Using Webinars for Internal Communication

The statistics show that we need to rethink the way we treat internal communications:

• Forrester Research found that employees are 75% more likely to watch a video than read a document, e-mail or online article.
• However, only 16% of internal communications professionals questioned in another survey said they currently utilise webinars.
• The most popular internal communications method is still email, despite video being found to be more engaging.
• 27% said they planned to use webinars in the future.
• External communications experts ranked webinars as the second most effective form of engagement after in-person events, according to the Content Marketing Institute.
• ON24 found that average watching times for webinars rose from 38 minutes in 2010 to 58 minutes in 2019. 

This shows that the time is right for adding webinars to your internal comms strategy. Especially when it is not practical for all employees to attend an in-person event. 

Types of internal communications webinars

Here are three types of internal communications messages that lend themselves to webinars:

Advantages of professional webinars

There is a huge difference in the effectiveness of streaming a simple slideshow with an audio feed and utilising a professional webinar from a provider such as Company Webcast. The latter is more like an interactive TV broadcast that provides the basis for a two-way conversation between the organisation and its employees. 

The benefits of using a professional set-up include: 

• Enhanced experience in terms of lighting, sound, switching between multiple speakers, video effects, branding and the ability to field and answer large volumes of questions by a team of moderators. 
• Accessibility due to the webinar streaming on your website or intranet without the need to download additional software to watch. It is also available instantly on-demand afterwards for those who couldn’t watch live, with an index based on agenda points that make it easier to search for specific content.  
• Security features such as IP lockouts and password protection. In addition, peer-to-peer live streaming technology allows large groups of live viewers to participate in a webinar, without disrupting your own corporate network.
• Support and coordination aid comes as standard from the provider.
• Extensive reports featuring data on attendance and interaction are available before, during and after the webinar.
  

Format for internal communications webinars

These are the steps you should take to create the ultimate webinar format for internal communications. Company Webcast experts have formulated this using many years of experience running webinars for some of the biggest companies in the world. 

Case studies

Many big companies already use Company Webcast to run their webinars for internal communications. Here are some examples:

KLM

The Dutch national airline runs three webinars a year, broadcasting the CEO’s corporate message. The company says webinars have increased awareness of their new CEO and positioned him as being engaged. The company has also benefited from the flow of bottom-up ideas for increasing its financial strength and identifying cost-cutting opportunities. 

Royal DSM

The health, nutrition and materials company hosts three or four employee-focused webinar town halls every year. On how employees react to the webinars, a spokesperson said “the level of involvement is highly appreciated and employees indicate that they feel better informed and a greater sense of being part of the company”.