Building an Intranet Content Strategy: From objectives to success

​Companies must embrace technology to thrive in today's fast-paced, cutthroat business climate. 

One example of this technology that has become essential to modern business is the intranet.  What is intranet an intranet is a private network used by an organization to securely share company information and computing resources among employees. It can be used for working in groups and remote teams, frontline workers, and encourages communication within an organization. The comment intranet features It is used to store information, communicate among employees, and help collaborate privately.   

Intranet examples:

• AgilityPortal,  Intranet portal
  
• Microsoft Sharepoint.
• Workplace by Facebook.
• Yammer.
• SAP Jam Collaboration.

It's a central hub where employees can learn about what's new at the business and get acquainted with the various policies and procedures that govern their work. However, an efficient content strategy is essential for making the most of an intranet. You need a solid intranet governance structure to ensure the right information reaches the right people at the right moment.

This article will discuss why businesses must have a well-developed content strategy for their intranets and how it can boost internal communication, drive engagement, employee experience, productivity, and adaptability to change.

Step #1. Assess intranet content needs: Why is it important, and how can you do it?

Organizations struggle to decide what intranet material they need. Likewise, older material needs to be updated. You should also delete intranet content that no longer serves any purpose.

You risk creating an underutilized intranet without understanding what employees need. You must define intranet goals and objectives and then analyze employee needs and preferences to determine intranet content needs.

This analysis should consider employee roles and responsibilities, work processes and workflows, and the information and tools workers need to do their jobs. By assessing intranet content needs, you can ensure your intranet content strategy meets employee requirements and is a valuable asset. This is how you can assess intranet content needs:

●Identify the needs of the target audience

●Determine the types of content that will be most effective

●Conduct a content audit to evaluate current content 

How to identify the needs of your employees? 

One must thoroughly know the employees' needs to develop an efficient intranet content strategy. It can help to increase employee morale. By identifying what information and resources your old or new employees require to perform their job successfully, you can create intranet content that adds real value to your organization.

We'll go over the fundamentals of developing an intranet content strategy, including how to determine the informational needs of your intended audience. 

​#1: Understand employee roles and responsibilities

The first step in identifying the needs of your employees is to comprehend their roles and responsibilities within the organization. Think about the various departments and teams that make up your organization and their roles.

This will allow you to identify what information and resources each team or department needs to execute their job tasks effectively. You can also add an employee handbook to assist them. 

#2: Assess employee preferences for consuming and accessing Information

There is often a wide variety of how workers prefer to receive and process information. Although some employees might favor text-only content, others might respond better to multimedia presentations that include audio, video, and/or images.

Similarly, some employees might favor using a desktop computer to view data, while others might favor using a mobile device. With this knowledge, you can adjust your intranet's content plan to better meet your employees' needs. You can also make intranet employee profiles as they can help show colleagues' details. 

​#3: Measure employee engagement with the intranet

Knowing the percentage of workers who actively use the intranet is crucial. It's essential to figure out why the intranet isn't being used and what can be done to boost employee engagement.

By doing this, you can gain valuable insights into what works well and where improvement is required. 

#4: Gather feedback from employees 

One of the most effective methods to identify the needs of your employees is to gather feedback directly from them.

Consider conducting surveys or focus groups to understand what workers need from the intranet and how they would like to receive and access that information. This feedback can help you to develop a more effective intranet content strategy.

If you follow these steps, you'll be able to develop an intranet content strategy that meets your target audience's requirements and positively impact your business. 

What content is useful for the company intranet?

​Determining the types of content that will be most effective is essential when developing an intranet content strategy. Your company's intranet can be more effective in its goals by catering to the kinds of material your employees are most likely to interact with. For example, experienced employees need a different type of content than new employees.

Here is what you need to consider when determining what content will serve your intranet best.

Consider employee learning styles 

​Employees' individual learning styles are one of the most crucial elements in determining the best content formats to use. Some employees may learn best through pictures, while others benefit more from reading or doing.

