What are the Best Digital Signage Internal Communication Trends in 2026?

In 2023, the landscape of internal communication is evolving rapidly, and staying in the loop is crucial for businesses. Explore the latest trends shaping workplace communication, including insights that reveal the impact of these changes.

AIScreen team conducted reseaech which shows that effective internal communication can improve employee engagement by up to 47%, leading to increased productivity and overall job satisfaction.

Additionally, 86% of employees believe that company leaders should address societal issues, emphasizing the importance of authenticity in employee communications. Learn how these trends can enhance employee engagement, foster inclusivity, and contribute to the overall success of your business.

Short Summary:

• 2023 internal communication trends emphasize authenticity, wellness, and diversity.
• AIScreen’s research shows a 47% boost in engagement with effective communication.
• Trends include hybrid work communication, leadership transparency, and social responsibility.
• AIScreen offers tools to measure engagement and enhance communication for modern workplaces.

What Is Internal Communication?

Internal communication is how people in a company share information. In industries like hospitality and retail, communication is usually one-way, like bulletin boards in breakrooms.

But paper-based methods don’t work for the 80% of global workers not at desks.

Tracking, confirming delivery, and understanding messages become problems. It’s hard to know if employees read posted flyers or if multilingual staff grasp company messages.

Traditional methods also lack feedback, vital for improving products and services. The challenges of today have sped up the shift to digital communication for frontline workers. They now get mobile-friendly solutions, a big change from being left out of corporate communication.

Top 7 Internal Communications Trends

The COVID-19 aftermath brings new challenges for businesses, but it’s also a chance for companies to make their effective internal communication better. Here are some trends to guide you in the right direction.

Before diving in, it’s worth shattering 20 myths about internal communications in 2026 to clear common misconceptions that might be holding your strategy back.

1. Hybrid Work Communications

As businesses move past COVID-19, they’re shifting from fully remote to a mix of in-person and remote work. Big companies like Shopify, Apple, and PwC are doing this too.

For visual communication inside the company, it means finding a balance. Using digital tools to connect people working in the office and those working from home is important. Here are some ideas:

• Send out company newsletters more often to keep everyone, especially those working remotely or in a hybrid way, up to date. This includes sharing info about returning to the office.
• Plan team-building events using videos to bring everyone together, even if they’re not in the same place.
• Send important messages quickly to remote and non-desk employees using employee feedback. It’s as fast as talking to those in the office.

Navigating the shift to a hybrid work model is a journey, and at AIScreen, we understand the importance of seamless communication in this evolving landscape.

We’re not just about digital signage; we’re architects of connected workplaces.

AIScreen isn’t just a solution; we’re the partner in fostering a connected and collaborative work environment, wherever our team may be.

2. Strong Leadership Communications

In today’s social media-heavy world, employees get a lot of information, some of it not accurate. So, business leaders must be trustworthy sources. This means being honest, real, and clear in how they communicate.

Whether the company is doing great or facing challenges, leaders should tell employees the truth. They need to be people others can trust and follow.

One way to do this is by communicating more often and in a more personal way. Here are some ideas:

• Make leadership emails more personal by using tools like mail merge in Outlook. This adds individual employee names to the email’s subject line and body automatically.
• Use videos for internal communication channels. This adds a personal touch through both sound and visuals.
• Skip the complicated business language. Instead, use simple, clear, and down-to-earth words that everyone can understand.

3. Emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

With all the news happening, businesses can’t avoid talking about important public issues. Studies show that 86% of employees believe leaders should speak up on societal problems. This includes talking about these issues within the company.

Leaders need to be more open in their messages and think about the company’s values. It’s important to connect social issues to things like diversity, inclusion, and fair hiring practices.

Here’s how leaders can talk about these topics with their teams:

• Have guided talks during virtual town halls.
• Offer coaching and training to employees on relevant topics.
• Share resources that align with the company’s efforts for social responsibility.

4. Focus on Employee Wellness

McKinsey found that only one in six employees feel properly supported by their employers regarding mental health. With things changing fast and a lot of uncertainty, companies need to do more.

