Timbre Media

Corporate Radio, Podcasts, Branding and Audiobook services in India

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A GUIDE TO THE BEST COMMUNICATION TOOLS TO FACILITATE EFFECTIVE INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Understanding the world of internal communications

The world of internal communication has come a long way from the basics. You know, company- wide email announcements, newsletters, weekly mailers and the like. For most, internal communication strategy is now a top-shelf priority instead of an afterthought.

But, as the world of internal communication has grown, so have the number of tools that facilitate it. From internal internet platforms to special apps and more, the various ways in which a company can communicate with its workforce and stakeholders have changed drastically. And, that leads to an inevitable conundrum – the problem of plenty.

With so many tools out there, it can be extremely difficult to pick the right ones for your company and its priorities. From a communication standpoint, it’s not just about having all the shiniest tools at your disposal. It’s important that these tools also lend themselves to effective communication. No use trying to write on a whiteboard with chalk, is there?

Here are a few of the best internal communication tools for corporate use, that can facilitate smooth and effective dialogue in an organisation.

The best internal communication tools for corporate communication

1. Instant Messaging Apps:

Imagine having a company specific messaging app – like WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal? A messaging app that is specifically customised for your company’s needs and comprises features that enable faster and better communication can be a great boon for one’s organisation. Many use services like Slack that give you a platform to form groups, instantly communicate with colleagues and leaders, and most importantly, give you a unique set of emojis to keep things engaging. Jokes aside (though the value of unique emojis is undebatable), an organisation-specific messaging app can do wonders for quick and hassle-free communication.

2. Internal Forums:

An internal forum is almost always a good idea because it creates a unique and captive audience. With an internal forum, everyone in the organisation is directed to the same platform. From updates and important announcements to news and other communication material, an internal forum can be positioned as the only common place where all stakeholders of a particular company can interact – with the company at large, as well as with each other.

Further, a platform like this is great to address privacy concerns. Since only people from within the company can access the forum, information stays within the four walls of the forum, with no outside access.

And lastly, it’s a forum, not a property. This means that it can be used as a vessel to hold and facilitate all kinds of internal communication content. It can feature various channels or sections and allow for effective categorisation. When organised well, an internal forum can be very easy to navigate and thus, be used to communicate efficiently.

3. Employee Apps:

Employee apps are all the rage these days, but then again, it’s important to narrow down on the ones that can effectively address your internal communication needs and priorities, alleviating your internal communication strategy.

Employee apps can be used for a variety of things – to engage employees with entertainment content, to help them with things like productivity and work tips (especially during this work from home era), to give them necessary resources and much more.

Interestingly, during the pandemic, many companies built and used customised apps that provided employees with motivational content, easy-to-use fitness content, etc. in order to communicate with them and stay connected, while also giving them necessary updates from time-to-time.

Apps, just like outside the professional context, can really be used for anything. So, they’re a great way to address targeted needs (since they can be tailor-made and customised to match specific needs).

4. Podcasts:

Podcasts and customised audio content follow suit in terms of popular internal communication tools in the corporate world, and surprisingly so. It’s true – when one hears the words radio or talk-radio, the ways in which the same can be leveraged for corporate internal communication is not what first comes to mind. However, it turns out, they’re an incredibly effective tool that can engage, motivate and update employees at any given time.

The advantages with podcasts in the world of internal communication strategy are many. They are portable and so, can be listened to on the go. They are relatively more economical in terms of production. Further, given that they facilitate customisation and can feature tailor-made content, they can be used to target various needs in one’s organisation. From employee engagement to learning and development and employee induction, podcasts and corporate radio programmes make for some of the best internal communication tools in the world of internal communication today.

Ways to get started on your podcasting journey

What’s more – there are various production companies that specialise in creating content like this. From understanding your internal communication needs to content creation and ideation and final production, these companies can create the perfect podcast for your company. Production houses like Timbre Media, for example, cater to companies and organisations world over, addressing a diverse range of internal communication needs and providing support every step of the way.

https://www.timbremedia.in/

https://www.timbremedia.in/contact-us/

[email protected]

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WHICH ONE LEADS TO BETTER COMPRHENSION AND RETENTION, LISTENING TO AUDIOBOOKS OR READING AN ACTUAL BOOK?

