided by prioritizing two-way communication, creating an open space for employee feedback, and making sure all employees can access company-wide updates such as quarterly All Hands sessions.

Creating the digital heart of your organization

I always believe that our ultimate goal should be to improve the employee experience and, therefore, increase engagement. Having an EXP that becomes the digital heart of your organization can be one of the best ways to achieve that.

It can encourage connection right across the workforce while leveling the playing field when it comes to internal comms for both desk-based and offline employees. The right platform simplifies work by pulling everything together for your people. It also allows IC teams to reach a wider audience and to track and measure engagement.    

If you’re ready to get the ball rolling with a new employee experience platform, why not book a free demo of Workvivo?

Our tried-and-tested solution enables you to easily integrate with over 40 different tools, including Zoom, Workday, and Sage HR. It also provides you with the functionality to manage content in whatever way works best for your organization. So, when you’re ready to get going with your new intranet content strategy, the power is in your hands.