5 Reasons Digital Signage Is Best for Internal Communications
February 6, 2017 by guest author, sixteenninewpadmin
Guest Post: Danica Trapara, Rise Vision
As companies grow, it’s common for leaders to feel like they’ve lost touch with their employees or can’t keep internal messages organized and in control. It’s at this point the benefit of internal communications is really seen.
Internal communications teams are responsible for sharing a lot of different messages with employees. From company events to internal announcements, sharing PR coverage, metrics, and more, digital displays are turning internal communications into the new water cooler.
Below are five reasons digital signage is the best method for employee communications.
1) A picture is worth a thousand words
Internal communication isn’t easy. Today’s employees are busier than ever and if you’re vying for their attention, you’re competing with the many priorities they’re focusing on and duties they’re juggling day-to-day. And that’s in the company’s best interests, of course, but it’s also important to ensure your teams are informed, aligned, empowered, and excited about your shared mission.
Digital signage augments — or even replaces — some old school and less visually appealing means of communication like whiteboards, posters, and even certain emails. Visual communication is often the simplest way to present information. In describing best practices for effective internal communications, Rebekah Iliff of AirPR says, “We all struggle in some way with how to best present information to our employees so that it’s actually consumed.” Many people are primarily — or at least partially — visual learners, meaning information communicated visually is most likely to stick with them. By placing digital signage in high trafficked areas within your office, your company appears more professional and your messages will leave a lasting impression.
2) Gives you a channel to market to your employees
How much time and money are you putting toward marketing initiatives? If you thought about internal communications as marketing to your employees, would you reconsider the resources currently being used to share information and engage with your employees?
It takes several touch points to get your customers to remember your brand, which is something you should keep in mind when expecting your employees to be on top of everything happening at the company. Digital signage is a necessary part of your internal communications toolbox. If you’ve made an announcement at a company meeting or shared something via email, your digital signage should drive the message home — and will come in handy for those who missed that meeting or didn’t see that email the first time.
3) Creates a culture of openness and transparency
The best places to work promote openness and transparency, including sharing company goals, progress, and finances. Being trusted enough to be invited to review spend and profitability is a proponent of a caring company culture and ensures executive accountability.
The best leaders inspire motivation by minimizing corporate speak and being inclusive. Avoid a top-down approach to internal communications and use digital signage to display company goals, metrics, and other living information.
4) Stops the internal communications telephone game
It’s easy to miss company announcements made the traditional way — at a meeting or in an email. And what happens when someone misses something big? People talk.
It’s important to control a major announcement undeserving of office gossip. Get everyone on the same page faster with messaging via digital signage displayed in visible places throughout the office.
5) Builds an army of engaged employees turned brand ambassadors
A company’s best ambassadors are its employees. Just a few years ago, it was normal for team members to discourage posting about work on social media. But today, this is seen as a positive mouthpiece, showcasing great places to work. A lot of organizations have made use of Twitter Walls at company events in order to celebrate employees and give them a venue to share their ideas. Integrating social media into your internal digital signage allows you to extend this platform to your employees year-round.
There are a lot of ways to reward your employees and the great work they do. Digital signage is also a great medium for recognizing your team, a proven method of boosting company morale and employee satisfaction.
Internal communications is an important priority for all organizations, and by building them out using digital signage, growing companies don’t have to lose that intimate feeling of closeness, authenticity, and cross-team collaboration they’re used to.
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