Does listening to audiobooks lead to better comprehension or retention compared to a physical book, like a paperback? This differs from individual to individual. Some retain spoken word better than what they read, while many do better with books they can hold and read physically. I used to be a voracious reader, and have the requisite walnut-colored book rack at home, with paperbacks spilling over the sides, and prized hardcovers taking pride of place. But over the last few years, I find myself depending on audiobooks to get my reading done. From quick book summaries to well-read novels, biographies and non-fiction books, audiobooks have made this voracious reader fall in love with literature in a whole new way.

Perhaps it’s the skill of the reader evocatively bringing to life the world the author has crafted with care - the emotional nuances of the narrator’s voice as it takes me through the protagonist’s journey, walking every step with me, feeling every whiff of the breeze, the swell of a small victory and the trough of a defeat or heartbreak, the reluctant joy of finding new love, the searing loss of a loved one, the sudden and cruel silence that follows an untimely demise, or maybe a call to adventure, the energy and trepidation of exploration, the excitement of discovery. Hearing a human narrate these stories, and resonate with the feelings they awaken in us, makes each audiobook a rewarding experience in itself. We read books, especially fiction, to be transported to a different world - worlds where many more things are possible, and worlds holding out a promise of adventure and/or emotional fulfillment. A well crafted  audiobook captures all of this - like an audio movie, if you will. Audiobooks, in my experience, are a heightened form of listening - the listener is enveloped by the world the author has created. And he is transported, nay, dropped into that world, experiencing every word, deed, and thought in the story like a real-time adventure.  

We read books for the same reasons - every time we open a book, we expect to be drawn into the world it contains within. We expect to sail through a storm of emotions, to explore the tapestry of its intricate human connections, coming out the other side redeemed but changed in a deeply rewarding way. (Except some self-help books, which are meant to be acted upon immediately - do they even know most book readers are proud procrastinators?) And once it’s done, on we go to the next story that captures our imagination.

I’d think physical books are better for educational purposes - we can go back to a page we want to refer to again and again, until we’ve mastered the skill we’re seeking. Otherwise, as a reader, the transition to listening to audiobooks, while cumbersome, can be beneficial. You save on physical space, on paper, money (audiobooks are usually less expensive), and you can listen to them at any time. That last bit is important to me - these days, no commute or travel is wasted because I always have an audiobook on my phone. My work with Timbre Media has meant that I have benefited from audiobooks immensely. They produce and distribute audiobooks as well, so the writer in me hopes to seize that opportunity quickly as well. (P.S: If you’re a writer, you really should get in touch with them about your audiobook.) The downside? I do miss rummaging through old, worn, dog-eared books in second-hand book stores. They’re always fascinating, - a peek into a brief moment in another person’s life that they’ve chosen to give away. I miss bookstores (and the pandemic hasn’t helped either) and being able to touch a book, feel the font on the cover, speak to the store owner - who is inevitably a kindred soul that treasures books and storytelling the way I do. So what I gain in terms of the human element in audiobooks, I lose when I do not visit a bookstore. Because truth be told, visiting your favourite book stores always feels like visiting an old, trusted friend. I’ll most likely keep both in my life, but for purposes of reading, audiobooks have added a whole new dimension to my “reading” - I’m no longer a bystander, I feel like a witness to an unfolding adventure! And such experiences stay with us for a long time. It’s hard to beat a well-told story, isn’t it?

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EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES WHEN THEY ARE WORKING FROM HOME

One of the biggest learnings during the pandemic has been to figure how to adapt to the new normal, and how to help our clients do the same. As companies began to work remotely, employee engagement acquired a hitherto unexplored dimension and meaning. On one hand, employees began to explore a more flexible way of working and on the other, it became harder for them to interact and synergize with colleagues. At such a time, we created content that kept remotely working employees interconnected. We also encouraged our own teams to use technological tools as much as possible to work smoothly with colleagues and clients.  

