There are more remote workers than ever before. That’s why it’s essential for internal communicators to find effective internal communication tools and tactics to engage employees from anywhere. 

As a company that revolves around internal communications, we’ve learned a thing or two about what makes (or breaks) a successful employee communications tool.

By the end of this post, you’ll walk away with a list of today’s best internal communication tools.

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You’ll also gain a handful of tips for weighing the pros and cons of different tools and finding the right internal communication software for your business.

What Are Internal Communication Tools?

Internal communication tools are any resources that improve communication between your employees and your business.

Your employees may face challenges given the complexity of your internal communications landscape; internal tools and software aim to remove as many communication barriers as possible.

And with the recent spike in internal communications digital transformation, there are more tools to choose from than ever!

Why Use An Internal Communications Tool?

The best internal communication tools help leaders, HR teams, and IC pros keep their messaging consistent and effective. They’re also designed to upgrade your existing internal communications channels by amping up their capabilities.

Depending on the type of internal software you choose, you can:

• Create professional-grade emails without spending hours on design.
• Increase employee engagement by honing your email content, so your employees get real value from your internal communications.
• Save time and effort spent on sending emails to your employees.
• Measure email metrics to target your best content and shape your internal communications goals.
• Reach frontline workers and improve deskless employee communication with internal SMS.
• Alert employees to security risks and promote phishing awareness.

Need team buy-in for new internal software? Learn how to build a strong business case for the best internal communication tools with our step-by-step guide.

Download now!

15+ Best Internal Communication Tools for 2023

Below, we’ve listed the best employee communication tools to help you grow and maintain employee engagement. Here are the types of must-have tools that made our list:

1. Email platform
2. Recognition and reward system
3. Employee SMS
4. Employee apps
5. Pulse surveys
6. Internal videos
7. Intranet
8. Video conferencing
9. Forums and chats
10. Survey software
11. Employee podcasts
12. Collaboration tools
13. Digital signage
14. Employee social media
15. Planning tools
16. Graphics creation software
17. Feedback apps

You can also read our guide on the latest internal communication trends to discover the new tools and techniques for driving employee engagement.

Without further ado, let’s dive into today’s top employee communications platforms and corporate communication tools:

1. Email platform

Employees already rely on work emails for urgent updates and reminders. So why not leverage your captive audience by upgrading this channel?

With an intuitive drag-and-drop email builder, you can turn your company newsletters into a one-stop-shop for all of your employees’ informational needs:

• Create stunning HTML emails using a simple drag-and-drop menu.
• Integrate with Outlook or Gmail to send personalized emails from your own inbox.
• Connect with the Azure active directory and Workday to build your own custom employee directory.
• Engage employees with email-embedded pulse surveys, comments, videos, and GIFs.
• Track email open rate, click-through rate, read time, opens by location and more.
• Measure the success of your internal communications from a sleek analytics dashboard.

Internal communication tool of choice: ContactMonkey

Unlike external email design tools like Mailchimp, their internal newsletter tool is specifically designed for internal communicators. You can use tools like click maps to determine how your employees are engaging with your emails so you can optimize your email design.

You can use ContactMonkey to send responsive email newsletters, collect real-time feedback, and gather precision email analytics to continuously improve your internal communications strategy.

With ContactMonkey’s List Management feature, you can also create a directory of recipients within the ContactMonkey platform. Internal communications teams can segment lists based on different characteristics and automatically sync lists with their Azure Active Directory and even Workday. 

To see how countless companies improve their internal communications with ContactMonkey, book a free demo with one of their internal comms experts.

2. Recognition and reward system

The number one reason people leave their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. Timely deliverance of praise and recognition can make the difference between high employee retention and high employee turnover.

We all know that turnover can be costly, which is why C-Suite Executives are looking towards internal communicators to help kill that cost.

There is a misconception that employee recognition has to be lavish or expensive. But even verbal praise has its business benefits.

Here’s how to use an employee recognition platform as an internal communication tool: 

• Increase employee productivity
• Retain your top performers
• Build an enviable workplace culture
• Boost employee morale and motivation

Internal communication tool of choice: Bucketlist

If you’re searching for an effective recognition and rewards platform you should consider Bucketlist.

With Bucketlist, you can easily use one click to recognize hard working employees.