You can improve the chances of your intranet content connecting with your employees by first identifying their preferred learning methods.

Assess employee needs and preferences

Employee needs and preferences are crucial in identifying the most effective content types. Employees also need to socialize. So, you also need to add social intranet features. Social intranet features include commenting, sharing, or liking the content. It can improve your intranet structure and increase employee engagement. It is especially true for a new intranet.

As we discussed earlier, knowing your employees' needs for obtaining and using specific information is crucial to their ability to do their jobs well. These details will help you produce content specific to your employees' needs.

Utilize a mix of content types

To create a truly effective intranet content strategy, it's important to utilize a mix of content types. The term "content" encompasses words on a page and audio, video, and interactive content like polls and games.

You can maintain employee interest and give them multiple paths to knowledge retention by using a variety of content types.

Continuously evaluate and improve

Remember that creating an effective intranet content strategy is an ongoing process. Your content needs to be regularly assessed and enhanced to guarantee it serves your employees' requirements and adds value to the business.

The intranet content strategy can be improved with the help of regular surveys or focus groups.

You can determine the types of content that will be most effective for your intranet if you follow these steps. You will also be able to create a content strategy that will truly connect with your employees.

What is the role of content audit in assessing intranet content needs?

Content audits are essential for content evaluation. Content audits show what you have and what you need. This can help you find content strategy gaps and fill them.

You can allocate resources to producing more successful content by knowing what works. This can streamline your content creation and guarantee employee engagement. You should consider top management and other employees in this process.

Step #2. Define content goals and objectives

The success of any intranet content strategy hinges on a clear understanding of the business objectives that the content is meant to advance. Do not focus on only one part of your intranet. Focusing on one or specific part of your intranet can ruin your intranet content strategy,

The first step is to identify the organization's goals; the second is to determine how the content strategy will support those goals; and the third is to evaluate how successful the content has been.

The intranet content should reflect whether the organization's overarching objective is to boost employee engagement, collaboration, or productivity. When content is created with the organization's goals in mind, it can be used to obtain the desired results.

The goals and objectives of intranet content strategy can be:

●Increasing employee engagement

●Improving communication

●Enhancing collaboration

●Increasing productivity

●Facilitating knowledge sharing

●Improving training and development

●Streamlining business processes

Overall, the organization's goals and objectives for its intranet content strategy should be aligned with its broader business strategy and goals. It should motivate employees to use the intranet.

Step #3. Developing a content plan for intranet content strategy

Developing a content plan is important in creating an effective intranet content strategy. A content plan can help ensure that the content on the intranet is high-quality, relevant, and aligned with the organization's goals.

How to identify key topics to be covered in intranet content? ​ 

The first step in creating a successful intranet content plan is determining what content needs to be covered. You can do this:

●Concentrating on your business goals

●Thinking about how your employees feel

●Emphasizing the importance of company culture

●Tackling widespread problems, and

●Offering training and development opportunities

You can help your employees succeed in their jobs by providing them with the necessary knowledge and tools, which can be identified by focusing on the abovementioned areas.

How to develop a content calendar for content creation and publication? 

Create a content calendar to organize content creation and publication. This can help you maintain order, keep a consistent publication schedule, and prevent content breaks or repetition.

Content calendars can be made with the help of tools like Google Sheets. You can also use inbuilt features of the Intranet to make a content calendar.

It's important to ensure everyone involved in the process knows the schedule and deadlines. You can also use a content template to make things easier.

Step #4. Creating quality content for intranet users

Developing content that satisfies the needs of your employees is an essential step in creating high-quality content for your intranet.

You must first identify your employees' needs to achieve this goal.

Qualities of good intranet content

Good intranet content is:

●Accurate

●Relevant

●Up to date

●Easy to understand

●Easy to locate

●Has catchy titles

●It has specific content or topics

Creating accurate, relevant, and up-to-date content is essential for establishing credibility and building trust with your employees. You should also introduce social intranet features so employees can share updates with their colleagues and interact with new content.

