Too often, newsletters are written for everyone, which inevitably means they resonate with no one.
Generic subject lines, irrelevant updates, clunky formatting, poor UX. The result? Low open rates, disengaged employees, and missed opportunities to connect with and align employees.
At Unily, we believe there's a better way; putting personalization at the beating heart of your comms strategy. Powered by intelligent targeting at scale, our broadcast email capabilities help you deliver the right message to the right employee at exactly the right time. Read on to see why that could make all the difference for your business.
Why a traditional approach falls flat
Traditional employee newsletters tend to rely on mass email blasts and a one-size-fits-all approach with messages getting pushed to the entire workforce, regardless of role, region, or relevance.
But in an era of hyper-personalized content, this approach just doesn’t cut it. Employees expect communication that feels tailored to them. If it’s not timely or relevant, it’s ignored.
The challenges are especially stark for organizations with a large, distributed workforce – perhaps with frontline teams or shift workers across international borders. These employees are the face of your operations, and yet often feel left out of the communication loop entirely. Recent Unily research found that Nearly three-quarters of frontline employees (72%) say they don’t have a strong grasp of company strategy.
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When done right, the newsletter has enduring power
With so many organizations now embracing remote and hybrid work models, communicating across different teams, locations, and time zones isn’t easy. Although the traditional approach is dilapidated, many companies have taken a fresh approach to the modern newsletter - recognizing their value as a consistent, centralized drumbeat to reach employees wherever they are. But when we scratch the surface of the modern newsletter, its value is clear:
1. Keep everyone in the loop
A major frustration for many employees is feeling like they’re being left behind or missing out on key updates.
Internal communicators think newsletters are the way to banish these gripes, with Ragan recently finding that 72% of them see internal email as their most effective channel and half of frontline workers (53%) saying it’s a top communication channel for receiving information.
Whether it’s new hires, departmental goals, client wins, or leadership changes, a newsletter serves as a go-to hub for updates helping ensure no one is left in the dark.
2. Foster a stronger sense of belonging
If you want people to not only stay at your organization, but to thrive - building a sense of belonging is critical. Newsletters offer a great way to celebrate employee milestones, introduce inclusive initiatives, or highlight team wins.
When people feel seen and included, they’re more likely to invest in your shared culture, pull in the right direction of travel, and support their colleagues.
3. Boost organizational velocity
Companies where employees feel connected to a wider goal or shared sense of purpose tend to see higher rates of productivity, by as much as 25% according to McKinsey.
We know from the data that when communication breaks down, disengagement creeps in; isolation rises, motivation drops, and cross-functional collaboration? Forget about it. Newsletters provide a steady, reliable rhythm of communication to help employees feel like active participants in the enterprise journey and brings your employees back to your employee experience platform.
4. Cut through the noise
We know from Unily’s flagship research that employees often feel overwhelmed. Between the constant din of notifications, pings, and email alerts - it’s easy for the important stuff to get buried. Newsletters offer a great way to slice through that swell of digital noise with a clean, digestible format and clear, single source of truth. Why not reignite passion for the work and mission of your company without overwhelming inboxes.
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5. Connect with remote and deskless employees
Unfortunately, it’s easy for non-office workers to feel disconnected. Whether they’re on the shop floor, out in the field, or working from home - they tend to miss out on hallway conversations and spontaneous updates. An inclusive, mobile-friendly newsletter that can be accessed on every device helps ensure every employee has equal access to company information and community-building opportunities. From shoutouts to contests, quizzes to on-demand webinars - there are endless ways to include and engage every team member.
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Real-world examples
Newsletters soar high with British Airways
As part of their post-pandemic re-engagement strategy, British Airways used their employee newsletters as a key channel to reconnect with staff. Through regular, targeted content on topics like company values, the new uniform launch, and customer service initiatives, the newsletters helped reinforce a sense of pride and purpose. The impact was clear: employee engagement rose by 14 points, pride in working for BA increased by 13 points, and enjoyment in their roles went up by 8 points. These internal gains also translated into measurable improvements in customer service, particularly at check-in and boarding.
Connecting frontline healthcare with a high-impact newsletter
MultiCare transitioned to Unily’s Broadcast Center in late 2024, completing the migration of their weekly newsletters from Poppulo by April 2025. Following this move, they cancelled their Poppulo subscription in June, resulting in an annual cost saving of $75,000 ARR. A shining example of internal communications audience segmentation done well.
How the newsletter became a communication powerhouse at Aflac
Aflac’s monthly employee newsletter plays a central role in their internal communications success, consistently achieving a strong 33% open rate and an impressive 28% click-through rate. This high engagement reflects the value employees place on timely, relevant content. Combined with an 88% adoption rate across their platform and an 80% employee satisfaction rate, the newsletter has proven to be a key driver in keeping teams informed, connected, and engaged.
The Unily difference: from broadcast to precision comms
With most intranet tools, email is just another checkbox. But with Unily, it becomes a strategic channel. Our advanced broadcast email functionality with intelligent targeting at scale lets you:
- Build and automate emails directly from the CMS
- Capitalize on preexisting content across your EXP with intuitive integration
- Use powerful drag-and-drop builders for on-brand layouts
- Apply dynamic targeting with a limitless audience builder for smart distribution
- Use multilingual capabilities to translate and push out content in native languages
- Access in-depth analytics to measure and optimize performance over time
It’s not just about sending better emails - it’s about building smarter communication ecosystems that move the needle on engagement, retention, and culture.
How to get started with smarter newsletters
Ready to upgrade your newsletters? Here’s a simple roadmap:
- Audit Your Current Approach - Think about who you’re talking to and who you’re currently missing?
- Define Internal Audience Segments - Start with role, location, and function, then refine from there with granularity to match any enterprise complexity.
- Map Out Content Journeys - What does each internal audience need to hear, and when?
- Build Templates - Use Unily’s branded components and prebuilt templates to create reusable, scalable email formats.
- Test and Learn - Use Unily’s analytics dashboard to see what’s working, then optimize.
Unily’s uniquely limitless audience builder makes all the difference
Unily gives internal communicators the power to break free from static distribution lists and start building dynamic, data-driven audiences. Want to send a compliance update to warehouse managers in Germany? Easy. Need to share a leadership Q&A with only your sales leaders in APAC? No problem. Internal communications audience segmentation doesn’t have to be a headache.
With Unily, you can segment internal audiences based on:
- Job roles and departments
- Office or location
- Time zones and shift schedules
- Language preferences
- Employee interests and behaviors
- Uniquely, any other parameter you choose
That means your newsletters aren't just delivered - they’re received, read, and acted on - so you can reinforce your brand from the inside out.
Final thoughts: Intelligent targeting is the way to win
At Unily, we’re helping leading enterprises transform communication from a blanket broadcast into a precision experience. It’s not about doing more - it’s about doing it smarter.
With intelligent targeting at scale, powered by our limitless audience builder, your newsletters can finally do what they were always meant to: inform, inspire, and engage every employee - no matter where they work.
Ready to take the next step? Get in touch to learn how Unily can help you deliver broadcast emails that truly deliver:
Get started. Get your personalized demo.