Employees can choose their own rewards or select from over 10,000 ideas and share success stories on social media. You can get detailed reporting so you understand the return on investment. 

3. Employee SMS

Employee SMS is the best internal communications solution for companies who need to reach employees faster or who want to engage frontline workers or remote teams.

Retail associates, security personnel, and other service workers can safely rely on SMS communications to stay connected to the rest of the company.

Here’s what you can do with an SMS instant messaging tool for employees:

• Reach deskless, dispersed, and frontline workers.
• Deliver urgent updates to employees without corporate emails.
• Expand internal communications channels for greater reach.
• Provide a backup channel in case of email disruptions.
• Increase overall open rate across your internal communications.

Internal communications tool of choice: ContactMonkey

ContactMonkey’s employee text messaging system allows your whole workforce to stay connected and informed on the go.

With ContactMonkey, it’s easy to send custom-made SMS content directly to your employees’ cell phones. And you can do it all from the same place where you manage your Outlook and Gmail newsletters.

Want to see ContactMonkey’s employee SMS tool in action? Start your free trial today!

4. Employee apps

When your employees are mobile or in non-desk positions, you need a solution that works in any location.

Enter the employee app—a mobile hub for office and remote employees alike.

While an app can house important information for employees, you also have the added benefit of sending push notifications if you happen to have an urgent bulletin to share.

Here’s how to use an app-based internal communication tool:

• Publish news, articles, and other company updates.
• Host resources including employee directories.
• Replace or supplement your intranet.
• Send real-time updates through push notifications. 

Internal communication tool of choice: CultureAmp

Culture Amp is an intuitive employee engagement app that shows you engagement insights based on employee engagement.

Using their premade survey and action plan templates, you can quickly take a data-based approach to employee engagement to increase employee engagement productivity statistics and reduce employee turnover.

Culture Amp’s analytics help businesses find when employees are at an increased likelihood of leaving. Employee feedback collected with Culture Amp can be used to help grow engagement and reduce turnover.

5. Pulse surveys

Employees know best what’s working for them in their current work environment and what sort of changes would make their day-to-day easier.

If you’re figuring out which remote team communication tools to use, it’s even more imperative to ask for employee feedback.

Asking for employee opinions is an easy way to make them feel included in discussions and changes at the organization. This is a simple way to mitigate common remote working communication challenges.

Internal communication tool of choice: ContactMonkey

ContactMonkey’s email template builder keeps employee feedback simple with emoji reactions, star ratings, and ‘Like’ buttons. Get employee feedback in real-time the easy way:

Pulse surveys are more effective for asking quick, straightforward questions in the workplace. And with ContactMonkey’s pulse survey tool, it’s easier than ever to include pulse surveys in your employee emails.

Learn how to create a pulse survey in just a few simple steps with our intuitive guide.

6. Internal videos

With Millennials (born between 1980-1995) representing some 50% of the workforce, and Generation Z (1995-2015) beginning to join the workforce, video for your internal communications is a force to be reckoned with. 

Considering that 48% of workers see video as the most engaging form of communication, you would be remiss to skip it in your internal communications.

Here’s how you can leverage video as an internal communication tool: 

• Improve onboarding for new hires. 
• Add a video digest to your internal newsletters.
• Film “a day in the life” of different functions in the company.
• Share conference recaps for those who couldn’t attend in person.
• Create “how-to” videos and demos for internal processes or product releases.

While the go-to brand for video is YouTube, it’s not always a great choice for internal communications. Enterprise level video hosting is a much better option to secure your content.

Internal communication tool of choice: Vidyard

We love Vidyard for adding video to corporate communications. Their enterprise solutions have flexible levels of security that are sure to please your IT department, including password protection to keep your internal content…internal.

Plus, Vidyard can automatically personalize your videos for specific individuals or departments.

Not to mention, you can embed your Vidyard videos directly into your employee newsletters for content your employees will love!

7. Intranets

Sometimes called a “corporate social network,” Intranet can be a powerful tool for fostering internal communication across large organizations.

Intranet makes it easy for employees to see new content, and share relevant articles, guides, and ideas across teams and departments.

