Let's face it - most internal communications feel like the company equivalent of being cc’d on a cold email.
Built for compliance, not curiosity.
They inform — but rarely ignite action.
Those Announcements, training invites, policy updates that took your team weeks… messages that are the heartbeat of culture, engagement, and performance, all sent into the void of unopened inboxes and unread intranet posts.
It's not easy watching your employees scroll past.
But employees aren’t ignoring your internal comms because they don't care.
They ignore them because nothing signals why it matters to them right now.
There’s no urgency
No energy
No “I need to be part of this.”
Just another polite FYI floating through Slack.
If you want to design internal messaging that makes people opt in rather than tune out, add some FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) into the mix.
FOMO isn’t just a marketing trick.
It’s an emotional shortcut for attention.
It works because it taps into three deeply human needs:
1. Urgency: “This is happening now.”
2. Exclusivity: “Others are already in on it.”
3. Belonging: “I don’t want to be left out.”
And turns your update from “I’ll get to it later” into “Wait—what’s happening?”
“You’ll want to see this before tomorrow’s meeting.”
works 100xs better than “Please read this month's update from HR.”
Employees are busy.
They're not reading your content behind their desk, sipping tea.
They're reading your content on the factory floor, waiting for their lunch order, watching their kids play the donkey in the school nativity.
People ignore content if they think it’ll still be there tomorrow.
A “don’t miss this” tone cuts through the noise better than a polite invite.
Add time sensitivity when you want to boost sign-ups and attendance
Where to use:
When everyone’s stretched thin, a new initiative or training session can sound like more hard work, unless it feels like the place to be.
Your goal isn’t just to inform.
It’s to turn passive updates into can’t-miss moments, because people want to be part of it when you make a project feel desirable.
So instead of “Reminder: register for Friday’s workshop.”
Try:
Where to use:
People join movements, not mandates.
Change only works when people believe it’s something they'd be proud to be part of.
Frame your internal initiatives and training as Progression rather than another thing to add to their calendar.
Where to use:
Recognition works best when it motivates through aspiration instead of instruction.
This isn’t just about applause.
It’s about social proof.
Publicly celebrating others creates a “wait, I want that too” effect.
That subtle sense of “people I respect are already doing this” drives engagement far better than another reminder.
Where to use:
FOMO turns your updates from “nice to know” into “need to see.”
It makes internal stories feel like you’re tuning into something unfolding right now, not reading leftovers from last week.
Where to use:
Creating FOMO-driven internal communication is about making employees feel like they’ll miss something exciting, valuable, or career-boosting if they don’t engage.
It nudges your employees to read more or sign up by showing that:
FOMO = (Relevance × Urgency) + Social Proof + Easy Next Step
Example:
“Join our new mentoring circle to see how you can fast-track your development with people who’ve been there (Relevance) x sign up before Friday, only 60 spots left (Urgency) + 40 attendees from Sales have already joined (Social Proof) + Add your name before the next round closes. (Next Step).”
If your messaging is getting stuck, I can help you build one that creates movement.
🎯 Hi, I'm Vivien,
I work with Heads of Communications, CMOs, and B2B internal and external comms teams who desperately need messaging that:
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