Your Employees Are Your First Audience—Start Communicating Like It
by Miles C. Daniels
tl;dr:
If you're not telling the full story inside your walls, don’t expect it to resonate outside of them.
In the race to grab headlines, build thought leadership, and scale visibility, many brands forget the one audience that has the power to make—or break—the message: their own employees.
Yes, media coverage matters. So does brand storytelling. But if your internal audience isn’t aligned, informed, and inspired, even the most polished external messaging will fall flat.
Internal Comms Is No Longer Just HR’s Problem
The landscape has shifted. Employees today expect more than surface-level memos and jargon-filled updates. They want clarity. They want honesty. They want a reason to believe.
Whether you're navigating a crisis, announcing a new direction, or launching something bold, internal communications must be handled with the same level of strategy and care as an external campaign.
In fact, it often needs more.
Because employees aren’t just receivers of information—they're carriers of your brand story. If they don’t understand the “why,” the “what” won’t land. If they don’t trust the messenger, the message won’t spread. And if they feel left out, you’ve already lost them.
What Internal Comms Looks Like Today
Gone are the days of stiff email blasts and robotic town halls. Today’s internal messaging must be:
Timely (real-time > perfect-time)
Two-way (listening is part of leading)
Human (skip the buzzwords, speak plainly)
Strategic (every word should serve a purpose)
It should also reflect the brand’s external narrative—because employees are your most credible messengers. If what’s said on the inside doesn’t match what’s shouted on the outside, trust erodes.
How to Get It Right
Start at the top. Leadership needs to lead the message. Their voice, tone, and visibility set the tone for everyone else.
Use story, not spin. Authenticity isn't a buzzword—it's a necessity. Employees can sniff out spin from a mile away.
Give context. Don't just share decisions. Share the thinking behind them. People want to know how the dots connect.
Keep it real. Emotions, uncertainty, nuance—all of it belongs in internal comms. You're not writing a press release. You're building trust.
Final Thought
If you’re investing time and resources into shaping your external narrative but treating internal messaging as an afterthought, it’s time to flip the script.
Start with your people. Speak like a human. Align the message inside and out.
Because the best stories don’t start with the press—they start with the people living them.