Timbre Media has constantly evolved with the times and has diversified its expertise to match the expectations and demands of its clients. From creating engaging content for employees working in brick and mortar buildings to putting together podcasts and special programming to keep their morale high during the pandemic, we have done it all and we continue to surprise ourselves every day.

Employee Engagement Strategies

The best thing about working with hybrid content models as a company means relying on video conferencing, digital chats, daily staff meetings,  and  even using virtual team-building activities to create content that was not just work-centric, but to address the personal interests of employees, showcase their special talents, and even to address questions related to wellness, nutrition and mental health. Such shows, podcasts and events did not just help our clients negotiate this difficult time but also helped us rise above our own challenges with a healthy dose of motivation.  

We also found along the way that even a global pandemic should not stop a company from making  a big deal about professional milestones, birthdays, happy as well as sad events because this makes employees feel valued and noticed.

Making new employees feel welcomed and ensuring that the veterans feel cherished also keeps teams in a state of balanced energy.

Work Engagement

Just because employees are working from home does not mean they should not be in the loop of company brainstorming, news, and feedback and thus resulted in us creating informative bulletins for companies to keep their employees updated.

We have also been able to support our own teams through illnesses, family emergencies, vaccination travails and a lot more because we believe that all professional relationships must have at their core, a pure human intention to support one another.

Offering flexibility to those who need it and structure to others who work best with it is also a skill we have mastered during the pandemic. Trusting that employees are doing their best under challenging circumstances is also important because micromanagement cannot work when people are already feeling disconnected from each other.

Helping employees achieve a work life balance may not be a priority for many companies, but some of the most successful employers encourage their workforce to maintain a healthy routine and ask for help if they are feeling overwhelmed, overworked or isolated.

Team Engagement

The work from home model is here to stay but as we have learnt, virtual check-ins, giving employees breathing space and exuding a positive, reassuring air can help managers take care of their teams better.

It is also important to clearly define roles, streamline internal communication and build a company culture that thrives on collaborating, sharing knowledge and synergizing.

Offering opportunities for growth and giving financial incentives to employees also inspires them to do even better,

In pre-pandemic days, we organised many company retreats and we will consider initiating them again once it is safer to do so.

We also ensure that employees who are not as tech savvy as some of the others, get the tools and knowledge to be comfortable with the challenges of working remotely.

The point being, whether it is our company or a client’s business, we believe that even in the new reality that we are all grappling with, that at the heart of every challenge and achievement is a human story. At Timbre Media, we never overlook it and always make an attempt to tell it to the best of our ability.

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https://www.timbremedia.in/contact-us/

[email protected]

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8 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER USING PODCAST

Storytelling is really what makes us who we are.

Over the centuries, humans have used their voice as a powerful instrument telling stories – whether to children around the fire, to prepare fellow humans to fight a mythical beast that attacks at night, or even to spin tall tales to take others for a ride. There has been no shortage of compelling narrators, stories to tell and also eager listeners - provided the story is worth telling.

Podcasts have become an essential part of today’s storytelling saga, created with a combination of human imagination, persuasive voices, and solid technology to reach out to millions of people across the world. The ubiquitous podcast listener is found almost everywhere these days – in offices, gyms, at home, and even on sidewalks. This means that podcasts have more power and accessibility as compared to its immediate ancestor – the television. It comes as no surprise then, that more and more marketing and communication teams are using podcasts to reach out to their target audiences.

Fun fact:

Corporate Podcasts and Radio Services in India | Timbre Media

Podcasts have truly become the ultimate secret weapon when it comes to developing a sound content marketing strategy, pun intended.

There is ample research to show that podcast listeners are more focused on content, due to the fact that they actively choose to listen to a specific podcast episode. Not only that, for advertisers, listeners are extremely loyal to favored podcasts and highly recommend the same to their peers.