Before creating content, conduct extensive research to ensure that your information is accurate, up-to-date, and credible. Use reputable sources and fact-check your content to avoid spreading misinformation.

Relevance is also essential when creating content. Your audience is likely looking for information specific to their interests, needs, or questions. Ensuring your content is relevant to your target audience can help attract and retain readers, followers, or customers.

Keeping your content up-to-date is essential for maintaining relevance and accuracy over time. This means regularly reviewing and updating your content to reflect changes in the industry, new research, or evolving trends. You can do this if you have a solid intranet governance structure. 

Step #5. Key performance indicators to measure the success of intranet content strategy

Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) is essential for measuring the success of your intranet content strategy. Without clear KPIs, it can be difficult to determine whether your efforts effectively reach your employees and achieve your business goals.

Here are some of the KPIs that you should monitor:

●Adoption rate

●Engagement rate

●Search terms and queries

●Employee feedback

●Average reading time

●Relevant intranet content

By regularly analyzing your data, listening to feedback, staying up-to-date with trends, refreshing content, and trying new approaches, you can make adjustments and improvements to your content strategy as needed.

This will help ensure that your intranet content remains relevant, engaging, and useful to your employees. As a result, it can improve intranet usage.

Fresh and engaging intranet content ideas

Here are some Intranet content ideas that can help you create content that will inform, engage and motivate your employees:

Company Announcement -  A company announcements feature in an intranet is a communication tool that enables organizations to share important information with their employees. This feature allows authorized users to create and publish announcements to all employees or specific groups. These announcements can include news about company events, updates on projects, changes to policies or procedures, and other relevant information. 

Company news - The company intranet must show the latest updates using what is called a news feed. Keep your employees updated on the latest company news, including new product releases, promotions, and milestones. Sharing company news can help employees feel connected to the organization and motivate them.

Employee spotlight - Highlight employees' achievements, such as new certifications, completed projects, or community involvement. Recognizing employees' accomplishments can help build morale and inspire others.

Knowledge sharing - Encourage employees to share their expertise by writing articles, creating videos, or hosting webinars. This can help employees feel valued and provide valuable information to their colleagues.

Wellness - Promote health and wellness by sharing information on exercise, healthy eating, stress management, and other related topics. This can help employees take care of themselves both physically and mentally.

Training and development - Share training and development opportunities with employees, including online courses, conferences, and webinars. This can help employees develop their skills and stay up-to-date on industry trends.

Office culture - Highlight office culture initiatives, such as social events, team-building activities, and volunteer opportunities. This can help foster a sense of community and belonging among employees.

Industry news - Share news and trends from your industry, including new regulations, best practices, and the latest technologies. This can help employees stay informed and engaged with their field.

Customer stories - Share stories of satisfied customers, highlighting employees' work to provide outstanding service. This can help employees feel proud of their work and motivated to continue delivering excellent service.

Discussions - Discussion forums are a feature in an intranet that enables employees to communicate and collaborate with one another. These tools allow employees to post and respond to messages, share information, and engage in conversations around various topics. Discussions and forums can be organized by topic or by department, and can be moderated by an administrator to ensure that the content stays on topic and remains respectful.

Document library - A document library is a feature in an intranet that allows organizations to store and manage documents in a centralized location for example company policies, company documents, service documentation, and onboarding process etc. This feature enables authorized users to create, upload, edit, and share documents with other employees, either publicly or privately. A document library can be organized by department, project, or topic, and can be customized to meet the needs of the organization. 

All the features are great for your intranet, and using these ideas for your company intranet, you can create a content strategy that is engaging, informative, and motivating for your employees and team members. Always keep your employees' interests and needs in mind when developing content, and be creative and experimental.

What content should be on intranet?

Intranet software is a powerful tool for organizations that want to improve employee communication and collaboration. Whether you are building a new intranet or updating an existing one, the content you feature on it will play a crucial role in determining its success.

