Creative Intranet Launch Ideas for Sky-High Engagement

A well-built intranet is just the beginning. The key to long-term success lies in fostering user adoption. This article provides creative launch strategies to ignite user engagement and build a thriving intranet ecosystem that empowers your workforce.
Picture of Patricia Modispacher

Patricia Modispacher

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The big day is almost here – your brand-new intranet is ready to be unleashed! But before you pop the champagne corks, remember: building a great intranet is just half the battle. Getting your employees excited and actively using it is the key to a truly successful launch.

Here’s the truth: even the most feature-rich intranet can become a digital ghost town if you don’t spark excitement and encourage user adoption. But good news: with a focused, creative launch campaign and some marketing strategies, you can turn your intranet launch into a celebration of connection and a springboard for enhanced productivity.

Let’s explore how:

Pre-Launch Buzz: Let the Intranet Marketing Begin

Before you hit the go-live button on your intranet, it’s essential to build anticipation and generate excitement among your employees through intranet marketing initiatives. Here’s how to kick-start your pre-launch marketing efforts:

Involve your employees and collect feedback

These individuals are the future users of the intranet, actively engaging with it on a daily basis. Hence, it’s crucial to gather feedback from stakeholders and end-users to ensure the intranet aligns with their needs and expectations. By incorporating their valuable insights into the final stages of development, we can refine the intranet’s functionality and usability to better serve its intended users upon launch.

Intranet Name Game

The feeling of self-determination contributes significantly to the satisfaction of employees and their engagement. Therefore, let them contribute as much as possible to the decision-making process of the intranet launch. For example, turn the naming into a company-wide competition. Encourage employees to submit their ideas and offer a tempting prize for the winner. This fosters a sense of ownership and generates buzz around the new intranet.

Infusing Your Intranet with your Brand Identity

To create a welcoming environment for your employees, it’s crucial to ensure that the new intranet reflects your brand effectively. By aligning all content, news updates, and communication with your brand tone and style guide, you can foster a sense of unity and collaboration among team members. Displaying logos and color schemes prominently will further reinforce your brand identity throughout the intranet.

Mantra brand identity

Groups and Locations in Advance

It can be frustrating when you realize that the real work begins after a launch. To make sure the launch goes smoothly, it’s important to adjust key settings ahead of time. With many companies having various departments and global locations, creating suitable groups for each department and setting up different intranet workspace configurations for local locations is essential.

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mantra design idea group

Create a Teaser Launch Campaign

Building anticipation for your intranet launch is crucial for ensuring a successful rollout. An intranet marketing teaser campaign can generate excitement and curiosity among employees, setting the stage for a memorable launch.

Throughout the campaign, it’s crucial to keep your focus on the ultimate goal: Your people. With the implementation of your new intranet, you aim to facilitate improved productivity and most importantly, foster enhanced communication among your employees. A comprehensive people directory serves as the focal point of any intranet platform. You can draw inspiration from Penn State’s approach, where he unveiled employee profile information in a manner akin to “wanted” signs during their intranet launch. This immediately piques curiosity and encourages individuals to delve deeper into learning about their colleagues.

Posters are only one form of a possible launch campaign. Consider shooting short video snippets showcasing specific intranet features, but remember to keep some mystery to pique curiosity.

Additionally, don’t shy away from sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses. Did a hilarious mishap occur during the planning phase? Embrace it and let your team share a laugh. Did you and your colleagues pull all-nighters to meet deadlines? Highlight the dedication and humanity behind the scenes.

It’s the Final Countdown!

Imagine the song by Europe is playing in the office, everyone is staring at the timer as it slowly runs down, the canapés are almost all eaten, party poppers in their hands and the countdown begins: 10 … 9 … 8 … Turn the launch of your company intranet into an event that brings joy and networking. And pizza. Don’t forget the pizza.

Tips for the Intranet Launch Day

The countdown creates a bridge to the launch itself. Here are some intranet marketing strategies to effectively introduce your new intranet and generate excitement.

Time your Launch (around an Event)

When launching an intranet, timing is key. Imagine unveiling it on a Sunday evening only to have everyone scratching their heads the next morning before their first coffee! Seasonal factors should also be considered. Steer clear of company holidays, major project deadlines, or industry conferences to ensure employees have time to explore the new platform.

Planning the launch around an internal event like the annual party, summer party, team building, or a well-known sporting event can make it extra fun and engaging for everyone involved! This could be a major championship game, a local team’s season opener, or even a global event like the Olympics or World Cup.

Decorate the break room with team colors, offer themed snacks, and host a viewing party alongside an intranet demo. How about organizing a bracket competition or trivia quiz related to the sport? You can use the intranet to access information and track results. This encourages exploration and creates a buzz!

Gamify Intranet launch

 

Create a Captivating Launch Video

Not everyone can be in the office at all times and therefore catch the spirit of the launch event. Therefore, inspire your employees with a short, dynamic introductory video! Showcase the new intranet’s features through clear visuals and demos. Feature your leadership team, expressing their excitement and highlighting how the platform empowers employees. Keep it light, informative, and leave viewers eager to explore the possibilities their new intranet offers.

Gamify your Intranet

People are naturally reluctant to change. Employees may therefore might need a little nudge. The keyword here is gamification.
One popular type is the picture competition: for example, the most beautiful vacation photo or the cutest pet. Let all users vote on your intranet and set an exciting prize. Another popular option is to arrange a digital scavenger hunt for the intranet launch, which helps everyone become more familiar with the new interface. Providing a range of contest options tailored to different skills and preferences ensures that everyone has an opportunity to participate.

mantra pet competition

Building an Interactive and Engaging Intranet

The best company intranet example is one that is frequently used and pulsates with fresh, employee-centric content. Use it as you would want others to use it: keep your team updated on company news, policy adjustments, events, and important milestones. Embrace the human side of things by celebrating birthdays, work anniversaries, and accomplishments. Encourage employees to share articles, tutorials, and other valuable contributions. By regularly updating everyone about company developments and sharing news, the intranet becomes a vital source of information that keeps everyone aligned.

Launch a Thriving Intranet with Confluence and Mantra

Your creative launch strategy sets the stage for a thriving intranet. But the journey doesn’t end there.

Atlassian’s Confluence, paired with Mantra, is the intranet power couple you might be interested in. Confluence Cloud offers a flexible and powerful platform for building your intranet, while Mantra supercharges the experience with user-centric features. Together, they create a branded, personalized intranet that caters to the specific needs of your employees.

Start your free 30-day Mantra trial on the Atlassian Marketplace or book your free demo now and launch a company intranet that will boost employee engagement.

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