Making sure employees have good resources for their mental health will be a top priority for communication teams. It’s also their job to figure out what kind of support employees need and connect them to the right resources.

Here’s how it works:

• Ask employees regularly what wellness resources they need through surveys.
• Encourage employees to share their mental health struggles anonymously.
• Tell leaders to communicate clearly and with empathy during tough times.
• Create virtual events and webinars about mental health that engage employees who need support.

5. Internal Marketing

In today’s job market, it’s a good time to be a job seeker. To keep good employees and compete, businesses need to make the work experience great. People who handle video digital signage for internal communications are key to making this happen.

Thinking like a marketer is important. Internal Communications teams should create a special plan, like marketing inside the company. This includes programs and messages that get employees excited about the company.

Here are some ways to do it:

• Ask employees often how things are going with surveys.
• Find more ways to recognize employees to show they’re important.
• Check if employees are happy with their pay and benefits through surveys.
• Give more options for working from home or a mix of in-person and remote work.
• Keep an eye on survey results over time to see if employees are getting happier.

6. Data-Based Communications

Knowing how engaged employees are is important. Successful businesses in 2023 use data to make their internal communication better. There are many communication tools to measure employee engagement, and it’s a step no one should skip.

With AIScreen’s tool, you can measure engagement and boost morale in one place. This tool uses strong email analytics to give detailed insights into every internal email you send.

It’s not just about open and click rates; you can see read times and popular clicks too.

Here’s how you can use data for better communication:

• Make interactive newsletters to find out what kind of communication employees like.
• Use email tracking to check how well your internal communication is doing through regular audits.
• Make a content calendar for internal communication based on insights from email analytics.
• Test different communication templates, subject lines, and designs to see what employees like. Use email analytics to see how to make engagement better.

With AIScreen, we believe in elevating internal communication beyond just sending messages – it’s about understanding and enhancing engagement through meaningful insights.

Our approach is not just data-driven; it’s data-inspired, bringing a personalized touch to each interaction.

7. Crisis Communications Planning

The COVID-19 pandemic was followed by the Great Resignation, showing that if a business doesn’t handle crises well or adapt to changes, it can lose valuable talent.

During quick changes, companies often forget about keeping employees engaged and happy. They rush without thinking about the long-term impact.

To make sure your company stays strong during changes or crises, focus on good internal communication.

Have a plan for crises with contacts for different situations—like health alerts or office closures. Use tools that can quickly give information to all employees.

Here are some ways to do it:

• Make a plan for handling crises.
• Create ready-to-use email templates for different crises. You only need to change the text when sending information.
• Have places for anonymous comments so employees can ask questions and clear up concerns during crises.

8. Virtual Team-Building

Hosting virtual events has been a big deal in internal communications during the pandemic, and it’s likely to keep going in 2023 as we shift to more hybrid work.

Since some people still work from home, communicators need to find ways to connect with everyone, whether they’re in the office or at home. This means organizing fun and regular virtual events.

Here are some simple ideas:

• Plan a virtual game night that happens regularly.
• Try virtual escape rooms for a different kind of team-building.
• Ask employees what other virtual events they’d like through quick surveys.

9. Interactive Communications

In 2023, plain emails won’t cut it. Employers aiming to connect with their staff and encourage conversations between remote teams must make their employee communication digital signage more interactive.

Using interactive elements like employee surveys is essential to boost engagement with remote employees. One way to do this is by creating newsletters that share and gather information.

Understanding how to use internal communications software helps in a few ways:

• Letting communicators easily include quick surveys in any employee newsletter.
• Adding anonymous comment boxes in emails opens up new ways for employees to give feedback. This helps get honest and real insights from employees.
• Allowing employees to react to company news, success stories, and updates using emojis, thumbs up/down, and star ratings.

10. Prioritizing Employee Sentiment

As how employees feel becomes important for business success, their opinions will influence company decisions more. For people handling internal communication, this means encouraging a culture where feedback is normal, especially from employees to managers.

Since only 21% of companies currently ask employees about their feelings, internal communication professionals need to help companies do better.