​Here is what you can do to create engaging content for your intranet:

​Company news and announcements: As discussed above, company news and announcements are one of the most important intranet content. This can include information about new products, service offerings, personnel changes, and upcoming events. Keeping employees informed and up-to-date on the latest company news is essential to creating a cohesive and engaged workforce. It can improve your overall intranet content strategy.

Employee profiles: Employee profiles are a great way to showcase the talent and diversity of your workforce. By featuring profiles of different employees, you can help build connections and foster a sense of community within your organization. Written content is great, but employee profiles are also important. Many intranets do not have this content, especially the new intranet.

Policies and procedures: It is another useful intranet content that you should focus on. Employees can ensure they follow company guidelines and avoid misunderstandings by easily accessing this information.

Collaboration and communication tools: Your intranet should also include a variety of tools and resources to help employees collaborate and communicate effectively. This can include messaging and chat features, forums for discussion and feedback, and file-sharing capabilities.

Thus, a successful intranet is built on engaging content that helps employees stay informed, connected, and motivated. You can create a dynamic and effective intranet that supports your organization's goals and values by featuring a mix of company news, employee profiles, training resources, policies and procedures, collaboration tools, and celebrations.

How do you organize intranet content?

Organization starts from the intranet homepage. Instruct your intranet administrator to get intranet moderators. Organizing intranet content is essential to ensure that your employees can find the information they need quickly and efficiently. You can use an intranet content management system. Here are some professional tips for organizing intranet content:

●Conduct a content audit

●Define a logical navigation structure

●Use clear and consistent labels

●Create a practical intranet search engine

●Use metadata

●Prioritize content

●Create a content calendar

So, organizing intranet content is crucial to building an effective intranet. You can do that by following the tips mentioned above. It can help you to build an intranet that is easy to use and delivers value to your employees.

How can intranet content be improved?

As discussed earlier, improving intranet content is an ongoing process. You should create engaging, informative, and easy-to-understand content.

Here is what you should do to improve content for intranet users:

●Know your audience

●User a conversational tone

●Use multimedia

●Make scannable content

●Include boilerplate documents

●Make interactive content

●Keep it up to date

●Provide clear calls to action

●Use analytics

It is also important to include boilerplate documents. Furthermore, improving intranet content requires a focus on the user experience, including understanding the needs of your audience, developing a content strategy, using visuals, making navigation easy, ensuring accessibility, encouraging employee contributions, and monitoring analytics to make data-driven decisions.

AgilityPortal: A modern company intranet with customizable features

AgilityPortal is the ultimate platform for easily and efficiently managing your company's intranet content.

AgilityPortal understands the importance of effective intranet content management in improving productivity and fostering a culture of collaboration within your organization.

That's why we've designed our platform to make intranet content management a breeze for your team.

Our intranet platform provides a centralized hub to manage all your intranet content, including:

●Company news

●Policies

●Procedures, and

●Employee resources

Our intuitive content management system allows you to create, edit, and publish content easily.

You can ensure that your employees always have access to the latest information.

With AgilityPortal, you can:

●Get advanced search functionality

●Create targeted content for specific employee groups

●Ensure that your content is relevant and useful to your team

●Use customizable intranet templates

●Advanced security features with data encryption

Ready to take control of your intranet content management? 

Sign up for a free trial of Agilityportal today and experience the power of streamlined intranet content management.

Wrapping up 

Developing an effective intranet content strategy is essential to ensure that your organization's internal communication is streamlined and effective. 

By identifying your objectives, developing a content plan, creating a content creation process, optimizing your content for search, and measuring your success, you can create an intranet that truly serves the needs of your employees and organization.

However, it is essential to note that your intranet content strategy is not a one-time project but a continuous process that requires ongoing analysis and improvement to keep up with changing needs and technology.

By implementing and executing the abovementioned strategies, you can ensure that your intranet content strategy remains effective and valuable for years to come.