Here’s why…
Project type: Internal communications strategy & editorial content
Focus: Employee engagement, internal storytelling, culture-driven communication
Internal newsletters are one of the most common tools organizations use to communicate with employees. They’re meant to inform people, connect teams, highlight achievements, and keep everyone aligned. In theory, they’re a simple and effective way to keep an organization informed. But in reality, most employees skim them or ignore them entirely. You have as well, haven’t you? Don’t lie.
And the problem usually isn’t that employees don’t care. The problem is that most internal newsletters are written like announcements rather than engaging stories.
Recently, I read a newsletter from the Vancouver-based chocolate company Beta5 Chocolates and noticed something interesting, I read the entire thing. Not because I planned to, but because it was engaging from the very first sentence. It felt human, conversational, and intentional.
That experience made me think about a common issue in internal communications: if people don’t read the newsletter, we often assume the audience is the problem.
But communication professionals should ask a different question: What makes someone want to keep reading?
Most Internal Newsletters Are Written for Information, Not Attention
Many internal newsletters follow the same structure; a list of updates, announcements, and reminders. The intention is good, leaders want employees to stay informed, but the format often feels transactional. Employees are busy. When a message feels dense, overly formal, or irrelevant, it becomes easy to skip.
Attention is limited and internal communications compete with meetings, deadlines, and dozens of other messages throughout the day. If a newsletter feels like another obligation, people will treat it like one.
Engagement Starts With Tone
One of the simplest ways to improve internal newsletters is to make them feel human. Easier said than done since they are written by humans but, employees don’t want to read messages that sound like corporate memos. They respond better to communication that feels conversational, clear, and authentic. Think, a conversation over mocktails and appies.
But we need to remember that tone isn’t just about sounding friendly, it’s also about reading the room. Every workplace has its own internal personality. Some teams are playful and informal. Others are quieter and more reserved. Some groups bond over pop culture, sports, or shared interests.
A good internal communication team pays attention to that.
If your colleagues enjoy film or pop culture, for example, a headline inspired by movie language might resonate more than a traditional corporate title. Something like “This Month’s Office Blockbusters” or “Coming Soon: Team Updates You Don’t Want to Miss” can instantly feel more inviting than “Monthly Staff Announcements.”
The goal isn’t to force humor, it’s to reflect the culture that already exists among the people reading the newsletter.
A Newsletter Isn’t That Different From a Script
One of the most useful lessons from storytelling and even screenwriting is that attention has to be earned quickly. In film, the opening scene matters. A script needs a hook that draws the audience in within the first few moments. If the beginning feels slow or unclear, viewers disengage.
Internal newsletters work the same way.
The first few lines determine whether someone keeps reading or moves on to the next email. Instead of starting with formal greetings or long introductions, a stronger approach might be to open with something engaging: a quick highlight, a question, or an exciting update.
Structure matters too.
A good script moves through clear beats: a hook, moments of tension or interest, and a resolution. Newsletters can follow a similar rhythm. Start with the most engaging content, guide readers through updates in digestible sections, and end with something memorable like an upcoming event, a team highlight, or a moment worth celebrating.
Thinking about newsletters through a storytelling lens can transform them from simple information lists into narratives that employees actually want to follow.
Make It Relevant to Employees, Not Just the Organization
Another common challenge is relevance.
Employees quickly learn whether internal newsletters contain information that actually affects them. When messages feel distant from their daily work, readers lose interest. Ironically, many newsletters already contain things employees care about, they’re just buried in the format.
Things like:
- team celebrations
- company raffles
- upcoming events
- staff birthdays
- small team wins
These moments help humanize the workplace, but when they’re presented as small bullet points within a long announcement list, they’re easy to miss.
With a bit more visibility and storytelling, those same moments can bring energy to the newsletter and make employees feel connected to the broader organization.
Structure Matters More Than We Think
Even when the content is valuable, poor structure can make newsletters difficult to read.
Clear headings, short sections, and thoughtful formatting help readers quickly understand what matters most, pretty much how I format my posts here. Instead of long blocks of information, newsletters should guide the reader through the message.
The easier something is to scan, the more likely people are to keep reading. A well-structured newsletter can turn a list of updates into something that feels dynamic and engaging.
Internal Communication Is Also Culture
At its core, internal communication isn’t just about sharing information, it’s about reinforcing culture.
A good newsletter doesn’t just tell employees what’s happening. It reminds them that they are part of a community. It celebrates people, highlights shared experiences, and brings attention to the small moments that make a workplace feel human.
Many organizations already have positive cultures, but the tone of traditional workplace communication can sometimes suppress that energy. Newsletters are an opportunity to bring it back into the conversation. Not by forcing enthusiasm because that can be really annoying, but by reflecting the real personality of the people who make up the organization.
Because when employees recognize themselves in the communication they receive, they are far more likely to engage with it.
So, the next time employees skip a newsletter, it might be worth asking:
Is the problem that people don’t want to read, or that we haven’t given them a reason to?
A Simple Way to Test Engagement
If your organization has the budget or you’re feeling creative and generous, try adding a small, unexpected element to your newsletter: a reader check.
Place a short raffle somewhere near the end of the newsletter (not hidden, but not highlighted at the top either). The goal is to see who is actually reading all the way through.
For example: “Reader check! If you’ve made it this far, reply to this email or send me a message on Teams with your name to be entered into a raffle for a free coffee or tea on Monday morning.”
This kind of low-effort, high-reward interaction on both ends does two things:
First, it gives you a simple way to measure engagement beyond open rates.
Second, it introduces a small moment of surprise and delight, something most internal communications lack.
Over time, participation in these raffles can help you understand how your newsletter is performing and whether changes to tone, structure, or content are making a difference.
Until next time,
The Other Script
Leave a Reply