Here are 8 good reasons why YOU, as an organization or brand, should consider starting your very own podcast.

1. Podcasts are a great way to showcase your organization’s social intelligence. Right from your company’s culture, ethics, policies, CSR activities – put it ALL in one single podcast. This can help it reach the right ears and help shape perceptions of your company, internally AND externally. Using podcasts to establish thought leadership is another great way to make your voice heard in today’s crowded marketplace.

2. Podcasts can be listened to anywhere, and can be syndicated to different places such as your website, social media, your Spotify or Soundcloud channel, and many more. This means that your audience can listen to it at any time and from anywhere.

Fun fact: Podcast listenership is 2X that of social media, which means you reach twice the number of people as your Facebook post!

3. In a world shaped by perceptions, where every company is a brand, companies need to create and improve brand recall – both internally and externally. So why not use podcasts as a creative branding tool to shape perceptions, increase loyalty, and ensure high retention?

4. Use podcasts as an effective induction tool. In today’s new normal, companies are constantly faced with getting new employees up to speed with their values, objectives and policies, in the shortest time and with minimum expenditure. So, why not simplify your onboarding process with a customized podcast for new joiners containing structured modules about HR processes, SOPs, FAQs, etc?

Fun fact: Podcasts engage employees more with 4X accelerated learning, compared to traditional lectures, emails and other documents.

5. Podcasts are a great way to upskill employees, for both hard and soft skills. Upskilling in the shortest time and without massive expenditure is, perhaps, one of the biggest challenges faced by HR departments the world over. Use podcasts to creatively impart soft skills such as customer interaction, personal finance, or evenstress management. Use well-packaged audio snippets and modules for hard skills that an employee can listen to at his or her convenience.

6. Podcasts are a great way to engage employees, whether at the workplace or even while they are at home. Studies have shown that listening to music at work makes employees more productive, complete tasks faster and think out of the box. Not only that, podcasts are a great motivational tool that can be used to keep employees informed as well as entertained. It’s like giving them their very own radio station where they feel inspired and loyal, where a spirit of camaraderie and teamwork can be fostered.

7. Podcasts are a great communication tool that cuts across time and geographies. Senior management have discovered that podcasts are a great way of keeping in touch with their workforce who are spread across the world. Important company messages, key policy information, and even interviews with senior leaders can be broadcast for employee consumption quite effectively. Many podcast initiatives by HR departments have won awards as great employee-focused initiatives.

8. Podcasts enable wide mass outreach by being communicated across different media. For example, an audio podcast can be uploaded on YouTube or even into written content to be shared far and wide enabling greater reach among peers and your target audience. This, in turn, creates better brand recall and thought leadership in the marketplace.

Fun fact: Podcasts are the most preferred learning and listening medium, with people preferring listening to them on the go.

Let’s face it: podcasts are a great tool to build a brand, grow a business, and promote expertise in a chosen field. It’s time you stop underestimating the power of podcasting, and to engage your audience in a new, non-traditional way. Use this power to promote products, advocate for social or business policy issues, and establish your organization as a thought leader in the industry.

Are you ready to wield this powerful weapon yet?

Timbre Media is a company of content and technology experts shaping the future of content. Think of us as the podcaster for India Inc. Our award-winning content enables employee induction, engagement, and learning & development like never before. Backed by an experienced content team and robust state-of-art infrastructure, Timbre Media has revolutionized audio content - ideation, scripting, voiceovers, radio talent, production, branding, technological expertise, global distribution, and much more. Organizations and HR departments can inform, communicate, and entertain employees more effectively, creating a work environment that inspires success. Reach out to us at [email protected] for more information on how YOU can use audio effectively in your workplace!

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THE ART OF GOOD EMPLOYEE INDUCTION

Employee induction is one of those corporate processes that is often underrated and undervalued. And, while it may appear as nothing but an incidental procedure, over the years, it has proven to be imperative to the health of an organisation or company.

