Internal newsletter – how to make it the hub of your internal communication

The intranet no one visits, the channel no one has time to read, the meeting not everyone attended. Internal communication is hard, and at the same time crucial for everyone to pull in the same direction. An internal newsletter is the simplest channel that actually gets through: everyone has an inbox, and a good newsletter is read in three minutes. This guide shows how to build an internal newsletter that employees open week after week.

An internal newsletter is a recurring email send to employees, elected representatives or members with the most important things that have happened and are happening in the organization. Done right, it gathers scattered information into a predictable, readable whole.

Why email works internally

• Everyone is reached. Every employee has an inbox, even those without a desk job, if you have their email addresses.
• It is measurable. You see opens and clicks, and know what engages. That way you also know when the communication is not getting through, instead of guessing.
• It is predictable. A newsletter every Friday at 10 becomes a habit, and habits get read.

This applies whatever the organization, but the conditions differ. For internal communication in the public sector, there are additional requirements for plain language and accessibility that govern both language and design.

A structure that gets the newsletter read

Keep the format constant so that readers recognize it:

1. The most important thing this week. One thing, at the top. If readers take away only one thing, which one?
2. Short news items. Three to five points with one sentence each and a link to more.
3. The people. A new colleague, an anniversary, a deal won, a member success. This is where the eyes are drawn.
4. The calendar. What happens in the next two weeks.

Short beats long. An internal newsletter should be readable in the coffee queue. If you need writing help, there is our writing school.

Frequency and sender

Weekly or every other week works for most organizations. Monthly is the minimum for the newsletter to feel current. More important than the frequency is regularity: the same day, the same time.

Let one person own the newsletter editorially, but collect content widely. With editor accounts, several people can contribute in the same tool without anyone losing the overview.

Segment when the organization is large

In larger organizations, everyone's information is no one's information. Divide the recipients, for example by location, department or role, and let parts of the newsletter vary while the core is shared. Our guide on segmentation shows how to think. Municipalities and federations also often separate employees, elected representatives and volunteers.

Measure and improve

The open rate for internal newsletters should be clearly higher than for external sends, since the sender is known and the content concerns the reader. Follow three things over time:

• Opens: if they drop, review subject lines and frequency.
• Clicks: show which topics engage. Give more of that.
• Replies: encourage replies directly to the newsletter. It is the cheapest employee dialog there is.

You will find how to interpret the figures in detail in the guide on email statistics.

Get started in a week

1. Gather the email addresses in a list and decide the day and frequency.
2. Build a template with the fixed structure above; in our drag-and-drop editor it takes fifteen minutes.
3. Send the first issue and explicitly ask for feedback.
4. Evaluate after a month: opens, clicks and what colleagues say.

Paloma is used as a newsletter tool by companies, associations, municipalities and organizations, for both external and internal communication, with all data stored on Swedish servers.

Frequently asked questions about internal newsletters

How often should an internal newsletter be sent?

Weekly or every other week is most common. Choose a frequency you can keep up; regularity is more important than how often.

What should an internal newsletter contain?

The most important news of the week, short news items, something about the people in the organization and upcoming events. Short, concrete and recognizable every time.

How do we get more people to open the internal newsletter?

Send at a fixed time, write honest and concrete subject lines, keep the newsletter short and highlight people, not just the business. And measure, so that you see what works.

Can we use the same tool for internal and external communication?

Yes, that is often an advantage. The same templates, the same statistics and separate lists mean that nothing is sent to the wrong recipients.

Give internal communication a home

Create a free account and send your first internal newsletter this week.