Ah, marketing. The art of persuasion melded with the science of analysis. It’s come a long way over the past century, with countless gurus finding new and innovative ways to communicate and sell a message, a brand, a product…

Wait – did I say communicate?

Marketers have mastered the art of grabbing attention, keeping people engaged, and making messages stick. Could taking on a marketing mindset support us internal communicators to develop a culture where employees actually want to read, share, and act on the information they receive?

Here’s why internal communicators should start thinking like marketers, and how it can make all the difference.

Employee Engagement is akin to Audience Engagement: Just like customers, employees need to feel connected to the message. In the marketing world, brands craft content that speaks directly to their audience’s needs, and internal communicators should do the same. Internal communicators who craft messages tailored to different teams—whether it’s sales, HR, or tech—will see much better results than one-size-fits-all announcements. Think about how marketers personalise content for their target audience. Internal comms can take a similar approach: segment your audience, create content that resonates, and watch as engagement levels rise.

Building a Strong Brand: Marketers know how to create a brand that resonates externally, but internal communicators play a vital role in building the brand internally. UK businesses have been ramping up their focus on employer branding to attract top talent. Internal communicators can play a key role in this by ensuring employees understand and believe in the company’s values, mission, and culture. When your team feels aligned with the brand, they become brand ambassadors—taking that consistent message out to clients and customers.

Tell Stories that Stick: Storytelling is the heart of marketing. Marketers don’t just throw facts at an audience; they create narratives that make an emotional connection. The same can work wonders for internal comms. Instead of bombarding employees with dry updates, create stories that show the human side of the business.

Take a cue from John Lewis & Partners, whose internal communications focus on celebrating employee contributions and sharing stories about the company’s impact. It’s not about fluffy content, but about making people feel seen and part of something bigger.

The Power of Data: Marketers are constantly measuring success—whether it’s click-through rates or social media engagement. In internal comms, data often gets overlooked, but it’s just as valuable. Are employees opening your emails? Are they attending the virtual town halls? Gathering and analysing this data can help you adjust your communication strategies and ensure they’re actually effective.

Multi-Channel Messaging: Just as marketers use multiple platforms to reach customers—whether it’s social media, email, or paid ads—internal communicators need to think about the best channels to reach their teams. Not everyone is going to read that 9 am email blast! Some might prefer a quick video update, a Slack message, or even a podcast-style briefing.

Driving Behavioural Change: At the end of the day, both marketers and internal communicators want to inspire action. Whether it’s buying a product or embracing a new way of working, the goal is to create a shift in behaviour. Marketers use creative campaigns and incentives to drive these changes. Similarly, internal communicators can adopt a more campaign-driven approach to inspire action—from encouraging the uptake of new tech tools to fostering collaboration between teams.

Gone are the days of internal communications being a box-ticking exercise. With a marketing mindset, internal communicators can become strategic partners in shaping organisational culture, driving engagement, and boosting productivity – making a lasting impact.