An intranet without a content strategy is like a library with no catalog — the information might be there, but no one knows where to find it or why it matters.
Whether you’re launching a new intranet or trying to breathe life into an existing one, a solid content strategy ensures your platform becomes a central hub for communication, collaboration, and culture.
Here’s how to build one step by step.
1. Define the Purpose of Your Intranet
Start by answering a simple but critical question: What is your intranet for?
Common goals include:
- Improving internal communication
- Centralizing company information
- Supporting collaboration across teams
- Enhancing employee engagement and culture
- Streamlining onboarding and training
Your content strategy should directly support these goals.
2. Know Your Audience
Your intranet serves everyone, but not everyone needs the same content. Consider creating user profiles like:
- New hires: Onboarding docs, policies, welcome messages
- Managers: Project updates, performance tools, HR resources
- Remote workers: Collaboration tools, IT help, social content
Tailor and target your content to meet these different needs.
3. Audit Existing Content
If you’re working with an existing intranet or shared drive, take stock of what’s already there:
- What’s outdated?
- What’s missing?
- What’s redundant?
- What’s working well?
This audit will help you decide what to update, remove, or reorganize.
4. Choose Content Types and Formats
Your intranet content can be more than just policy PDFs. Consider:
- Company news and announcements
- Employee spotlights
- HR policies and FAQs
- Team or department workspaces
- Training guides and how-tos
- Videos, calendars, and surveys
Keep content engaging and interactive where possible.
5. Develop a Governance Plan
Who creates content? Who approves it? How often is it reviewed?
Your plan should include:
- Content owners for departments
- Review cycles to keep info fresh
- Publishing standards for tone, style, and format
Tools like Noodle help automate permissions and workflows.
6. Create a Content Calendar
Planning ahead ensures a steady flow of content. Try scheduling:
- Monthly leadership updates
- Weekly employee highlights
- Quarterly culture surveys
- Project updates or blog-style posts
You don’t need to post every day — just consistently.
7. Optimize for Findability
If people can’t find content, they won’t use it.
Improve findability by:
- Using clear page titles and headings
- Tagging and categorizing content
- Grouping related info into hubs or folders
- Testing your intranet’s search for key terms
Make it fast and intuitive to find what matters.
8. Promote and Measure
Build it — but also promote it.
Use:
- Company-wide emails or digests
- Slack/Teams messages
- Pop-ups or homepage highlights
- Recognition for contributors
Then use your intranet’s analytics to track what’s working and what needs adjustment.
Final Thought: Start Simple, Grow Strategically
A strong intranet content strategy doesn’t require doing everything at once. Start with your most essential content, get the right people involved, and evolve over time.
An intranet should be a place employees want to visit — not just have to.
Need help creating your content strategy?
At Noodle, we help organizations plan, build, and scale intranets that work for real people. Contact us to get started.