In one of our previous blog posts, we shared 8 tips to spice up your internal communication, describing the importance of using the right communication tools and how to create the perfect content mix. But we also mentioned that to best engage your employees, you first need to capture their eyes. “A picture is worth a thousand words” remember?
Also, as reported by Forbes, something you have to accept is that “there’s no doubt that social media has changed human behavior over the past decade.” As such, all people, including your employees, changed their way to perceive and process information. Therefore, forget your long pdfs and transform your internal communication to what they are already familiar with, shines and sparks included.
Some may point out that it’s easier said than done and that their to-do list does not have empty spaces for making-it-pretty. They will soon change their minds. The truth is that you don’t need professional designers, writers, videographers, or expensive software to create engaging internal communication content.
Here we would like to share some super simple, fun, and efficient tools to spice up your internal communication and grab people’s attention with images, graphics, videos, GIFs, or compelling copywriting.
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Free graphic design tools
Did you know that the human brain can process visuals 60,000 times faster than text? Pictures have become one of our default modes of sorting and understanding information. Using graphics in your documents provides a simple and efficient visual aid that summarizes complex procedures and grabs the attention of the viewer.
Suppose data visualization is more what you’re looking for. In that case, Infogram or Easelly are visual content tools that focus on helping you to transform your Excel document into engaging infographics, charts, maps, and dashboards.
One of our favorites is undoubtedly Canva. Here you can create banners, posters, animations, comics, infographics, and many other impressive visual content for your feed in just a matter of minutes. It’s genuinely accessible to all; it offers a vast library of pre-made templates and graphics that you can adapt at your need and convenience.
Ps. It’s also available on mobile.
Below is an example of what you can make from a Canva comic template. With a simple comic, you can introduce new products and services, new policy, or create customer service training material. Check this out:
Free stock photo sites
You want to catch the attention of your post with some nice photos, but you’re struggling to find free photos that are high quality, public, and royalty-free? We got you covered.
Even if you’re creating content for non-commercial use, it’s always good to get in the habit of using only images you’re allowed to use. Below are just a handful of the different sources and tools for free images you can find on the web:
- Unsplash (already integrated in Oneteam)
- Pixabay,
- Pexels
- Freeimages
Do you still prefer to browse? Here’s how to find copyright-free images with Google Image Search and other resources.
Free Video Maker tools
Did you know that viewers retain 95% of a video’s messages compared to 10% when reading text?
Video has become a vital part of internal communication. It provides several key benefits to organizations, as it helps employees learn more effectively and retain more information. By transforming your CEO messages, organizational comms, training, and team morale, and building content messages to videos, you will reach your employees in a more straightforward, effective, and engaging way.
Videos have infinite possibilities. You can either film and editor, for instance, create an animated video. Here are some free tools that may be useful:
- Adobe Spark Video: Transforming your rough footage into a compelling video has never been easier. 4 steps: Upload your content; Choose a theme; Add text and music; Download and share.
- iMovie (for Mac) or Movie Maker (for Windows): These are basic, pre-installed free video editing software. Yes, already there in your toolbox! They’re both really easy-to-use interfaces and perfect for beginners.
- Biteable: (free with watermarks) Make fun and professional animation from templates and stock footage. Easy to express any concept, find the animations that suit your style, and personalize the colors to match your brand – the results are amazing. Check out this example video for customer service training to show how easily you can spice up your internal comms with tools like Biteable.
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Free GIFs tools
Who doesn’t love GIFs? We know we do! They’re so catchy, fun, and engaging, but how do you make GIFs?
Giphy is the world’s most extensive library of animated GIFs. Here you can explore the different categories and find the perfect GIFs to share with your colleagues in your internal communication feed or chat. If it doesn’t already exist, you can create your own in a few steps.
Free content editors tools
We know we’ve been focusing a lot on the importance of visuals until now, but words are not to be underestimated. Storytelling is in itself an art. Entertain and engage the audience through the use of written words. Even the best of us get it wrong sometimes, and that’s when technology comes to the rescue.
Grammarly is a free grammar correction tool, great for triple-checking before you publish because it checks your spelling and grammatical mistakes in real-time.
However, if you’re aiming to improve your communication skills and write more clear, crisp, and concise sentences, you should try the Hemingway App, and you’ll write just like the legend himself.
Put these internal communication tools to work
These were some of our favorite free and user-friendly content creation tools that can help you transform your internal communication game. Try them out and share your new creations on your Employee Experience Platform. Your employees will love it! E.g. add GIFs in the chat conversations, use videos or animations to spice up your eLearning courses, and create your own posters to promote new initiatives, events, or discounts on your employees’ timeline.
Breakthrough the noise and start engaging your frontline employees like never before!
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