But we sent an email... This phrase is a common response when initiatives falter, employees don't take a required action or engagement is lower than expected. As a communication leader my first response is always - and then what did you do?
In a previous blog, I wrote about 80% of global workers experiencing information overload. Add to that, the average professional receiving 120 new emails a day and it's not hard to see why sending an email is not effective. Email is not dead - it just isn't enough.
According to Gallup, 4.8 million fewer U.S. employees are engaged in early 2024.
So how do you get people to engage? Targeted emails can absolutely still be part of your toolbox, but they should be augmented with other channels and should not rely solely on text.
If you need employees to take action, tell them loud and clear at the beginning of your message - people rarely read all the way to the end. And for extra stickiness - make the action immediate - take a quiz, click a link, register for next steps, etc.
Rarely is a message relevant for every member of your organization - decide who your audience is and target them directly.
Use eye catching graphics - infographics for instance are an easy and fun way to share information.
Reinforce your message via other channels - manager talking points, company intranet, onsite signage (posters, table tents, digital, etc.).
Finally, German researcher Hermann Ebbinghaus showed that repeated exposure to information in spaced intervals provides the most powerful way to fix memory in the brain. One is in fact not done.
To recap, provide an action, use multiple channels to share your message, keep it brief, make it standout and then do it all over again!
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