We’ve all seen the headlines: We’re undergoing a massive reassessment of the ways we work. Internal communication is more elevated than ever and key to closing the office to digital-first gap. As a result, companies are doubling down on their Microsoft 365 investments to make the employee-facing experience simpler and boost digital workplace productivity.
Meanwhile at Staffbase, we’ve been thinking hard about how we can empower IC teams to keep reaching their people, no matter where they are or how they work. More and more, we’ve heard concerns about fragmented channels, double-publishing, and disorganization when it comes to consolidating the output of comms.
Microsoft 365 channels like SharePoint, Teams, and Viva Connections are critical for digital-first employees, so they shouldn’t be a dead end when it comes to internal communications.
That’s why today, we’re unveiling a new set of integrations designed to end siloed communication channels for good. It’s called Staffbase 365 and we’re confident this package will help IC teams rise to the digital workplace challenge, while keeping their work simple.
So, What’s New from Staffbase Today?
The #1 reason companies come to Staffbase when they also have Microsoft 365 is that they want and need a mobile channel that reaches and engages non-desk and/or younger employees. Many companies use a mobile app from Staffbase alongside their SharePoint intranet to get award-winning mobile functionality that works seamlessly next to and with Microsoft 365.
One of the major benefits of working with Staffbase is that it gives admins and editors one unified dashboard for planning, targeting, insights, and governance over company comms. The system is a perfect fit for orchestrating a communications strategy for all employee audiences across all channels, including mobile app, desktop/intranet, email, and company screens.
Now, we are extending our existing Microsoft 365 integration options to also suit companies who want to continue using SharePoint as their company intranet, but make it work better for internal communications. That includes consolidating comms planning, governance, and measurement in one place across channels.
More Relevant and Effective News in SharePoint and Viva Connections
We are proud to introduce our Staffbase 365 News Central for SharePoint, giving communicators more control over the how, when, and to whom content is shown in SharePoint and Viva Connections. IC teams manage content in Staffbase, and SharePoint users receive relevant and engaging communications without having to leave Microsoft 365.
So what does better communications in SharePoint look like?
1. More control over who sees what content, and when
The first step toward getting through to employees is making sure they’re seeing your most important content. Many IC teams we speak with struggle to prioritize content in SharePoint. That’s because every news update has the same relevance, and editors have no influence over what gets sent via push notification. With our News Central for SharePoint, editors will be able to showcase priority content in SharePoint sites with highlights and acknowledgements, so must-read content is emphasized where you need it to be. With Staffbase, you always have the option to turn notifications on or off for certain pieces of content. Content with notifications are sent via push to mobile, and will also appear in a notification center for SharePoint users. For employees using Viva Connections on top of Teams, this feature will work for their mobile experience as well.
2. Easier targeting and more personalized news feeds
Editors can configure news feeds in SharePoint to show “recommended” content, but we often hear that the recommendations may not always be relevant for every user. For a more personalized experience, users like to be able to follow and unfollow channels themselves. With News Central for SharePoint, you can target content to groups easily using the Experience Studio, and give users control over what optional content appears in their news feed. Users simply choose which channels they’d like to follow directly in SharePoint.
3. Planning, monitoring, and measuring across the board
One of the major downsides of disconnected channels is the lack of an overview. Activity is fragmented based on where users accessed the content, and there’s no centralized way to see interactions for your messages. News Central for SharePoint allows you to hit send once and reach all of your audiences. Use comms planning features like our new editorial calendar to plan and schedule content across channels. No matter whether employees access content via mobile app, email, or in your SharePoint intranet, their likes, comments, and shares will be visible to everyone. This means no more jumping between systems for you to stay on top of employee conversations. With comment moderation in Staffbase you have one overview to manage all of the activity on your posts.
Sound like a time saver for your employee communications strategy? News Central for SharePoint is available today to begin testing for free. If you’d like to get started, contact your Customer Success Manager.
Building Better Comms with the World’s Largest Software Ecosystem
News Central for SharePoint is the first of a number of innovations Staffbase will announce to bring world class internal communications to Microsoft’s leading employee productivity and experience tech. Customers can already look forward to similar functionality for Microsoft Teams in early 2022.
After conversations with hundreds of companies, we’re convinced this is the most effective way to end siloed communications and boost IC’s effectiveness. In particular, we’ve seen the rise of two key trends in the digital workplace.
1. Companies are at a crossroads with their SharePoint intranets.
Some companies are set on finding a way to make their SharePoint intranet work for internal comms, while others are shifting strategies to embed content from Microsoft 365 into a more comms-centric solution. In any case, intranets are now seen as an important hub for communications, and organizations are grappling with the question: Can SharePoint be a comms-centered intranet, or not? That said . . .
2. Seamless integrations with Microsoft 365 are critical.
Even when companies choose to stop using SharePoint as their company intranet, Microsoft 365 tools and content remain an anchor in the employee experience. Companies want a way to combine both worlds: state-of-the-art internal communication that truly keeps employees engaged + seamless transitions to cornerstone tools that help them collaborate and get work done better.
As a Microsoft partner since 2017, we’re committed to providing our joint customers with more value through added communications use cases and technically sound integrations. To learn more about Staffbase’s partnership with Microsoft or our product integrations roadmap, we encourage you to reach out to your Customer Success Manager.
Microsoft 365® is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The use of this trademark does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by this company.