--- title: "Why You Need an Internal Email Marketing Strategy, Too—Especially Right Now" id: "50019" type: "post" slug: "why-you-need-an-internal-email-marketing-strategy-too-especially-right-now" published_at: "2020-04-23T21:57:58+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-17T03:23:29+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/04/23/why-you-need-an-internal-email-marketing-strategy-too-especially-right-now/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/04/23/why-you-need-an-internal-email-marketing-strategy-too-especially-right-now.md" excerpt: "While you might be focused on your external messaging at the moment, email is an important channel for your employees as well—especially when all-hands meetings are harder to organize." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Aspiring Leader" - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "employee engagement" - "Internal Communications" - "Marketing" - "Mid-Level Professional" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Why You Need an Internal Email Marketing Strategy, Too—Especially Right Now Email marketing is an [increasingly important slice of the marketing pie](https://associationsnow.com/2020/04/how-marketers-are-shifting-their-email-tactics-in-a-covid-19-world/) . And it’s not just for your external audiences: At a time of scattered workforces and remote collaboration, internal “marketing” is a critical way to keep colleagues connected and aligned. “As remote and geographically dispersed teams increase, the benefits of in-person collaboration need to find their place within the digital realm,” Christina Crawley of the global marketing firm Forum One [wrote in a recent Forbes post (opens in a new tab)](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2020/04/15/email-marketing-strategies-to-strengthen-your-internal-communications/#185476246585) . “Various combinations of tools support this approach; however, smart use of internal email marketing is key to keeping employees focused and informed so that they can do their jobs effectively.” Internal messaging can take advantage of strategies similar to those used in email marketing, such as consistent scheduling, link tracking, and segmenting. And if followed through, they can generate impressive results. A few tips for improving your internal communications right now: **Work on your voice and branding.** [According to the email provider Campaign Monitor, (opens in a new tab)](https://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/email-marketing/2019/02/how-to-create-corporate-emails-employees-want-to-read/) “research indicates that internal branding positively affects employee engagement and loyalty. This occurs because branding makes the company and its goals relatable. It helps employees understand how their role contributes to the greater cause. A brand voice that humanizes the tone of your emails accomplishes this on an organic level.” **Enable two-way communication.** It can be easy to default to one-way communication, but encouraging conversation is more inclusive and usually brings better results. “While providing information is the spark that initially lights the communication flame, feedback tends to it, keeping that fire healthy and efficient,” Mary Clare Novak of the software research firm G2 Crowd [noted in 2018](https://associationsnow.com/2019/05/three-ideas-to-perk-up-your-internal-communications-strategy/) . **Keep an eye on open rates.** If your messages aren’t getting read—possibly lost among all the other email flooding your employees’ inboxes—it may be a sign that you need to take another approach to reaching your team. “Keep track of communication benchmarks to gain insight into what’s performing best,” [writes the Sandy Yu on the Employee Channel blog (opens in a new tab)](https://www.employeechannelinc.com/insights/blog/why-no-one-is-reading-internal-emails-and-what-you-can-do-about-it) . “Then, develop a culture of transparency so your team has access to the information that interests them.” And don’t be afraid to switch to another form of communication entirely. As *PR News* notes, a growing trend in some organizations [is the private podcast (opens in a new tab)](https://www.prnewsonline.com/communicators-turn-to-private-podcasts-for-internal-communications/) . (Алексей/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Aspiring Leader](https://associationsnow.com/tag/aspiring-leader/) [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#employee engagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/employee-engagement/) [#Internal Communications](https://associationsnow.com/tag/internal-communications/) [#Marketing](https://associationsnow.com/tag/marketing/) [#Mid-Level Professional](https://associationsnow.com/tag/mid-level-professional/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoTerin Bates, MBA, CAE, CX-PRO, Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/terin-bates-mba-cae-cx-pro-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoThe Adaptive Leader: Integrating Values and Strategy to Thrive Under New LeadershipDecember 15, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/12/15/the-adaptive-leader-integrating-values-and-strategy-to-thrive-under-new-leadership/) - [TemplateMembers onlyEmail Request FormJanuary 8, 2020](https://associationsnow.com/2020/01/08/email-request-form/) - [TemplateMembers onlyInternal Marketing AssociateApril 10, 2009](https://associationsnow.com/2009/04/10/internal-marketing-associate/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2020%2F04%2F23%2Fwhy-you-need-an-internal-email-marketing-strategy-too-especially-right-now%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !