Internal communication strategy is changing with the times – or it should be, in order to succeed. As the lines continue to blur between personal and corporate communications, now more than ever, taking a mobile approach to internal communications is imperative to strategic success.

Growth of Smartphone Use

On June 29, 2007, Apple released the first iPhone – a technology that would completely revolutionize the way in which we communicate with each other, gather and share information, and spend both our professional and leisure time. Since 2007, smartphone use has boomed and continues to capture an increasing amount of our time:

• 75% of North Americans aged 18-54 own a smartphone^{(1, 2)}
• The average global smartphone user checks their phone an estimated 150 times per day⁽³⁾
• 88% of smartphone users aged 18 to 49 use their smartphone for preventing boredom⁽⁴⁾
• BYOD policies are increasing in the workplace (74% of organizations are using or are planning to use BYOD)⁽⁵⁾

The Changing Workforce

Over the last decade, the state of the modern workplace has evolved, offering a more diverse job structure to the modern worker. Employees are no longer ‘chained’ to their desks from 9-5 as employers increasingly provide the opportunity to telecommute or work a more flexible schedule. In addition, mobile workplaces mean that field workers are required to return to the office less often.

As a result of this increased flexibility, it is now more difficult than ever for internal communications teams to reach their employees through traditional means such as newsletters, intranets, posters, or bulletin boards.

Evolving Communications Expectation

In the years since the iPhone release, our expectations for communication have changed significantly. Today, we want to be instantly notified of new information that is relevant to us based on our interests on a device that is highly personal, always on and only an arm’s length away. Smartphones have trained us to expect a level of engagement like never before.

The new communication expectation:

Personalized: I decide which information reaches me and how

Timely: I’m notified of new, relevant information, when I want to receive it

Accessible: Phone is always on, within arm’s reach thus I am always connected

Corporate communications, however, have been slow to catch up. Traditional internal communications tools like email, intranets, newsletters, and bulletin boards do not meet our new communications expectations.

Traditional communications tools:

Generalized:   I do not decide which information reaches me
Untimely:        I am not notified of new, relevant information, when I want to receive it
Friction:          Not always on, not always within arm’s reach

Introducing Sparrow

Internal communication is a critical aspect of organizational success. Employees need to know what is expected of them and what is happening in the organization. At a deeper level, employees need to feel engaged with their workplace, believe their organization cares about their views, and understand how their role contributes towards overall business objectives.

That why DevFacto has built Sparrow, an internal communications application that empowers organizations to leverage the mobile opportunity.

Sparrow delivers targeted corporate communications in an easy-to-use app for a variety of mobile devices. Employees receive relevant news, when they want it, on the device they use most. Sophisticated read-analytics provide value to communication, operations, compliance and other departments. Additionally, Sparrow integrates with existing communication channels ensuring little to no extra effort is required on the part of communicators.

For more information on Sparrow and how it can help your organization leverage the mobile opportunity, visit the website at www.sparrowapp.io

References:

1. http://catalyst.ca/2016-canadian-smartphone-behaviour/
2. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/01/6-facts-about-americans-and-their-smartphones/
3. http://www.6smarketing.com/blog/canadian-smartphone-use-statistics/
4. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/pi_2015-04-01_smartphones_06/
5. http://www.zdnet.com/article/research-74-percent-using-or-adopting-byod