When it comes to company intranets, the options are practically limitless. Here are just a few ways to use intranets:

• Introduce new ideas via a blog or activity feed.
• Discuss new information and foster company-wide interaction.
• Create a corporate culture across any distance.
• Debate and improve company-wide initiatives.
• Foster employee engagement.

Internal Communication Tool of Choice: Jostle

Jostle is a cloud-based intranet software that can help improve employee engagement.

Jostle prides itself on providing you with an intranet that strives to provide clear information architecture that helps streamline communication in the workplace.

With event planning, employee directories, and communication portals, Jostle is excellent for corporate internal communications.

8. Video conferencing

When it comes to choosing from one of the best internal communication tools, the answer may be to look for an old-fashioned video conferencing software.

With satellite offices, remote workers, and the odd external freelancer or consultant, it’s important to get conference calls right.

Here’s how to use video conferencing as an internal communication tool: 

• Collaborate with remote teams.
• Use face-to-face conferencing for better conversations.
• Screen-share to easily collaborate on processes or outline key data.
• Provide remote assistance with a computer screen takeover.

Internal communication tool of choice: Zoom

We know this is a classic, but we’re still big fans of Zoom Video Communications for video conferencing.

Zoom gives the ability to host online meetings, conduct video webinars, and use the Business Instant Messaging feature for cross-platform messaging and file sharing

The Zoom Rooms feature puts high-quality video, audio, and web conferencing in any sized room and Zoom Rooms’ digital signage is a great tool for corporate internal communications.

9. Forums and chats

Sometimes, internal communication isn’t about passing news down the chain. Instead, it can be about fostering ways for employees to collaborate, and forums help you do just that.

Forums can exist within an intranet or become separate spaces solely for collaboration.

Here’s how to use forums as an internal communication tool:

• Allow anyone to share updates or ask questions.
• Empower employees to collaborate and help one another across departments and locations.
• Break down barriers – physical and perceived – between employees and leadership.
• Encourage employee participation across the board.

Internal communication tool of choice: Slack

Although Slack still hasn’t killed good old email, we have to say that as a collaboration tool, Slack is still pretty effective.

Slack allows people to subscribe to channels that are pertinent to their role or interest, helping reduce some of the noise that can come from a traditional chatroom or forum.

If you want to send important company announcements, the internal communications best practice for corporate communication is to use a more formal platform such as email. See how these platforms stack up in our Slack vs email comparison.

10. Survey software

Metrics are a subject on every communicator’s mind, and you can be sure surveys are one of the surest ways to get metrics on internal communications and employee engagement. 

Regardless of the type or frequency, surveys are an essential internal email tool for every internal communicator looking to gather employee feedback.

A Price Waterhouse Cooper study shows that increased employee engagement leads to better performance and decreased turnover. 

Here’s how you can use surveys:

• Use eNPS surveys to gauge employee retention efforts.
• Pose open-ended questions to gain insight and feedback around the strengths and struggles of a team.
• Gauge employee needs during processes like change management or a transition to hybrid work.
• Learn about recognition levels and how much or how little recognition workers receive.

Internal communication tool of choice: OfficeVibe

OfficeVibe’s weekly pulse surveys are designed to visualize feedback into data and insights that allow managers to better understand what’s driving or hindering performance. 

That being said, ContactMonkey’s emoji reactions, pulse surveys, and comments features in their template builder are also fantastic for getting employee feedback from your newsletters—without having to use separate tools or channels.

11. Employee podcasts

Regardless of where your employees work – whether it’s at a desk, in a factory, or on the road – one thing remains certain: human attention is a scarce resource.

Screens are everywhere, so you need to help your employees keep their eyes on the prize.

Enter the podcast. The younger, cooler sibling of the radio shows of yore.

Podcasts offer a fresh way of delivering content in a more intimate way. 

Here’s how to use internal communications podcasts:

• Serve company-related content that’s easy to consume on the go (e.g. during commutes, business travel, at the gym). 
• Enhance leadership communications by giving a creative and informal platform to C-Suite executives.
  
• Deliver complex information in a more simple and compelling way.

Don’t believe us? Try tracking how your podcast performs within your internal email.

Internal communication tool of choice: Storyboard

Storyboard was designed specifically for internal communicators to create, manage, and measure enterprise level internal podcasts. 

