How To Ensure Your Online Staff Magazine Gets Read

Do you have any ideas for an online staff magazine? Would you like a digital version of your staff magazine? The Foleon platform allows you to create an interactive digital staff magazine in a flash and it ensures your magazine will be read.

Company magazine, event magazine, annual report, newsletter. Online magazines are mainly used for external communications. But there are so many more possibilities! Foleon is also very suitable for staff magazines. Whether you are emailing the magazine to a business or personal email address, an online magazine is a great way of keeping your co-workers up to speed on everything going on in your company.

What should such a staff magazine look like?

That of course depends on the organization. One aspect, however, is important in each and every staff magazine: people. People enjoy reading about people. These 9 successful and well-read features from digital staff magazines show that not all articles in a staff magazine have to be about the company or work:

1. What a week

This feature is written by an employee detailing what they get up to in a given week. The feature will of course include a good picture! Monday: important meeting. Tuesday: write up reports, etc.

2. Talks with the Manager

Have a manager sit down with a number of randomly selected employees. Consider an HR manager for example, who has discussions with senior as well as junior staff members about the pension system or working conditions. Create a summary of this conversation using images and text.

3. Column

A column is always a popular feature, whether it is written by a colleague or a famous person. Unless it’s a badly written column of course! A column needs a good sense of humor and unvarnished opinions. The topic does not always have to be work-related.

4. My desk

Which items do you have on your desk? Do your co-workers ever ask you about that crazy picture? In the workspace feature My desk, an employee answers questions about items found on or near his or her desk. This feature requires one good picture, and text hotspots can be superimposed onto the image.

5. My team

The ideal feature to focus the spotlight on a well-performing team or a group of colleagues who have been working on a special project. How about finding out more about the IT department’s weekly running club? These are all great stories for a staff magazine.

6. Your opinion

People enjoy discussing opinions with each other. Staff magazines are therefore perfect for statements of opinion. Pick something that will provoke a response or a current hot topic and ask five employees to give their opinions on the matter.

7. Five questions for … / Five questions about …

Whether the topic is a project, a salesperson’s current activities or questions for the HR manager, a feature such as Five questions for … is a good way to find out more about a person or a subject. It’s bite-sized and clearly structured. The reader can quickly filter out the things he or she does not find interesting.

8. The (wo)man behind the suit

What are the manager’s hobbies, what type of clothes does the director wear in his spare time and doesn’t that employee in production ever get fed up wearing a protective mask? These types of questions are discussed in the feature The woman/man behind the suit. Or: who’s underneath that suit? Take a picture in work clothes and in leisure wear and co-workers won’t believe their eyes!

9. The photo shoot

The company party, an event, an anniversary, a move. There are lots of topics that would be great for a photo shoot in your staff magazine. Of course, the quality has to be good. Let everyone relive the event with the most recent pictures!

Conclusion

There are a lot of ways you can engage your employees with a staff magazine. The most important thing is to tell authentic stories and to give people an immersive format. Don’t send your staff magazine over in a boring, static, non-responsive PDF. Use Foleon’s Content Creation Platform or a similar tool. With such a platform, you also get data about which section / page of the staff magazine has been read by your employees so you can learn and improve along the way. Even if you create an Interactive PDF, it still won’t be on par with the solution Foleon provides.

You might also like:

• Inbound Marketing Content Types You Should Be Creating
• White Paper Marketing Tips You Need to Know
• How to write a Powerful Case Study
• How to use Email Marketing to promote your eBook

FAQ

What is a Staff Magazine?
A staff magazine is an internal publication created by a company for its employees to share news, updates, and company-related information.

What is the Purpose of a Staff Magazine?
Its main purpose is to keep staff informed, engaged, and connected to the company’s culture and goals.

What Content is Typically Included in a Staff Magazine?
It often includes company news, employee profiles, department updates, and other relevant articles.

How Often are Staff Magazines Published?
Publication frequency varies, ranging from monthly to quarterly, depending on the organization.

Who Contributes to a Staff Magazine?
Contributions often come from various departments, with a dedicated editor or team overseeing the content.

Can Staff Magazines be Digital?
Yes, many companies now publish digital versions for easier distribution and access.

What are the Benefits of a Staff Magazine?
Benefits include improved internal communication, employee engagement, and a sense of community.

How is a Staff Magazine Distributed?
It can be distributed physically within the company or digitally via email or an intranet.

What Role Does a Staff Magazine Play in Employee Morale?
It plays a significant role in boosting morale by recognizing achievements and keeping staff connected.

How Can a Company Start a Staff Magazine?
Starting one involves planning content, design, and deciding on a distribution method that suits the company’s size and culture.

How Can Staff Magazines Foster Company Culture?
They reinforce company values and culture by highlighting stories and initiatives that reflect these aspects.

What Makes a Staff Magazine Effective?
Engaging content, good design, and relevance to employees’ interests and needs make it effective.

How Do Staff Magazines Differ from Regular Magazines?
They are specifically tailored to the interests and needs of the company’s employees, unlike general audience magazines.

Can Staff Magazines Feature Employee Contributions?
Yes, encouraging employee submissions can enhance engagement and content diversity.

What are the Challenges in Producing a Staff Magazine?
Challenges include maintaining regular content flow, ensuring relevance, and managing production costs.

How Can Staff Magazines Be Made More Interactive?
Incorporating quizzes, surveys, and feedback sections can increase interactivity.

What Role Do Editors Play in a Staff Magazine?
Editors play a crucial role in content curation, ensuring consistency and aligning with company messaging.

How Do Digital Staff Magazines Compare to Printed Versions?
Digital versions are often more accessible and cost-effective than printed ones.

Can Staff Magazines Help in Onboarding New Employees?
They can be an effective tool for introducing new employees to company culture and history.

What Future Trends Are Expected in Staff Magazines?
Trends include increased digitalization, interactive content, and personalized employee stories.

Author bio

Ritesh is a digital marketing manager with years of experience in driving growth. He’s currently the director of inbound marketing at Foleon. You can find more about him on his LinkedIn profile.