Implementing an efficient employee intranet system involves several internal departments – and one of the most important is the marketing team. Your marketing team is responsible for your company’s website and boosting sales, so ideally should have some input into your intranet system, as they are well-versed in displaying and organising information in an eye-catching manner which provokes a reaction.
Marketing employees spend their day designing ways to promote your products to customers, so having an intranet that promotes your company’s goals to employees is equally important.
Intranet and social networking
One task of your marketing team is social networking; therefore getting their input on social collaboration tools in your intranet is useful. They understand the power of social networking and collaboration and will most likely have ideas on how to engage other employees through social platforms. Having social collaboration on your intranet can include an option for “brainstorming” sessions for new business ideas, for example. An efficient intranet will also drive and grow company culture and educate employees on new initiatives. Getting your staff involved socially on the intranet is always a massive bonus.
Leadership involvement
Marketing employees understand the importance of “influence” – such as having famous brand spokesmen endorsing and using a product to attract customers – and the same ethos can be engineered for corporate leaders. Influence employees by how the managers and executives use and endorse your corporate intranet. The marketing team can assist in encouraging executives to collaborate with and empower employees via the intranet.
This can also “demystify” the executives by showing how leaders are employees just like everyone else. Your marketing intranet should be a gateway for employees to have a channel of communication with company leaders.
Marketing department benefits
The marketing team needs input from many sources — internal, such as management and peers, and external — to carry out their duties properly. Your marketing intranet speeds up related business procedures, including approval for marketing collateral. Also, being able to access information quickly and while on the road are advantages too.
Deliver the right message to your target market
Marketers require different types of information to function effectively. The company executives provide an overall vision and direction; the customers have needs and demands which must be fulfilled, and peers can provide an insight into what appeals to the market and which approaches work. Viewpoints from employees in other departments can assist in shaping creative marketing strategies.
An active and well-structured intranet should help marketers to access all these sources of information and knowledge. Apart from capturing the information, the intranet will archive it so that future marketing staff will be able to benefit from the accumulated knowledge too.
Marketing can be more timely
Marketers need to be aware of developments in their industry and in related industries as they happen. If a promotional or marketing opportunity arises, marketing staff need to implement a campaign quickly. With live feeds from external sources on your company intranet, the marketing team can be up-to-date with any developments. The intranet can also assist by making approvals – for new campaigns, for example – happen faster through better communication.
Intranet applications for marketing
The intranet can incorporate specific applications to directly contribute to the company’s marketing work. A folder application can house much vital information, including marketing materials, such as flyers, brochures and white papers; up-to-date product descriptions and prices; presentation documents, including PowerPoint slides; the results of surveys; market research and analysis; monitoring results and evaluation reports.
Introduce a photo album
The marketing team will benefit from the use of a photo album, which can store approved logos, images and colour swatches, for example. The intranet enables the marketers to share creative images and get approval for them. Photos can be uploaded of products and images as inspiration for upcoming marketing campaigns. Marketers can share photos of customers using the company’s products; displays of products in retail stores; billboards or even images of campaigns your company’s competitors are running to keep abreast of the competition.
Image Gallery in Claromentis
Database application
Afford your marketers the opportunity to keep contacts’ information for leads, stakeholders, and vendors on the intranet for easy access.
Add a discussion forum
A discussion forum will greatly benefit any marketing department, as it allows them to get useful feedback on proposed marketing ideas and draft designs. It also allows for brainstorming of new ideas and campaigns. Other employees can be encouraged to offer input on problem-solving strategies and overcoming buying obstacles.
Keep staff informed with status updates
All employees can be kept up-to-date with current marketing efforts – including any promotion on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter – so they can support it and be kept aware of its progress. Staff can be kept in touch with company milestones and marketing events to offer their input.
Post feedback from customers
The marketing team will be able to post feedback from customers; they can also compile and answer frequently asked questions from current and prospective customers so that every employee has an insight into what’s required to keep customers satisfied.