With unlimited episode hosting, listener analytics, feedback modules, and privacy features, you can be sure that your podcast is getting the reach you need. If it isn’t, you’ll have insight into how to move forward.

12. Collaboration tools

Getting things done can be particularly tricky in the age of remote collaboration and long-distance clients—and so can finding solutions.

Project planning and email collaboration tools help teams meet these challenges by allowing them to divide up the work in a way that plays to everyone’s strengths.

Here’s how you can use collaboration tools as an internal communication tool: 

• File sharing and management are made easier when all your contributors are looking for information in the same place.
• Transparent workflow ensures each team member understands where each project stands.
• Communication within teams is improved when there is a relevant and clutter free medium to discuss the project.
• Project management tools help streamline information and avoid bottomless Reply All email threads.
• Task management helps all stakeholders see what work was done, when, and by whom.

Internal communication tool of choice: Trello

Want to stop the madness of disorganized team correspondence? Trello enables you to know who’s doing what and what needs to get done at one glance. 

Trello displays information in a Kanban board so your team can see at a glance what needs to be done and what is still in progress.

If you’re looking for internal communications collaboration, we recommend using ContactMonkey’s real-time email collaboration software. It’s like Google Docs for email!

13. Digital signage

One of the best ways to generate a buzz with your internal communications is to put them on display for the whole team to see!

Digital signage can be extremely productive in high traffic areas such as a cafeteria or near an elevator. 

With digital signage, you can ensure that your internal communications message is in front of the right eyes.

Here’s how you can use digital signage as an internal communication tool:

• “Always on” messages are sure to get both passive and active attention. 
• Showing performance dashboards can help employees stay aligned with the company goals and vision.
• Celebrate company milestones in an informal manner.
• Share news that employees can enjoy passively.

Internal communication tool of choice: SnapComms

SnapComms is a digital signage provider taking charge in the internal communications space. They offer a scalable hardware solution that is complemented with cloud software.

SnapComms offers segmenting, advance scheduling, and display reporting.

Best of all, SnapComms plays nice with hardware you already have so you’re not stuck with a dedicated digital signage machine and all the headache that entails.

14. Employee social media

The fact of the matter is that 73% of adults aged 18-65 are using social media regularly, making social platforms one of the go-to sources for finding information or updates. 

Though some employees may not want to use their personal profiles for work, intranet-based social platforms are easy to set up and offer a host of benefits.

Here’s how you can use social networks as an internal communication tool:

• Easily share updates across departments and locations.
• Build an interconnected staff base where members from all departments can ask and answer questions. 
• Foster collaboration and develop interdepartmental relationships.

Internal communication tool of choice: Yammer

As a social networking platform, Yammer is great for effective internal communication in the workplace.

Yammer facilitates team communication and streamlines internal communications by involving various teams on projects and ideas. It operates much like any social networking platform does: you make a profile, add your area of expertise, location, contact info and you’re all set.

Plus, Yammer is part of Office 365, making it easy to create and edit content right from the app.

15. Planning tools 

Whether you’ve got an internal communications team, or you’re flying solo and need to stay organized with your internal stakeholders, a good planning tool is paramount to your success.

A one-stop-shop that your team and stakeholders can all access is key. 

ContactMonkey’s internal communications calendar is a great resource for mapping out your yearly, monthly, and weekly internal emails ahead of time.

Here are some of the benefits of adding a planning tool to your internal communication software:

• A transparent workflow ensures that each team member and stakeholder knows where each project stands.
• Information is streamlined to reduce unnecessary questions and email threads.
• Task management makes progress on various projects visible to all stakeholders.

Internal communication tool of choice: Basecamp

Basecamp is an online collaboration tool that’s absolutely great for project management and facilitating two-way communication in the workplace.

It has an easy-to-use interface that enables you to add new projects and check out the latest updates or discussions. 

You can use the “Catch up” button to see what’s happening or view the next six weeks with all the to-do items using the “Calendar” feature.

There’s also a “Progress” button that gives you a breakdown of all the projects and displays them to you in a timeline.

16. Graphics creation software 

Whether you’re using newsletters or publishing internal blogs, a good graphic can take your copy to the next level!

No matter how well written your copy is, an eye-catching visual or infographic can help anchor your messaging.

