What we can learn about great comms from one viral thread

When a thread goes viral on social media, it’s tempting to examine what it was that sparked such interest in it.

I recently came across a conversation on X, posted during this year’s UEFA European Football Championship. The thread began: “The Lionesses men's team aren’t very good, are they?” The author was making a tongue in cheek dig at the poor performance of the England men’s team.

The ensuing chat was hilarious, with a flurry of comments flipping the sexist language often used to talk about women’s football, the humour harpooning how ingrained and pervasive it is. 

The comments piled up. 

• “I wonder who was babysitting their kids while they were running around a field chasing a ball?”.
• “I don't mean to sound old-fashioned but it's biology. Men are just not designed for sport. Too emotional.”

Aside from being entertaining, it's a candid example of the power of language: in shaping perceptions, in evoking emotions and in the importance of timing.

If we understand what caused this thread to receive hundreds of likes and thousands of impressions, we can extend this understanding to the workplace where we should have more control over how we communicate and how language is used. 

Some useful questions:

Does your organisation have an effective communications strategy?

Are your communication activities used to grow ideas, cultivate positive behaviours, bring people together and align them with your business objectives? Or are they ad hoc, confusing, dull and unfocused? Effective communication should be intentional and strategic, ensuring that every message reinforces your organisation's values and goals, fosters inclusivity, and engages employees. Without this, workplace culture suffers, leading to disengaged employees and missed opportunities for growth.

What’s the difference between information sharing and strategic communications?

For some, internal communication is still seen as merely information sharing. But strategic internal communications and engagement is so much more. Even the above humorous example demonstrates that HOW and WHEN we share information can have a huge impact. If you don't have a good communications plan in place, aside from people not getting the critical information they need to do their jobs well, it can also explain why cultures fail, engagement drops, sexism persists, and quiet quitting occurs. 

These are my five tips for effective communications.

1. Have a clear ‘shape’ in mind

Good communication practices are essential for creating an environment where employees are clear about what is expected of them, ensuring they feel respected, valued and inspired. But you can't ‘shape’ anything intentionally unless you know what you’re aiming for. This is dependent on your business having a clearly defined brand, a set of values and explicit business objectives. For example: who are you for, why do you exist and what do you offer? This will direct your choice of language, tone, channels, frequency and type of content.

2. Great communications amplify core values and build trust

When we consistently hear, see and feel the values of an organisation reflected in its communications, we begin to internalise them. This builds trust and familiarity, making employees feel more connected to their workplace (or customers connected to your brand). Go against this at your peril. 

3. Inclusive communications count

If your business claims to be inclusive, you must demonstrate it. We communicate thousands of times in a working day. If your corporate communications are inclusive (in terms of content and language), it not only ensures that all employees feel the organisation respects and values them, but it signals that they too should mimic this in their everyday communications. Small changes in language, visuals and the stories we choose to amplify can make a big difference in how people feel about an employer.

4. Words can lift or lower

Language is powerful. It sparks emotion. As communicators and leaders, we can give people a confidence boost or knock them down. It’s not always possible to excite and inspire, but internal comms should always be about making people feel respected, included and supported. Even bad news can be delivered well.

5. Understand your audience

It’s never about a single piece of communication; it's about understanding where your people are at that moment and tailoring comms to land effectively. The preparation is done all year round, by asking the right questions and staying in tune. With the Lionesses conversation above, it's relevant and made more funny because, at that point in time, the Lionesses are a world-renowned success and the Euros are underway.

Rachel Harrison is the director of RH Comms, where she offers internal and external communications consultancy and mentoring. She also frequently collaborates as a consultant at Weave.