For many people, a flip of the calendar page to the new year is a cue to take stock and make changes. Did you know the most popular New Year’s resolutions can be applied to your intranet?
Here’s a rundown…
Make peace with your past (content)
In a survey by Simpplr, 64% of respondents cited the content on their intranet as being “irrelevant or somewhat irrelevant.”
Outdated content makes for a very poor employee experience. At best, it’s difficult for employees to find what they need. At worst, they become so frustrated they stop visiting the site altogether.
Here’s how to keep your site’s content current and accurate:
- Rely on your analytics – Are there pages that aren’t visited? Files with little to no downloads? Delete, archive or deactivate them.
- Audit your content at regular intervals – Once a quarter, have content owners audit their pages and hold them accountable for reporting back their findings. Flag in advance content you suspect may be invalid, e.g., content related to a discontinued product.
- Remove duplicate content – Work with your stakeholders to determine the definitive owner of the content and the true source file. Re-establish the process for posting that content and communicate to employees the single location where it lives on your site.
Slim down (your word count)
Attention spans are dwindling! With the rise of social media, employees have become accustomed to consuming snack-sized content. In this age of skimming, even the Associated Press advocates for keeping articles around 500 words or less.
And keep the content scannable with:
- A deck – the brief summary that appears below the headline of your story
- Subheads
- Bulleted or numbered lists
- Callouts or quotes
Exercise (your web analytics)
Analytics provide insight into the content employees find most valuable and the information they’re seeking when they visit your intranet. Determine the right cadence of reporting for your needs and commit to reviewing your analytics at those intervals.
Using analytics consistently to make decisions about your content will bring about continuous improvement. The knowledge you gain will allow you to give employees more of what they want and less of what they don’t.
Strengthen relationships (among employees)
Today, offices and business units are often spread around the globe. As a result, employees can feel disconnected and siloed. Your intranet can enrich the employee experience by making sure all employees see themselves represented on your site.
For example, consider giving each site location a dedicated section on your intranet with relevant, local information like cafeteria menus, gym hours and instructions for registering visitors with security. That local content drives more traffic to the intranet where employees will also see your corporate, global communications.
And give dispersed employees a window into each other’s worlds by posting user-generated content. One of our clients used an online photo wall to share its employees’ holiday traditions.
The path to making your intranet its “best self” in 2020 is clear: Keep content current and accurate, keep articles brief, use analytics to see what’s working and what’s not, and produce content that speaks to all employees – no matter where they’re located.
What are your new year’s resolutions for your intranet? Tell us in the comments!