Here’s why you should use graphics software as an internal communication tool:

• Create more impactful content—images are proven to be more memorable than text alone.
• Improve internal storytelling within newsletters through descriptive images.
• Improve retention of key information—90% of information sent to the brain is visual.

Internal communication tool of choice: Venngage

When it comes to creating stunning visuals, infographics, and data visualization, it’s hard to beat Venngage. 

Venngage is one of the most effective internal communication tools on the market for visualizing data and creating graphics. 

The tool comes with hundreds of different charts, icons, pictograms and widgets so that you can easily create professional-looking visuals. Check out this example of an infographic that Venngage made for us! 

17. Employee feedback apps

Through an employee feedback app, managers can share surveys, polls, use a suggestion box, and more to best understand motivation levels and overall satisfaction among employees.

This includes conducting company culture surveys, employee exit surveys, and countless other types of employee surveys. 

Here are a few things that employee feedback apps are known to help with:

• Fostering employee engagement by streamlining dialogue.
• Strengthening company culture through continuous feedback.
• Improving workplace processes through actionable insights in real-time feedback.
• Enhancing change-management operations by keeping employees informed at every step.

Internal communication tool of choice: Connecteam

Connecteam is an all-in-one employee management app that helps boost engagement and streamlines communication.

Through Connecteam’s employee feedback app, you can analyze your team’s feedback and review insights to improve your business in real-time.

Connecteam allows you to make decisions based on organizational surveys and live polls, launch a suggestion box to gather your team’s feedback and a lot more!

Bonus Resource: G2 Crowd

G2 Crowd is a helpful resource, rather than an internal communication software, for those who prefer to delve into in-depth research and gain customer insights before deciding which tool is the right fit for their respective teams and organizations.

If you’re on the hunt for some of the best internal communication software for your internal communications team, you should look at G2 Crowd for unbiased user reviews.

G2 Crowd is a great resource you should check out before deciding to purchase an online collaboration tool.

How to use G2 Crowd as an internal communication tool:

• Team software collaboration category for those looking for online collaboration tools 
• The grid on their team software collaboration category highlights customer satisfaction scores The grid divides all collaboration tools within four categories

Download our free internal communication software buyer’s checklist!

How to Choose Internal Communication Tools and Software

Now that you’re familiar with today’s best internal communication tools, you’re probably wondering, “How do I know which tools are best for my business?”

Here are a few essential steps for choosing the best employee communication software for your business:

1. Look at your current internal communications landscape. What is your current email creation/sending process like? Are there repetitive or tedious tasks that you run into frequently?
2. Understand your challenges. Try writing down the top 5 internal communications problems you currently face at your business and let them inform your search for an appropriate solution. By keeping these front-of-mind, you’ll be better equipped to pursue your goals.
3. Narrow your search. We recommend looking for software designed specifically for internal communications. Tools like Mailchimp are popular for external email marketing but lack the features of a dedicated employee communication software.

Top Benefits of ContactMonkey as an Internal Communication Tool

ContactMonkey seamlessly integrates into your Outlook or Gmail inbox so you can easily enhance your existing communications channels. Here are just a few ways that ContactMonkey’s internal communications app can strengthen your email workflow:

• Track email open rates and link clicks so you know how many employees you’ve reached.
• Drag-and-drop controls let you create and send responsive emails to employees faster.
• Create and send mass personalized emails to your Outlook distribution lists and Google groups.
• Integrate your own pictures, videos, podcasts, and other media directly into your newsletter, and track viewership.
• Obtain employee feedback by adding pulse surveys, eNPS surveys, emoji reactions, star ratings, and Like buttons.

Does your organization have internal or external regulations around email privacy? Use ContactMonkey’s anonymous email tracking to gather email metrics while maintaining your employees’ privacy.

Do these benefits have the potential to improve how digital workplace communications? Schedule your personalized walk-through to see what ContactMonkey can do for your business.

Internal Communication Tools Boost Engagement

We hope our list of internal communications ideas and tools has proven valuable. Remember, no matter which online collaboration tool you decide to use for effective internal communications, you need to ensure that it’s the right fit.

Free trials and demos are an excellent way for you to play around with the tool and assess whether it’s the right choice for your internal communications. 

Curious to see how ContactMonkey’s all-in-one email solution can upgrade your communications? Book your free, personalized demo today!