{"id":584,"date":"2014-08-20T13:41:07","date_gmt":"2014-08-20T13:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/collaboriscom.wpengine.com\/?p=584"},"modified":"2024-06-25T11:46:44","modified_gmt":"2024-06-25T11:46:44","slug":"how-to-use-sharepoint-for-internal-communications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.collaboris.com\/how-to-use-sharepoint-for-internal-communications\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips to maximize Internal Communications in SharePoint"},"content":{"rendered":"

5 tips showing how to use SharePoint for Internal Communications<\/h1>\n

If you are responsible for communicating with various groups of staff in your organisation, then you need a good set of tools that allow you to do this in a very pain free manner.<\/h3>\n

If you have access to SharePoint (or Office 365), then there are lots<\/u><\/strong> of features that allow you to leverage it as part of your internal communications strategy. This post offers some fantastic tips explaining how to use SharePoint to help!<\/p>\n

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Firstly, why do we need good Internal Communication at all, and why would you want to use SharePoint for this function?<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n

Importance of Internal and Employee Communications<\/strong> \u2013 These are the backbone to any successful organisation, supporting every aspect from operations through to change. They promote employee engagement which in turn can impact positively on performance, retention and overall morale of the team. It is easy to see why it should be high on any company\u2019s priorities.<\/p>\n

Why Use SharePoint for internal Communications<\/strong> \u2013 As if the tips in this post paper weren\u2019t enough, SharePoint is scalable, flexible and in so many cases already available in your organisation. It just needs a little understanding of what is possible to unlock some great benefits for your communication strategy.<\/p>\n

So, to start fine tuning your strategy, here are a list of effective ways to improve your Internal Communications by using existing features within SharePoint. We also branch out into some of the other Office 365 services that can also be consumed within SharePoint.<\/p>\n

TIP #1 – THE DISCUSSION BOARD<\/h3>\n

The discussion board within SharePoint allows staff to discuss subjects relating to their work. If you want to create a conversation and gather opinion around key topics in your business, then a discussion board is ideal. They take minutes to create and are very intuitive.<\/p>\n

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TOP TIP!<\/span> To increase awareness of the discussion board, consider embedding it on one of your Intranet or departmental home pages. This will immediately bring any new discussions to the attention of your staff. You may also wish to highlight certain discussions by allowing them to viewed under the \u2018Featured\u2019 view.<\/p>\n

See how DocRead can help<\/span><\/h2>\n

Find out how DocRead can meet your internal communication needs by booking a personalized demonstration with one of our experts. During the call they will be able to discuss your specific requirements and show how DocRead can help.<\/span><\/p>\n

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DocRead has enabled us to see a massive efficiency improvement… we are now saving 2 to 3 weeks per policy on administration alone.<\/p>\n

Nick Ferguson<\/h4>\n

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals<\/p>\n

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Feedback for the on-premises version of DocRead.<\/span><\/p>\n

TIP #2 \u2013 Quickly create content with a Wiki Library<\/h3>\n

\u201cWikiwiki\u201d means quick in Hawaiian. A wiki library is a document library in which users can easily edit any page. The library grows organically by linking existing pages together or by creating links to new pages. If a user finds a link to an uncreated page, he or she can follow the link and create the page.<\/p>\n

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In business environments, a wiki library provides a low-maintenance way to record knowledge. Information that is usually traded in e-mail messages, gleaned from hallway conversations, or written on paper can instead be recorded in a wiki library in context with similar knowledge.<\/p>\n

Other example uses of wiki libraries include brainstorming ideas, collaborating on designs, creating an instruction guide, gathering data from the field, tracking call centre knowledge and building an encyclopaedia of knowledge.<\/p>\n

TIP #3 – Send announcements with Announcement Lists<\/h3>\n

The SharePoint Announcement List is a special type of list that lets you create an announcement with an expiry date. To present the announcements to staff you can place the Announcement List on the landing page of your Intranet.<\/p>\n

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As the Announcement List is just a custom SharePoint list it can be searched with in-built Search or added to any site pages you feel appropriate. If your announcement is date dependant (such as for a company event), you can set an expiry date that will force it to stop showing. One other notable feature is that an end-user can set an \u2018Alert\u2019 when an announcement is created. This results in them receiving an email (or SMS) automatically.<\/p>\n

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Get your free guide : Maximising Internal Communications<\/h3>\n

If you would prefer to read this post as an eBook, please request your copy by clicking the button below.<\/p>\n

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See all of our free eBooks<\/a><\/p>\n

TIP #4 – Use a SharePoint Survey<\/h3>\n

Internal Communications often need to be 2 ways in that as well as being able to share information with employees, it\u2019s also necessary to receive input. As with the discussion board, a SharePoint Survey can easily be created to gather data.<\/p>\n

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The Survey that ships with all versions of SharePoint allows you to carry out the following features:<\/p>\n