Internal communication in 2025 is about so much more than the occasional mass email about the broken office coffee machine — as crucial as these updates are for the caffeine lovers among us. Your internal communications are an integral part of your wider communications strategy and should be treated with the same care and attention as your external communications.
Why? Your employees are visible representations of your brand — a fact that is only compounded by the rise of employee advocacy on platforms like LinkedIn.
Good internal communication equips your employees to tell your brand’s story in the right way when communicating externally, as well as keeping them engaged and building their trust in your organization.
But where do you start? Like all strategic communications, strong internal communication starts with a well-thought-out plan. This blog will dive into the definition of an internal communication plan, why your organization needs one, and a step-by-step guide to writing an internal communication plan.
What is an internal communication plan?
Put simply, an internal communication plan is a strategic plan that outlines the information that needs to be communicated to employees, the channels that will be used, and when the messages will be shared.
Why do you need an internal communication plan?
Creating a rock-solid internal communication plan is essential for several reasons. Done right, an internal communication plan helps to:
Align team activities with company goals
A well-defined internal communication plan ensures that your employees understand company objectives, strategies, and — even more importantly — their role in achieving them. When employees understand how their individual efforts contribute to broader company goals, they’ll feel more motivated to get out there and do great work. According to a recent Gartner study, helping employees understand how their work connects to company goals can boost performance by up to 10%.
Enhance employee engagement
Clear, consistent communication makes for happier, more engaged employees. And this can have a very real impact on business success. Research by Gallup shows that businesses with high employee engagement scores showed 21% higher levels of profitability. This is likely because engaged employees are intrinsically motivated and, therefore, more productive. 
Build trust in your business among employees
Transparent communication builds trust. Providing employees with regular updates on company initiatives, what’s going well, and the challenges you’re facing as an organization, all contribute to a culture of transparency and honesty. And during times of change, such as a merger or an organizational restructure, providing clear, transparent and empathetic internal communication becomes even more important.
Improve employee retention
The numbers don’t lie: According to a recent study by Axios, 49% of employees who feel unaligned with company goals and strategy plan to leave their jobs in the next two years. And 44% of unmotivated employees are planning to do the same. A strong internal communications plan can play a crucial role in ensuring that employees feel their jobs are aligned with the business objectives and motivating them to contribute.
Discover: The Ultimate Guide to Corporate Communications
How to write an internal communication plan in 9 steps
1. Look at the current situation
Start by assessing the current state of your internal communication. What’s going well? And what could be better? Analyze internal communication messages that have been shared in the past and identify points of improvement.
It’s also worth gathering feedback from employees themselves on how they currently experience internal communication at your organization and the changes they’d like to see in the future — you might come across some gems that could impact how you approach your internal communication plan moving forward.
2. Set your objectives
Now that you’ve got an idea of what’s going well and not so well in your internal communications, it’s time to define your goals. What is it exactly that you want to achieve with your internal communication? It could be that you’d like to boost employee engagement, ensure compliance, or support the organization through a big change. Make sure that your internal communication objectives are directly linked to your organization’s goals and overall mission.
3. Identify your audiences
An important part of developing an internal communication plan is defining and understanding the target audiences who you'll reach with your comms. Segment your wider audience into smaller groups, for instance, leadership, management, and individual contributors. Then, look at each group and try to identify their different communication needs and priorities so you can tailor your messages accordingly. Would it really make sense to share the same internal message in the same way with a CMO as with a group of junior marketers, for instance? Probably not.
4. Choose your channels
Every organization has different needs when it comes to internal communications. Find the most effective channels for your organization, whether that’s email, an intranet, newsletters, or face-to-face meetings. It’s also worth considering the best format for your internal communications. An engaging, interactive newsletter is more likely to grab employees’ attention and keep them reading than a static PDF, for example.
Foleon customers like Helvetia and UC Merced and more have created some truly remarkable pieces of content for internal audiences — with fantastic results. Aon, for example, saw their engagement rates increase by 40% after switching from regular email newsletters to an interactive, web-based format. .png?width=1440&height=1120&name=aon%20(1).png)
5. Craft your key messages
Define which overarching messages you want to share. Make sure to keep them clear, concise, and in line with your company’s values. For example, if your organization has a focus on sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) messaging, then find a way to work this into your internal communication plan. It’s also important to consider your brand’s tone and voice — as well as visual identity — and think about how you’ll keep this consistent throughout your internal communications.
See: How to Achieve Brand Consistency and Why It’s Important
6. Create a content calendar
Once you’ve got an idea of what you want to share and to whom, it’s time to think about when and how often to share your messages. Schedule in moments to give updates, set up regular communications touchpoints, and consider milestones. When structuring an internal communication plan, it can be useful to think about internal communications in terms of campaigns, focusing on specific messages or themes.
7. Create feedback mechanisms
Communication should never be a one-way street. Make the most of your relative proximity to your internal audience by inviting them to give content feedback on your internal communications from the outset, so that you can keep learning and improving. Encourage employees to ask questions, and give honest feedback through surveys, suggestion boxes, or forums.
8. Measure the impact of your internal communications
Decide how you want to measure the success of your internal communication plan, and which metrics you want to focus on. If boosting employee engagement is a priority, then you might want to look at your open rates, engagement rates, and time spent reading your internal communications content.
Tip: Using a tool with built-in analytics can make measuring and tracking your content’s performance a breeze.
9. Iterate and improve
So, you’ve gone live with your first internal newsletter. Now, it’s time for the real work: Iterating and improving. Internal communications is an ongoing process, so make sure to leave enough room in your internal communication plan to regularly review how it’s going and optimize your approach based on feedback and reader insights. And of course, you can’t plan for everything, so stay ready to adapt and adjust in the face of organizational changes, new technologies, or shifts in employees' needs.
Discover: The 2025 Guide To Creating and Formatting Your Newsletters for Maximum Engagement
How does Foleon fit in?
Foleon’s content creation platform simplifies internal communication by enabling business teams to create interactive, branded content like employee newsletters, magazines, annual reports and more. And built-in analytics for tracking reader engagement make it easier to understand which content resonates with employees and optimize accordingly.
Looking for inspiration to get you started on your internal comms journey? Check out these recent examples of internal communication content done right — including some showstoppers made by Foleon customers.
