Are your internal messages getting buried under a flood of emails, or worse—ignored altogether? Do important updates fail to reach the right employees at the right time?
If this sounds familiar, it’s time to bring structure to your internal communication strategy with a well-planned internal communications calendar.
This isn’t just about scheduling messages—it’s about ensuring every announcement, update, and initiative is delivered with purpose, precision, and maximum impact. A great internal communications calendar turns scattered messaging into a seamless experience that keeps employees informed, engaged, and aligned with company goals.
We’ve all been there – sending out that company-wide announcement only to realize HR just sent their quarterly update 20 minutes ago. Or worse, discovering the CEO’s important strategy message went out the same day as the office party reminder, and guess which one got all the attention? (Hint: it wasn’t the strategy memo).
An internal communications calendar helps you:
An internal communications calendar is more than just marking dates—it’s a strategic framework that ensures the right messages reach employees at the right time. Here’s what you need to include:
Planning themes in advance keeps your messaging aligned with business goals and prevents last-minute scrambling. Whether it’s reinforcing company values or rolling out key initiatives, a clear content roadmap ensures every message has a purpose.
Here are some themes that you can incorporate into your comms calendar:
For example, if innovation is a company priority, you can dedicate a month each quarter to spotlighting new ideas or process improvements.
Timing is everything! Getting it right is just as important as the message itself. A balanced schedule ensures employees receive important updates without information overload.
Consider these factors when planning your calendar:
For example, use Monday morning updates to set weekly priorities, while in-depth content like leadership insights or training resources is better suited for a monthly digest.
Not all messages are created equal—so why send them the same way? Choosing the right communication channel based on the type of content ensures your messages are seen, understood, and acted upon.
Here’s how to align your message with the best delivery method:
A successful internal comms calendar requires clear ownership. Assign roles for:
For example, a ‘communications champion’ from each department can provide updates that feed into the broader calendar, ensuring all teams are represented.
Regularly reviewing the calendar helps assess whether your strategy is effective and how can you improve it further.
Ways to evaluate success:
For example, after rolling out a company-wide policy update, send a quick survey to see if employees found the message clear and actionable.
Building an internal communications calendar from the ground up? No problem. Follow these steps to create a structured, effective plan that keeps employees informed and engaged—without the chaos.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a robust internal communications calendar:
Before you start filling in dates, get clear on what you’re trying to achieve. Ask yourself:
Your calendar should be more than a schedule—it should be a strategic tool that supports company goals.
Before reinventing the wheel, take a quick audit of existing communications. You might be surprised how much is already in motion!
Ask around:
🔹 “Hey Sarah in HR, what regular updates do you send out?”
🔹 “John in IT, when do system updates usually get announced?”
Jot it all down. You might uncover things like:
✅ The CEO sends a last-minute update every Friday afternoon.
✅ HR has quarterly benefits reminders.
✅ IT’s system alerts happen… whenever they remember.
✅ Every department has a newsletter—on wildly different schedules.
Gathering input from department heads, HR, and team leaders ensures your calendar reflects real needs and makes communications more effective.
The best calendar in the world won’t help if no one can access or update it. Choose tools that make planning, managing, and tracking internal communications easy.
You don’t need a fancy setup—just something that works. Here are a few options:
✅ Your Intranet: Great for keeping all communications in one central place.
✅ Project Management Tools (Trello, Asana, Airtable): Perfect for organizing content, setting deadlines, and assigning tasks.
✅ Shared Calendars (Google Calendar, Outlook): A simple way to schedule recurring updates and company-wide events.
✅ Dedicated Internal Comms Software: If your company has one, use it! These tools often include scheduling, automation, and analytics.
💡 Pro Tip: Start simple. If your team is already using a project management tool, create a shared board with key dates and content owners. No need to reinvent the wheel!
CTA
Internal Comms Platform Health Check
Start with the non-negotiables – the stuff that has to happen on a regular schedule:
Pro tip: Add these as recurring events in your calendar first, then work around them.
Now, let’s bring some structure to your calendar. Categorizing your communications prevents message overload and keeps things balanced. Try these:
🎯 Need-to-Know (policy updates, system changes)
📢 Nice-to-Know (company news, industry insights)
🎉 Culture & Community (events, celebrations, recognition)
📚 Professional Development (training, learning opportunities)
Example Weekly Breakdown:
MONDAY: Critical updates & policy changes
TUESDAY: Department spotlight
WEDNESDAY: Learning & development
THURSDAY: Company strategy & business updates
FRIDAY: Culture & community highlights
Decide who owns each type of communication. Assign responsibilities so there’s a clear process for creating, reviewing, and distributing messages.
For example:
✔ HR handles policy updates.
✔ The comms team manages company-wide announcements.
✔ Department leads contribute team-specific news.
When everyone knows their role, your calendar runs like a well-oiled machine.
Your calendar isn’t set in stone. Monitor engagement, gather employee input, and refine as needed.
✅ Track what works (and what doesn’t).
✅ Keep an eye on open rates, click-throughs, and engagement.
✅ Be flexible—adjust your schedule based on feedback.
Building an internal comms calendar takes time, but once it’s in place, it makes communication smoother, more strategic, and far less stressful. 🚀
Here are some real-world suggestions that have saved my bacon more than once:
Leave some blank spaces in your calendar. Trust me, something always comes up. Having “emergency slots” already built in makes you look like a wizard when you can accommodate that last-minute executive announcement.
Think about when your people are most likely to engage:
Map your calendar to what employees actually need when:
Save yourself time by creating templates for recurring messages. For example:
This not only saves time but creates consistency your employees will appreciate.
Make It Your Own
The best part about creating a comms calendar is that you can (and should) adapt it to your organization’s unique culture. Maybe your team loves GIFs and memes, so you build in “Fun Fact Friday.” Perhaps your organization is data-driven, so you include metrics updates each week.
Some fun ideas I’ve seen work:
Download Templates for Internal Comms Calendar:
These 3 marketing tactics will help you be a better communicator.
Don't wait for disaster to strike. Take the time to create a crisis plan now.
Learn how to pick the right comms channels for your business.
