Internal Marketing - A Collision Between Marketing and HR

Internal Marketing: A Collision Between Marketing and HR

A recent poll conducted by the team at Gallup found that over 65 percent of American employees claim to be disengaged at work. A lack of engagement can cause productivity and morale levels to decline rapidly. Instead of dealing with the fallout from a lack of engagement, now is the time to take action.

While most business owners understand the value of using different applicant tracking systems during the hiring process, many of them ignore the need for long-term engagement strategies. You can go through the list of ATS Software vendor list and search for the solution that meets your needs.

The process of getting employees to buy-in to your company’s mission is generally referred to as internal marketing. The main goal you should have with your internal marketing efforts is getting your team excited about the products and services being sold. Employees who are educated and motivated will be able to use their knowledge to engage with consumers.

The following are some of the things you need to know about internal marketing and how to make it work for your company.  

Developing a Pitch is Vital

Approaching internal marketing with the same fervor and excitement that you have when pitching ideas to consumers is a must. Some business owners make the mistake of “phoning it in” when trying to sell their customers on their mission. This can lead to lackluster reactions, which is why the first order of business when trying to have success with internal marketing is developing a pitch.

Before developing this pitch, you need to get information about who your products or services are designed for. You will also need to educate yourself on the ins and outs of these products and services. In most cases, the employees you are marketing to will have lots of questions. A lack of preparation can make these employees question your commitment and may prohibit them from willingly buying into your mission.

Educate Employees on the Importance of Their Job

People who work for larger corporations or businesses often forget just how important their work is. If employees have the misconception that what they are doing doesn’t matter, it will usually lead to lower productivity levels. One of the key components of a successful internal marketing campaign is informing your team about the importance of their role with your company.

While conveying this information, use this opportunity to pat a few employees on the back for their hard work. Recognizing this hard work will give other employees an incentive to work hard and go above and beyond what is asked of them. Driving home the point about the importance of teamwork will help you create a better work environment, which can help you grow your bottom line substantially.

Empower Your Team to Talk About the Brand

Most business owners are extremely protective of the brand they have created. If you have a team of motivated and trustworthy employees, you have to let go a bit when it comes to your brand. Giving team members the go-ahead to talk about your brand and push your agenda is vital to the overall success of your business.

Sending out a team of employees to industry events to engage with both vendors and consumers is a great idea. Often times, these interactions will make a big impression on consumers. Before sending out a team to these events, quiz them on the details of what your company does and the goals you have set.

Allowing your team to promote your brand on social media is also a good idea. The more buzz you have about your business online, the easier it will be to attract quality sales leads.

Make the Training Process Fun

Handing employees a massive stack of manuals and literature about your business can be a bit overwhelming. Instead of making the training process boring and lackluster, your main goal should be finding ways to make it fun. Producing entertaining videos can help you inform your team without boring them to tears.

You will also need to develop apps and software geared towards training. With fun online quizzes or games, you can inform your team and keep them engaged at the same time.

Source - Freestockphotos

Internal Marketing Ideas You Should Try

Now that you know about the importance of internal marketing, you may be wondering how to make this type of marketing work for your business. Here are some internal marketing ideas you need to try when attempting to make your team more engaged and excited about your brand.

The Power of Competition

Having a healthy competitive environment in your workplace is a good idea. Hosting monthly sales contests is a great way to keep your team working hard. Providing great prizes for the department that wins the competition is a great way to increase engagement.

Not only will this competition help you increase sales, it will also allow you to foster a sense of teamwork and camaraderie. Incentivizing selling is essential when attempting to get your team to buy-in to your company culture and mission.

Provide an Internal Newsletter

If you are looking for a way to keep employees informed about changes with your company, sending out an internal newsletter on a monthly basis is a smart move. These newsletters should feature information about your customers, products and progress being made.

Recognizing high-performing employees in these newsletters is also a good idea. Providing your team with a consistent flow of information is the only way to keep them consistently motivated. Ideally, you want your business to be as transparent as possible. Doing this can help you avoid employee confusion and the negative effect of rumors in the workplace.

Internal Marketing Success Doesn’t Happen Overnight

The biggest mistake you can make with internal marketing is being impatient. Educating and motivating your team takes time and lots of effort. Creating a long-term internal marketing strategy can help you stay on track and avoid any inconsistencies in your messages to employees.

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