Internal email newsletters have been a trusted tool for decades. Easy to produce, cost-effective, and familiar across every department—they’ve long been the default in internal communication. Especially when it comes to employee engagement across large organizations and frontline teams, it’s time to call it: email just doesn’t cut it anymore.

But default doesn’t mean effective. Today’s employees, especially those on the frontline, work differently. They consume information differently. And most importantly, they expect more—more relevance, more clarity, more flexibility. Here’s the good news: We’re not saying internal newsletters need to disappear. We’re saying they need to evolve.

Because what’s broken isn’t the idea of sharing updates, stories, wins, and key announcements. It’s how and where those updates show up. The format, frequency, and delivery method are what’s holding newsletters back—not the concept itself. Let’s dig into why the current approach is struggling—and what a better version can look like.

Why internal newsletters fall flat

Internal newsletters still have value. People do want to hear what’s happening across teams, who’s being recognized, what milestones were hit. But the problem isn’t the content—it’s the internal communication method.

Here’s what’s dragging your employee newsletter down:

• Open rates drop as companies grow
• Click-throughs rarely hit meaningful levels
• Content feels generic and impersonal

And for frontline teams? Many don’t have inbox access at all. Or if they do, they’re checking it after their shift—if ever. So no, we don’t have to say goodbye to newsletters. But we do need to stop pretending they’re effective in their current form.

A modern internal newsletter isn’t an email—it’s a mobile update, a push notification, a quick post with space for replies or reactions. It’s targeted, visual, and designed for flow, not formality.

Cutting email doesn’t mean cutting support

Modernizing your internal comms doesn’t mean leaving people behind. Retiring email newsletters isn’t about ripping away a lifeline—it’s about replacing it with something better. Better delivery. Better engagement. Better support. Because the most successful transitions aren’t just platform swaps—they’re mindset shifts.

It’s not “we’re stopping newsletters.” It’s “we’re rethinking how updates are shared—and making it easier for everyone to stay in the loop.”

That kind of change requires:

• A clear timeline
• On-the-ground support from ambassadors and managers
• Direct answers to team concerns
• And tools that are as easy to use as the apps employees already rely on

Modern comms doesn’t mean less connection—it means more of the right kind.

TL;DR: If email is your Plan A… it’s time for Plan B

Internal newsletters used to be Plan A. But if you’re still using them as your primary communication channel, it’s really time to rethink it. The longer you keep fallback options like email “just in case,” the harder it becomes to build momentum elsewhere. Every duplicated message dilutes the message.

The truth is: most teams don’t need more reminders—they need fewer, better messages delivered through the right channel.

What works better than newsletters?

We’re not replacing communication. We’re replacing where and how it happens. What that looks like:

• Updates on mobile, not buried in email threads
• Reactions, comments, and a space to respond
• The right info to the right crew, at the right time
• One place to find what matters, not five apps and a follow-up

You know what? Your “newsletter” can still exist. It just needs to show up as a pinned post with a GIF, a quote from the shift lead, and a call to action someone might actually tap.

That’s not less comms. It’s better comms.

Shell: The bold move that made all the difference

Shell didn’t ease out of email. They shut it down.

After launching their new mobile comms platform, they gave teams a clear timeline:

• Four weeks of dual updates
• Then email gets retired
• From that point forward, this is the new source of truth

Some people hesitated. Some missed things at first. But over time, engagement grew. Why? Because Shell backed the shutdown with real support:

• Field teams offered in-person help
• Ambassadors were trained to answer questions
• Internal messaging made it clear this wasn’t a test—it was the plan

The transition wasn’t flawless. But it worked. When there’s no fallback, people pay attention. When there’s clarity, people adapt.

You don’t have to be Shell to pull this off

You don’t need a global comms team or a polished video series to retire your email newsletter. You need:

• A clear plan
• The right platform
• People who can say, “this is how we’re doing it now”—and mean it
• Backup that feels like support, not surveillance

Because again: it’s not about killing your newsletter. It’s about saving it—from being ignored. So maybe don’t delete it. Just… relocate it. Rethink it. Rewrite it like a human. And send it where your humans are.

Final thought: Don’t delete it—upgrade it

You don’t have to ditch your company newsletter cold turkey. But if it’s buried in unread internal emails? You’re already losing attention.

Time to stop shouting into the void—and start sharing news in a way that actually sticks.

Because when you simplify communication and meet people where they are, something powerful happens: they engage.

📍 And that’s what internal comms is really about. Take the first step with an internal communications app. 

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