Internal communication are the pieces of copywriting only seen by a company’s employees. These five pieces will lay the foundation for how your employees think, act and feel.

Anything anyone wants to know about who and what your company stands for and why your company matters can be found in these five pieces of internal communication.

 These pieces of internal communication are short, but not easy to write.

They’re exercises in brevity and humanity. They’re what AI will never be able to give you because the path to motivating employees with internal communication starts in the heart, soul and body.

#1. Your elevator pitch

This is a sentence to describe the problem you’re solving, how you’re solving it and what makes your solution unique.

Regardless of the business you’re in, your elevator pitch should be simple enough for a child to understand. And the reality is that even the most complex businesses are based on simple solutions to basic problems:

ACME Labs uses AI to increase the speed of blood-testing for over 80 markers, helping doctors and their patients get results faster.

ACME Grille is a 5-star steakhouse with an equally heralded vegetarian menu so the whole family can enjoy a special night out.

ACME Institute is a music school that prioritizes music theory, so students develop the ability to play and write with any instrument.

#2. Your comparable

If you were a superhero or a Hollywood star, or a car brand, or a tech company or a professional wrestler or a nursery rhyme character, which one would you be and why?

This piece of internal communication doesn’t need to be more than a few sentences, but it’s important because it will put everybody who reads it in the same frame of mind.

At ACME Labs, we’re like Audi. We’re not for everybody, but we’re appreciated by the people who choose us because we’re premium in all the right places. We understand exactly what our audience wants, and we work hard to exceed their expectations.

At ACME Grille, we’re like Meryl Streep. We’re high quality in everything we do because we took the time to master our craft. We’re not afraid to take chances. We’re not afraid to make mistakes. And while everything we do looks and feels different, no one else could’ve done it better.

At ACME Institute, we’re like Neil DeGrasse Tyson. We have a deep passion for what we study. We want to share the entirety of that passion with whoever feels like we do, and we do that by making everything digestible, entertaining and relatable to anyone.

 #3. Your mission

It shouldn’t be longer than a sentence because your mission should be singular. Think of it as the problem you’re trying to solve.

The mission aspect of your internal communication is important because it gives everybody in your organization a target to be aiming towards with everything they do.

The ACME Labs’ mission is to keep shrinking the time it takes to report results.

The ACME Grille mission is to make steak dinner enjoyable for all eaters.

The ACME Institute mission is to introduce more instruments to more kids.

 #4. Your vision

Again, keeping it singular and no longer than a sentence, your vision is the state of the world after you’ve won the battle. If your mission guides your people’s actions, the vision part of your internal communication should guide their hearts.

The ACME Labs’ vision is faster healthcare from the word go. 

The ACME Grille vision is a friendlier world for all eaters.

The ACME Institute vision is deeper appreciation of music in all its forms.

#5. Your “why”

The French call this your raison d’être, or “reason for being.” This piece of internal communication will be your motivation or your purpose. It’s why you started the company and why it’s important to you.

If your vision guides the action and your mission guides the heart, your why guides the soul. Again, it doesn’t have to be long. Imagine it painted as a mural on the side of a building.

Why ACME Labs? Because when a family is waiting for news that could affect the rest of their lives, they should get it as soon as possible. We can speed the process up at the outset with AI-powered blood-testing for over 80 markers.

Why ACME Grille? Because a steak dinner is special and should never have to be compromised. Our unique meat-free menu options can accommodate parties with vegetarians and help everyone at the table feel comfortable.

Why ACME Institute? Because music is infinitely cooler and more exciting when you understand how it works and how you can make it work for your ideas. Some music programs create players. We create composers.

All your people should have access to these internal communication

Your employees will sometimes lose focus or heart or purpose. It’s what we humans do. In those cases, it’s wise to go back to the basics. Your pitch, comp, mission, vision and why are the bare basics.

Also, going back to the basics can help with brainstorming new ideas, as it’s the equivalent of a 50,000-foot view.

And from there, you can dive down in any direction you want.