Employee induction refers to the process by which new employees or hires are inducted and integrated into their role at their new jobs. And, unsurprisingly, employee induction has a lot more to do with strategy and a well-thought-out plan for holistic integration as opposed to a good ol’ pat on the back accompanied by, “Here’s your laptop and ID card. All the best for your journey with us!”

A good and comprehensive employee induction can be the difference between a healthy or unhealthy organisation; between a satisfied, motivated and productive workforce and an unmotivated one.

That being said, it’s important to consider the various aspects of employee induction, so as to arrive at the elements that make employee induction a good one. Here are a few things you should be paying attention to when it comes to framing an induction process/ program that benefits your organisation – its employees and stakeholders.

1. Administrative Keys

When it comes to a good employee induction, never overlook the basics. From identification and address proof to insurance details, official documents – both personal and professional, company-specific policies like technology, confidentiality and contractual policies, leave and now work from home policies, it’s important to collect all these details in one fell sweep right at the beginning of the induction process.

While this may seem like a really complicated basic step, it’s extremely important to strategise and make it an effective process. When it comes to things like company guidelines and leave requests, you can consider a different channel of communication. Audio podcasts or video broadcasts, or even something as simple as a well-structured booklet can help make this otherwise overwhelming process (both for the employer and the employee) a streamlined one.

2. Vision, Mission and Everything in Between

The next step when it comes to inducting and integrating an employee into the workforce is making them aware of the company’s vision, mission, goals, short-term and long-term goals, and everything else that may be important to better understand the working of one’s organisation.

When an employee is equipped with information of this nature, they’re more likely to be in alignment with the values of the organisation and work towards a common goal. This can only contribute positively to the health of a company.

While this process isn’t necessarily as involved as the first step, it can be addressed differently as well – videos, podcasts or powerful dialogue can help instill a sense of pride in the employee, early on.

3. Friend of a Friend Introduction to Other Staff Members

This is, arguably, one of the most important steps of an employee induction program. A warm welcome to one’s team can set the new employee off on a journey of real productivity and motivation.

A good employee induction always includes a round of introductions and hellos. In addition to that, a common trend these days has become to set up an internal “buddy system”. Through this system, a new employee is assigned a “buddy” (an employee that’s been around for a while). This pairing allows for quicker and more in-depth integration and also provides the new employee with the right support.

4. Leadership Means…

Good and effective leadership means a lot more than just delegating. The top tier often sets the tone for the ethos of a workplace. And, it’s for this reason that it’s extremely important to facilitate an introduction between relevant team leaders and the new employee. The employee must feel welcomed and like they can, if necessary, approach the team lead. So, make sure to include this in your employee induction process.

5. To Do Lists Start on Day One

One of the worst things that can happen to a new employee is feeling lost – like they don’t really know what to do or where to be. An important part of a good employee induction program is to ensure that the first week, ten days of an employee’s work journey is charted out, the most efficient and maximum possible extent.

This will provide the employee with the necessary direction to get them started in their new role, without wasting time.

Now that we’ve covered the essential steps of a good employee induction program, here are a few ways to best implement such a program.

Aside from face-to-face interactions, video and written material are the most popular and traditional methods of facilitating employee induction. And, more recently, podcasts – a form of audio-only communication are also becoming increasingly popular in implementing employee induction.

Podcasting x Employee Induction

Given their versatility and mobility, podcasts have proven to be the ideal tool for employee inductions. Essentially, they’re digital audio files that can be distributed across various digital channels. Further, they can be used to accommodate most, if not all kinds of content.

Consider using podcasts to streamline various steps in your employee induction process, like company guidelines, vision and mission statements, a comprehensive look at company structure and other elements.

Further, there are also content production companies that can help in the execution of this process from start to finish. Production houses like Timbre Media, for example, cater to companies and organisations world over, addressing a diverse range of employee induction needs and focus on curating content that works best for you and the newest members of your family.

https://www.timbremedia.in/

https://www.timbremedia.in/contact-us/

[email protected]