Build an Employee Communications Strategy in 4 Steps

Whether you offer an onsite clinic, access to a Network of health centers, provide a virtual care option, or announce something more general, it’s important to have an employee communications strategy in place.

At Marathon Health, we’ve identified four areas to help employers increase healthcare engagement for better health outcomes, and of course, more savings, as part of our efforts to improve employee communications for healthcare.

Step 1: Remember your audience

The most important step to building your employee communications strategy is to remember your audience – your employees. Ask yourself “What is important to them? What motivates them? Who do they want to hear from?” If eligible for the healthcare services, you will want to think about your employee’s spouses/domestic partners and dependents and how you will communicate with them.

Next, ask yourself what tools you have available to spread awareness. Which of these communication vehicles are most effective in reaching your employees? In your line of work, if your employees are not primarily on a computer, then email is probably not at the forefront of your employee communications strategy.

Utilize your Employee Intranet, Microsoft Teams channels, Slack, email, text, push notifications, employee communications apps, digital signage and good old snail mail to ensure your messages are distributed where your employees most obtain their information.

Now you can start building your content and creating a timeline for delivering your messages.

Step 2: Create a pre-launch campaign to build employee excitement

The goal of your pre-launch campaign is to educate employees about what’s coming, why it matters, and how it will benefit them. Whether you’re introducing a new program, benefit, tool, or workplace initiative, early communication helps build awareness, reduce uncertainty, and generate excitement ahead of launch.

Your messaging should clearly explain the purpose of the initiative, what employees can expect, and how it supports their day-to-day experience at work. If you’re partnering with an external vendor or provider, consider co-branded materials that reinforce the partnership while clearly communicating roles and responsibilities. Transparency helps build trust and encourages early engagement.

Before sending out mass communication to your entire employee population, introduce the initiative to managers, team leads, or internal champions first. Provide them with FAQs and key talking points so they can confidently answer questions and help reinforce messaging within their teams. Sharing information in leadership or manager meetings can help streamline rollout and surface questions early.

Once internal stakeholders are aligned, an announcement from company leadership can help signal importance and generate momentum. Employees are more likely to engage when initiatives are visibly supported from the top down.

Tip: When communicating benefits or added value, use simple, direct language that clearly highlights what employees gain. Clear, positive phrasing tends to drive stronger engagement and participation.

Step 3: Build a launch plan focusing on driving engagement

Now that employees are aware of the upcoming initiative, the focus shifts to encouraging action. Your launch communications should clearly explain what employees need to do next and make it as easy as possible for them to participate. Every communication should include a clear call-to-action, whether that’s registering for a platform, attending an event, exploring new resources, or signing up to participate.

Use action-oriented language such as “Get Started,” “Register Today,” or “Learn More,” and link directly to the appropriate destination whenever possible. Reducing friction at this stage is key — employees are far more likely to engage when the next step is simple and immediate.

A strong way to build momentum at launch is to host an in-person or virtual kickoff event. This gives employees an opportunity to learn more about the initiative, ask questions, and become familiar with available resources. For remote or distributed teams, consider hosting a virtual town hall or live demo session that walks through the experience and highlights key benefits. Including QR codes or direct links in presentations can make it easy for employees to take action on the spot.

Incentives can also help drive early adoption. Consider offering small rewards or recognition for early participation, such as raffles, company merchandise, gift cards, or other meaningful incentives tied to engagement.

Supporting materials such as digital signage, internal newsletters, posters in common areas, and mailed materials to employees’ homes can help reinforce awareness and ensure the message reaches employees across different work environments.

Step 4: Create an ongoing employee communications plan to sustain engagement

Your employee communications strategy shouldn’t end once the initiative launches. Long-term success depends on consistent, strategic messaging that keeps the program visible, relevant, and top of mind for employees.

Develop an annual engagement strategy that outlines key themes, milestones, and promotional moments throughout the year. If you’re working with an external partner or vendor, leverage any ready-made communications resources they provide to reinforce your internal messaging and save time.

Create a monthly or quarterly content calendar and involve leadership, managers, and internal champions in amplifying messages. Focus each communication on a specific topic, feature, or benefit, and always include a clear call-to-action. Avoid repeating the same generic message — employees quickly tune out content that feels redundant or overly promotional.

To maintain momentum, highlight real employee experiences or in our case, patient success stories. Testimonials — especially short video stories — can make the initiative feel tangible and relatable, increasing participation through social proof.

You can also integrate the initiative into existing company touchpoints such as all-hands meetings, company events, onboarding programs, and internal newsletters. Embedding messaging into established channels reinforces its importance and helps normalize participation as part of your workplace culture.

Bonus Tip: Consider sharing major milestones or announcements externally through social media or press releases when appropriate. This not only reinforces your organization’s commitment internally but can also support employer branding and recruitment efforts.

Summary

An effective employee communications strategy is essential for driving awareness, engagement, and long-term participation in any workplace initiative. By focusing first on understanding employee needs and communication preferences, organizations can deliver messages through the channels employees actually use and trust.

A successful approach includes building early excitement through a thoughtful pre-launch campaign, creating a clear and action-oriented launch plan that reduces barriers to participation, and sustaining engagement through ongoing, relevant communication supported by leadership and employee champions.

By following these four steps, employers can ensure initiatives remain visible, valuable, and consistently adopted over time, ultimately improving outcomes for both employees and the organization, as emphasized by Marathon Health.