Learn the 5 secrets to launching an employee app your employees will actually use and love. From building anticipation to keeping users engaged, this guide will transform your app into a thriving online community that boosts communication, collaboration, and productivity.
People are creatures of habit & breaking habits is a difficult thing to do. Whether it's a morning coffee routine or a nightly scroll through social media, these deeply ingrained behaviors can be tough to change. You might be wondering why we are talking about habits when it comes to launching an employee app. Well, if you think of it - getting your team to consistently use the app is essentially like learning to build a new habit. It's about integrating the app into their daily work life, as a result making it the go-to resource for communication & collaboration.
If you’re about to roll out an employee comms app for your teams, or you’re stuck on getting employees to use an app you already have) - you’ve landed on the right blog. In this blog, we’ll focus on five main stages of making it a success.
Launching a new employee app is like building a new habit for your workforce. Here's a 5-stage plan to make it a success and a habit that sticks:
Ready to dive in?
When launching a new employee comms app, it is obvious that choosing the right software is paramount to success. However, the biggest part of making it a success is ensuring that each employee genuinely wants to use it. Here’s a few things to consider.
Does your organization struggle with siloed information? Aim to improve knowledge sharing. Is one of your priorities to ensure clear communication internally? Then the employee app can be a central platform you use for announcements about, for example, policy changes that directly impact the frontline workforce.
After you set the goals you want to achieve with the app, it’s time to identify what are the main challenges your frontline employees face on a daily basis. Challenges the employee app can solve. Do associates working in retail struggle to quickly and easily find the latest product info or return policy updates? A mobile employee app can be the go-to source to find this information, just a few taps away. Perhaps the knowledge of common customer concerns varies by location? Built-in chat functionalities in the app can help bridge this gap and enable staff to share best practices across branches directly.
💡Expert tip: Set an activation goal you want to achieve in the first 3 months
“Here's another key step: setting an activation goal. Why ? Because a high activation rate tells a powerful story. It means your frontline workforce is finding the app valuable. They're using it to communicate, access information, and ultimately, do their jobs better. And it allows you to measure the success of your initiatives in rolling out the app to the workforce!”
Anne-Catherine Smit, Customer Success Manager at Speakap
Create a name for the app that is unique, communicates the culture of your company, and indicates the benefits the app will bring to employees. Consider alternatives to "WorkStuff Phone App" and aim for creating an app name that is memorable and inviting. Create a logo and other design components that convey the purpose of the app in a visual way and resonate with your staff.
P.S. Did you know that Speakap makes it possible to create a white-labeled, completely branded employee app that your staff will like and recognise right away? 😉 See how we help you create an employee app your employees will love.
Tease and grab attention with a pre-launch marketing. Don't just declare the app's arrival; create anticipation! Create a teaser campaign using unique images, brief video samples demonstrating app functionalities, or even entertaining puzzles implying the program's potential. One of our customers, for example, placed teasers such as street interview clips on their platform prior to the app's formal debut to build anticipation and spark conversation.
Friendly competition is an effective way to generate buzz. Carry out pre-launch competitions on the company's social media channels or via email. Ask employees to submit creative ideas for potential app features they'd like to see, design logo elements, or encourage them to come up with an imaginative app name. Offer incentives like coupons, additional days off, or even the option to be a beta tester for the application itself. This not only increases enthusiasm, but also gives crucial customer input before debut. This not only generates excitement, but also provides valuable user feedback prior to launch.
💡Expert tip: involve the team in the naming process
“One impactful tactic is to involve your people in the naming process. Hold an internal vote to choose the official app name. This simple act of participation gets people invested in the app's success even before it launches. It creates a sense of community and ownership, which goes a long way in driving adoption once the app is available.”
Anne-Catherine Smit, Customer Success Manager at Speakap
Create content in advance to ensure that the platform is loaded with useful resources upon launch. Users will receive value right away from this, which will motivate them to come back for more.
Formulate a plan centered on producing relevant, educational, and captivating content that meets the needs & interests of your frontline workforce. Workers won't use an app that has out-of-date paperwork or unrelated news on it. Make it simple for a busy cashier to locate a quick video on handling challenging customer interactions or for a factory worker to quickly access the most recent safety protocols by prioritizing and organizing content for user-friendliness.
💡Expert tip: encourage managers to write a personalized welcome message for their teams
“Here at Speakap, we recommend encouraging managers to write a personalized welcome message for their teams within the app. This simple step goes a long way. It shows employees this is a space designed specifically for them, fostering a sense of ownership and community. Plus, it gets managers comfortable using the app for communication – a key habit for sustained user engagement.”
Anne-Catherine Smit, Customer Success Manager at Speakap
Consider having a company-wide event or meeting to announce the app. Demonstrate its value proposition with live demos, emphasize important features that solve frequent employee concerns, and illustrate how the app will improve collaboration and productivity. For example, this could consist of a "How To Use the App" video by HR for a quick and easy walkthrough & encourage employees to make their first post on the employee app with a screenshot showing they downloaded the app. You could also ask them to in the post include their answer to “What are you most excited about using the app for?".
💡Expert tip: posters with QR codes to encourage app downloads
“For example, consider placing eye-catching posters around the workplace with a catchy slogan, something like 'Are you in?, alongside a QR code for easy download. Some of our customers have even thrown launch parties complete with cakes featuring the app logo.”
Anne-Catherine Smit, Customer Success Manager at Speakap
A fantastic employee app is no good use if nobody uses it. Do you want to turn passive scrollers into engaged app users? Here’s a few tips to ensure high adoption post-launch.
Integrate the app into the onboarding process from the start. Demonstrate how the software simplifies work, gives access to training resources, and facilitates collaboration among colleagues. Pre-load the app with useful materials such as a digital staff handbook, safety regulations, and department-specific recommendations.
Make it simple for a busy frontline workforce. Prioritize clear, simple content and an easy-to-use categorization. Focus on "quick win" features, such as brief video lectures on how to handle challenging client contacts, easily accessible shift schedules, or a simplified communication route with management.
Look into offering small incentives to promote early downloads and engagement, such as digital coffee vouchers or points redeemable for other corporate goods. This will encourage employees to explore the app and find its worth. This push may help transform app usage into a good habit that benefits both your staff and your company.
Employee testimonials might assist to illustrate the app's positive influence. Highlight how front-line employees are using the app to improve their work lives, such as a cashier quickly addressing a customer issue or a factory worker accessing safety requirements in their native language. Social proof builds trust and encourages widespread adoption.
A successful employee app is not a one-time launch, which goes without saying. It is about keeping users coming back, which leads to higher employee engagement over time. So, how can you make using your employee app a habit for your employees? Speakap has helped numerous enterprises across the world develop effective employee applications. Over the last decade, we've witnessed firsthand what keeps people interested and returning for more. Here's a few best practices:
Our experienced Customer Success and Support Professionals are passionate about equipping your leaders with the best practices, training and ongoing support that they need to be successful with their employee app. Curious to see how we can help you launch an employee app your employees will love? You know where to find us