| A frequent question we encounter is "how can I | | | | and will be featured prominently on the intranet. |
| ensure that my intranet is successful once I launch | | | | 2. People like to see and hear about other people so |
| the site?" Success may be defined differently within | | | | put employees on the intranet home page for launch |
| corporate environments; however one obvious rule | | | | day. Look for opportunities to feature employees: |
| for measuring intranet success is getting buy-in from | | | | who just had a baby, who is getting married, does |
| your employees. The goal is daily visits to the | | | | anyone have a milestone birthday coming up, and |
| intranet by each and every employee in the | | | | who's heading into retirement? Most important: |
| company. | | | | always upload a photo of the employee you are |
| A strong roll-out plan can affect the immediate and | | | | showcasing. Another popular tactic is to have your |
| long term success of your new intranet. Here are | | | | CEO post a welcome video, or generate a blog with |
| four key components to consider when planning your | | | | (at minimum) three current blog posts from the CEO. |
| intranet launch. | | | | This shows employees that management encourages |
| Make It Easy | | | | and expects them to use this new tool. |
| When preparing for an intranet launch, the last thing | | | | 3. Another clever way to engage is to launch with an |
| you want to do is to make it difficult for employees | | | | online scavenger hunt. This is fun and can help |
| to access the site. Make sure that the intranet is set | | | | employees in using the site and finding content. "Hide" |
| to be the default home page for all web browsers. | | | | items on the intranet and ask employees to find the |
| Your IT group can push these changes out to all | | | | hidden content. The first three people to find the |
| users through Active Directory Group Policies. Once | | | | content (words, images, etc) are awarded prizes for |
| you've launched, the first site employees see when | | | | their department. This strategy is an easy way to |
| they open their browser is the intranet, and they will | | | | get a large number of employees browsing the site |
| never have to remember the URL. | | | | and introducing them to your navigation. |
| Enable a single-sign on process for your intranet so | | | | 4. Enable social media tools on your intranet. Ask |
| that your employees do not have to remember | | | | employees to read, rate and comment on specific |
| another set of login credentials. Knowing who is | | | | content that relates to them directly. Look for hot |
| logged into the intranet allows you to properly | | | | topics, both internally and externally, that impacts |
| monitor usage, stats, and you can eventually tailor | | | | your employees. H1N1 is a good external topic so |
| content to individuals, groups and teams. | | | | place tips on preventative measures, and what |
| Push for a company policy on restricting global emails, | | | | symptoms to watch out for. What is current and |
| as it encourages daily use of the intranet. Don't let | | | | immediate in your company: are you working |
| mass emails be a competing form of communication | | | | towards a product launch, coming up with a new |
| within the organization. Place the intranet as the | | | | brand, writing new policies, bringing on a new |
| center of internal communication. | | | | department manager, down-sizing, or expanding to |
| Brand Your Intranet | | | | new locations? Generate conversation about the hot |
| When you enter the latest top-rated restaurant in | | | | topics in your organization, publish content, slideshows |
| town, the ambience makes you feel: if the restaurant | | | | and videos about those topics and ask employees to |
| design is warm and intimate, you feel comfortable | | | | participate in those conversations. |
| and relaxed; if the design is hip and leading edge, you | | | | 5. Not surprisingly, some of the top used applications |
| feel upbeat and cool. Think of your intranet design as | | | | on an intranet are the employee directory and a |
| ambience. How do you want your employees to feel | | | | buy-and-sell feature. Both have that social element |
| when they visit the site? Here are three different | | | | and both can help to draw your employees to the |
| approaches to branding your intranet. | | | | intranet. Ensure that there are no paper copies of |
| 1. Personality: create an identity for your intranet. | | | | phone lists floating around the company. You want |
| Think of a mascot or name then design a logo and | | | | the intranet to be the only place employees can find |
| theme around the identity. | | | | contact info on other employees. Ask employees to |
| 2. Comfort: design your intranet to be in line with | | | | post their photos to their employee directory profile |
| your corporate branding. Use color schemes, images | | | | (set one up for them before launch) and to fill in their |
| and logos that employees are familiar with and are | | | | skills and personal information/interests. For the |
| used throughout the company. Employees may be | | | | buy-and-sell, ask people in your department if they |
| more comfortable with a site design where there is | | | | have anything up on Craigslist. They probably won't |
| immediate recognition. | | | | mind having it also listed on the intranet's buy-and-sell. |
| 3. Get Creative: create a different theme for holidays | | | | You want to have real content loaded in these two |
| or for each season (spring, summer, fall, winter). This | | | | applications before launch day. |
| can help to pique interest by introducing fresh designs | | | | Content is (Still) King |
| throughout the year. | | | | This may seem like a no-brainer but it requires careful |
| Above all, keep your designs simple. Don't overcrowd | | | | consideration on how much content should be within |
| with content on the home page, don't put in flashy | | | | the intranet when you launch. Our approach is in line |
| graphics that blink, don't use a black background with | | | | with keeping it simple and don't overwhelm - in other |
| hot pink font, and don't overwhelm. | | | | words, go for quality over quantity. |
| Go Social First | | | | Utilize the home page and create widgets to point |
| Employee engagement is critical when it comes to | | | | employees to new and relevant content. Think in |
| user adoption of the intranet. If you can engage | | | | terms of what an employee needs. What information |
| employees from the first visit to the site, you are | | | | can you provide that would make their jobs easier. |
| well on your way to long-term intranet success. | | | | Continue to promote content that engages. Promote |
| Humans are social by nature, so use the social | | | | a Suggestion Box application where employees can |
| aspects of your intranet to engage. Remember, your | | | | give input about the features they would like to see |
| goal is buy-in and to get employees on the site daily. | | | | on the intranet. Create a home page quick poll, such |
| Once that happens, you can scale back the social and | | | | as "how do you like the new intranet". This shows |
| focus more on the tasks. Here our top five ways to | | | | employees that you're interested in their opinions and |
| immediately engage your employees. | | | | feedback. |
| 1. A successful intranet launch includes building | | | | Although your intranet will include content that is |
| awareness. An excellent way to do this is to include | | | | generated by one, or a handful, of employees prior |
| employees in the name-game. Set up a contest to | | | | to launch, remember the single most important factor |
| name your intranet as part of the roll-out plan. You | | | | in your roll-out plan: allow employees to contribute |
| can even use the intranet to facilitate the contest by | | | | content on the intranet. Employees want to be |
| creating an electronic form and promoting it from the | | | | interactive with the site, and if you give them a |
| intranet home page. Employees can submit their ideas | | | | chance to contribute, you will meet your goal of daily |
| for the intranet name and the winner receives a prize | | | | use, and then some. |