Here are some ways to get and use employee opinions:

• Set up virtual groups where employees can share thoughts on different business topics.
• Regularly ask employees how satisfied they are with their work.
• Get regular anonymous feedback on things like management, benefits, leadership, and other important topics in your business.
• Use a tool like Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) to make surveys where employees can rate how engaged they feel on a scale.

11. Authenticity and Transparency

In today’s world, employees are good at sorting through information and can tell when a message is real or just fluff. Sending out cold, superficial messages full of business jargon is the quickest way to make employees tune out.

So, being authentic and transparent is a big trend in internal communications for 2023 and beyond. To build strong relationships with your staff, use clear and simple language in your messages.

Also, try these ideas:

• Put videos from your leadership team in your company newsletter. They can talk about achievements or challenges, adding a personal touch.
• Have virtual town halls once a month where all employees can talk to company managers face-to-face, ask questions, and share feedback.
• Forget the complicated business language in your internal messages. Use clear and simple words instead.

Humor in Internal Communications

We’ve all been through a lot in the past few years, and a little humor in your internal communications can help employees relax. It’s a break from the usual serious business talk and can build more genuine connections with your staff.

Here are some easy ways to add humor:

• Put funny GIFs in your Outlook emails or company newsletters.
• Get a virtual comedy crew to host your next virtual town hall.
• Arrange a virtual open mic night or improv session as a fun team-building event.
• Create amusing survey questions to learn more about your staff. Then, quiz the rest of the team to see how well they know their colleagues.

12. Using Visuals

In the world of quick news and lists, using visuals is becoming more important in employee communications.

Visuals are not just good for catching attention and making us feel something; they also help us understand and remember information better. For employees, visuals are especially helpful when they don’t want to read long documents.

For example, they might prefer watching a video or looking at an infographic instead of going through a lengthy workplace safety guide.

Here are some easy ways to use visuals in your internal communications:

• Put infographics in your employee newsletter to explain things or give guides.
• Add videos from your company leaders or instructional videos in your newsletters.
• Use images and animated GIFs in emails to highlight specific parts or messages in your newsletter.
• Use email tables to share a lot of information in a small space.

13. Social Media Internal Communications

Social media isn’t just for external marketing; it’s gaining popularity for internal communication too. Why? Because it lets internal communication teams connect with employees on a larger scale.

Using social media for internal communication also brings together promoting the company inside and outside.

Here are a few simple ways to do this:

• Give shout-outs to employees for their achievements on the company’s Instagram.
• Share a welcome message for new employees or announce staff promotions on the company’s LinkedIn.
• Share pictures on the company’s social media channels to highlight the company culture and what it’s like inside the organization.

Immediate, Real-Time Internal Communication

In a fast-paced digital world, internal communications need to be quicker. For teams with remote, or frontline workers in different time zones, using employee SMS is useful.

Here’s how to make the most of this trend:

• Use a good employee SMS tool like textdrip in your internal communications plan.
• Schedule messages to go out regularly to keep everyone in the loop.
• Encourage and make normal the idea of communicating when needed, not necessarily in real-time.

14. Prioritizing Diversity and Inclusion

In the 21st-century workplace, making sure everyone feels included and respected is crucial. Your internal communications are key to promoting diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts.

Diversity and inclusion mean having and supporting people from various cultures, backgrounds, genders, and orientations at work.

To make D&I work well in your organization, focus on making your internal communications inclusive. Also, let employees know about resources and training that can help them understand D&I standards in your company. Here’s how:

• Ask employees how they feel about your D&I efforts with survey questions.
• Host webinars or training sessions about diversity and inclusion with knowledgeable speakers.
• Create an official document about your D&I policy and share it in your employee newsletter.
• Have regular focus groups where employees can discuss and improve D&I efforts inclusively.

Conclusion

In summary, navigating the dynamic landscape of internal communication in 2023 requires embracing diverse trends. From prioritizing authenticity and employee wellness to leveraging social media and visuals, businesses can enhance engagement and success.

AIScreen stands out as a leading provider, offering tools to measure engagement, improve communication, and adapt to the evolving needs of a modern workforce. Stay tuned to these trends to foster a vibrant, inclusive, and effective workplace. Contact us now.