7 inspired intranet launch ideas to boost user buy-in

You’ve worked hard to make your new or revitalized intranet a star feature of your internal communications and productivity boosting strategy. And now it’s time to introduce it to your people. But is a simple email round robin really going to cut it if your new intranet is going to be the great success you imagined? The fact is that your new intranet isn’t going to promote itself. So it’s time to nail down an intranet launch plan to make sure everyone gets the most out of your efforts.

Rolling out your new intranet so you enjoy the best outcome and achieve your all-important business goals needs some creative intranet launch ideas. Here are some tried and tested strategies to help propel your platform to success.

1. Pull together a team of intranet ambassadors

When you were designing your new intranet, you no doubt called on the input of a team of stakeholders so you could tap into their wants and needs for the platform. Now it’s time to ask those same stakeholders to become your intranet launch campaign ambassadors. This could involve:

• Notifying teams.Team meetings are the ideal time to plug the new intranet, talking directly about how the team could use it, and the benefits they’ll enjoy by doing so.
• Setting examples.Managers can lead by example, making use of the platform, talking openly about it, and linking to it.
• Asking for input. Probing for ideas on how best to hype up the new intranet launch announcement will always make team members feel valued. And you could get some great ideas to improve your new intranet in the process.

2. Come up with a teaser intranet launch campaign

Ahead of launching your new intranet, drip-feeding details and leaking teasers will create an air of excitement so that when the time comes for the big reveal, enthusiasm is at an all-time high.

From blog posts and content snippets to a sneak-peek landing page and blurred screenshots, it’s all about getting people hyped up about what’s in the pipeline.

A competition to name the new intranet with a prize for the winner is a great way to get everyone involved. And offering perks for feedback via limited beta access will bring you valuable opinion and show people that their input is appreciated.

3. Link the intranet launch plan to a major company event

Tying the intranet launch campaign in with a company milestone or major event will help draw added attention through a captive audience.

This could be a business anniversary, an annual staff away day, the opening of a new office or a rebrand. Whatever it is, if you can link the new intranet to something notable, you’ll give its launch a whole lot more weight.

4. Run new intranet training sessions

Whether it’s a one-off launch event where everyone’s invited either in person or remotely for a run-through of your new intranet, or you host a series of team-level walk-throughs, this is your ideal opportunity to showcase what you’ve created and demonstrate how to get the most out of it.

You’ll have set goals for your new intranet. It could be you want to bolster collaboration, nurture a greater awareness of organizational values, educate on the full range of skills and services offered across your teams, or enhance productivity and efficiency. It may be all of the above. But if you want to see results, you’re going to need to make sure everyone is aware of the full feature set of your new platform, so that it’s used to its greatest potential.

Try staggering your intranet launch plan training sessions over a few weeks or months so you capture everyone, including newcomers and those who have perhaps been on extended leave. Make it worth people’s while by offering incentives for joining sessions; even a free coffee or breakfast voucher could go a long way.

Recording a demo is a great idea and will be especially useful for newcomers over the coming months.

5. Get – and use – executive-level backing

When employees are aware that your company leaders are on board with your new intranet, they’ll naturally want to get involved too.

Ideally, your CEO or other C-suite executives will back the intranet launch campaign by publishing welcome posts, setting out their support for the new intranet, and explaining how it will make a difference to everyone at every level.

6. Set a countdown clock ticking

A countdown clock is one of the best intranet launch ideas in that it sets expectations about change.

As the clock ticks down, everyone prepares for the new intranet and readies themselves for something new and exciting. Talk to your intranet developers about creative ideas you can implement to make the countdown memorable.

7. Send an internal press release

Sometimes, keeping it simple is the name of the game. Writing and circulating an internet announcement is one of the most straightforward strategies you can include on your intranet launch plan.

Include the name of the new intranet, access and navigation instructions, what it can be used for, and the benefits of using it.

You could also explain why you’re investing in the intranet as part of your organizational vision. Perhaps shoot a video from your company leaders to really help engage everyone and get them on board and excited about using the platform on an everyday basis.

And the final footnote? Request feedback!

It’s incredibly important to include feedback requests as part of your intranet launch campaign. Without honest opinion from live users, you’ll never know if your new intranet is hitting the mark. It will make people feel valued, and create an air of inclusivity too, if everyone knows their input is welcomed.

Looking for expert direction on your intranet journey?

Digital Workplace Group provides expert unbiased advice, peer connections, research and insights to guide and support organizations across the world in a unique and practical way on their journey towards digital workplace success.

Through two decades of experience, we have cultivated in-depth expertise across all aspects of intranet strategy, governance, operations and usability. To learn more about our intranet consulting service, and to discover whether your organization could qualify for membership of the DWG community, bringing corporations together to share valuable knowledge and learning, you are welcome to get in touch.

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Categorised in: Intranets