From the Inside Out: 8 Ways to Foster Company Culture with Your Content

Imagine walking into a workplace where everyone is excited to be there, motivated to perform at their best, and genuinely invested in the company’s success. This is the magic of a strong company culture.

Over the last 11+ years as a copywriter and freelance content creator, I’ve worked with a lot of businesses, both big and small. And let me tell you, the ones that have the strongest company cultures–the ones that are a joy to work with and retain top talent–are the ones that foster company culture from the inside, out.

They don’t just talk about collaboration and values–they embody them and then share them in very real ways. The residual effects anchor not only in employees and freelancers (like me!), but in the minds of their customers, too.

Now more than ever, positive leadership is vital. Successful business leaders recognize this…

• 72% are building a culture where people feel comfortable bringing their authentic self to work. (Mercer)
• 91% of managers in the U.S. say a candidate’s alignment with the company culture is equal to or more important than skills and experience. (BuiltIn)
• 88% of job seekers cite positive company culture as at least of relative importance when looking for a new role (BuiltIn)

In today’s digital age, your content can make or break your reputation. That’s why it’s vitally important to nurture your company culture through your communications–both internal and external.

How to foster company culture with internal communications

Internal communication is critical to the success of your company culture.

Your employees are your biggest advocates, and they need to understand and embrace your company values. We know unengaged employees are less productive and effective, which can deeply impact your bottom line. Employee buy-in is central to business success and allows employees to see the bigger picture behind their work.

Getting them on board begins with your internal communications.

Here are 4 tips on how to effectively communicate your company culture internally:

1. Be Consistent

Consistency is key when it comes to internal communication. Make sure your company values and policies are communicated consistently across all channels, including email, company meetings, and employee training sessions.

2. Use Storytelling

Storytelling is a powerful tool for communicating your company culture. Humans are literally hard-wired to crave story. So share stories about your company culture, values, and employees. Get into the nitty-gritty details and give them someone or something to root for! This will help your employees understand and embrace your story and the meaning behind it.

3. Encourage Feedback

Encourage your employees to provide feedback and suggestions, and reward them when they do! Be sure to validate their opinions and take it under serious consideration. After all, this is their workplace too. When they feel invested and see improvements happening and are given due credit, everyone benefits.

Encouraging feedback is one of the quickest ways to create a sense of community, employee empowerment, and foster a strong company culture.

4. Recognize Employees

Recognizing your employees is a great way to reinforce your commitment to their success. Celebrate employees who embody your company values and provide incentives for employees who go above and beyond. Share these in your internal newsletter and in meetings and annual reviews. This will help create a positive work environment and encourage employees to continue living your company culture and advocating for your brand.

How to foster company culture with external communications

Most of my clients realize their external communications are just as important as their internal communications. It’s easy to recognize this since a lot of it is customer-facing. Simply put: your content and external communications can make or break your reputation.

Here are 4 tips on how to effectively communicate your company culture externally:

1. Be Authentic

Authenticity is key when it comes to external communication. I’ve seen so many brands get this wrong and miss a valuable opportunity to nurture trust with their audience.

Make sure your content and communications reflect your company values and mission as well as your brand tone and voice.Your customers will appreciate the transparency and remember it when they’re ready to buy.

2. Get social!

Social media is a powerful tool for communicating your company culture to your target market, and the world. Use platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook to share your company values and mission with real-life examples or case studies.

You can also use social media to showcase your company culture by sharing photos and videos of your team at work or host an employee takeover where your people can take turns posting and sharing to the feed for a day.

Remember not to just post and run. Most of the power in social media lies in the community you generate through these stories. So be sure to like, comment, share, and save posts when customers tag you in them and engage with complimentary businesses in your niche.

3. Quarterly Review: Does Your Content Reflect Your Company Culture?

To ensure your content is on-brand and that it does, in fact, reflect your company culture, you want to do a review of all content landmarks. This includes everything from your blog posts to social messaging to your style guide and even marketing materials.

Chances are, your content will need a tune-up from time to time as your business goals and brand mission evolves. That’s okay! That’s what this review is meant to do. Communicate new changes with your audience and they’ll be excited to pivot with you.

4. Encourage Customer Feedback

Speaking of communicating with your audience, encourage your customers to provide feedback and suggestions. This will help create a sense of community and foster an investment in your organization. Just like with employees, make sure you listen to your customers and act on their feedback. Tag them on social media when you can. Get them involved. After all, the more you invest in them, the more they invest in you.

5. Sponsor Events

Sponsoring events is a great way to showcase your company culture to the world. Choose events that align with your company values and mission. This will help build a positive reputation for your company and get your employees involved on the ground level. Nothing beats a quality face-to-face interaction and real-world impact.

A strong company culture fosters a sense of belonging and encourages teamwork, which is crucial for achieving common goals. When employees feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to go above and beyond to deliver exceptional results. In addition, a positive culture attracts top talent and reduces employee turnover.

Hell, businesses with a strong company culture are always my favourite to work with and I’m not alone. Employees and top business leaders agree. A company culture that prioritizes work-life balance, wellness, and continuous learning also leads to happier and healthier employees. It creates an environment that values personal growth and development, resulting in a more engaged workforce and ultimately, ROI.

In conclusion, fostering a strong company culture isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have. It’s the foundation for building a successful business that thrives on positivity, collaboration, and innovation. So, let’s invest in creating a culture that employees are proud to be a part of, and watch our companies thrive!