The Art of Sustainable Communication: Becoming a Corporate Influencer

Overview:

This beginner-to-intermediate webinar equips employees and communicators with frameworks for building sustainable internal influence through strategic content creation and authentic engagement. Learn to identify your unique value proposition, create compelling content without burnout, and leverage Microsoft 365 platforms (Viva Engage, Teams, SharePoint) effectively. Discover proven techniques for building genuine community, measuring influence impact, and securing executive sponsorship. Leave with personalized development plans, content templates, and strategies for long-term success-whether becoming a thought leader or developing corporate influencer programs.

Why you should Attend:

Your most important messages are drowning in noise-and nobody's listening. Critical announcements disappear among 200 daily emails. Change initiatives fail because employees ignore corporate communications. Your team's innovations never spread beyond your department due to lack of visibility. Misinformation fills the vacuum on Teams channels, shaping culture you can't control. Competitors build influencer networks that accelerate adoption and attract talent-while you rely on outdated broadcasts generating cynicism. When transformation initiatives fail because "nobody told us" or high-potentials leave feeling invisible, you'll realize communication isn't about broadcasting-it's about building trusted voices. The question isn't whether you need corporate influencers-it's whether you'll develop them strategically or let informal networks fill the void.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• Defining Corporate Influence: What makes someone an effective internal influencer vs. just being active on platforms; the difference between popularity and impact
• The Sustainable Influence Mindset: Building authentic voice, finding the intersection of organizational needs and personal passion, avoiding burnout through strategic consistency
• Discovering Your Unique Value Proposition: Identifying expertise, perspectives, and content angles that differentiate you; matching your strengths to organizational communication gaps
• Understanding Your Internal Audience: Mapping stakeholder groups, identifying information needs and consumption preferences, selecting channels where your audience actually engages
• Platform Strategy in Microsoft 365: When to use Viva Engage vs. Teams channels vs. SharePoint news; optimizing for discovery and engagement on each platform
• Content Planning That Scales: Developing sustainable content calendars, batching content creation, repurposing expertise across formats, balancing original content with curation
• Crafting Engaging Posts: Writing techniques that drive readability and action; using storytelling, data visualization, and multimedia; optimizing post timing and formatting
• Building Genuine Engagement: Moving beyond broadcasting to conversation; responding to comments effectively; asking questions that spark discussion; acknowledging contributions
• Cross-Functional Network Building: Collaborating with other influencers, building advocacy coalitions, amplifying others' voices to build reciprocity and reach
• Executive Sponsorship & Visibility: Making your influence work visible to leadership, tying communication efforts to business outcomes, positioning yourself for career advancement
• Measuring What Matters: Moving beyond vanity metrics (likes) to impact metrics (behavior change, knowledge adoption, community health); building influence dashboards
• Overcoming Common Obstacles: Addressing "I don't have time," fear of judgment, imposter syndrome, dealing with negative feedback, and maintaining momentum during busy periods
• Corporate Influencer Program Design: For communication leaders-building structured programs, identifying and recruiting influencers, providing support and recognition, governing without constraining authenticity
• Sustainability Strategies: Preventing influencer burnout, rotating content themes, building content banks, establishing healthy boundaries, knowing when to step back

Who Will Benefit:

• Middle Managers seeking to expand influence beyond direct reports
• Internal Communications Managers & Specialists
• Change Management Professionals
• Employee Engagement & Culture Leaders
• HR Business Partners & People Operations Managers
• Department Heads & Team Leaders
• Subject Matter Experts wanting broader organizational visibility
• Digital Workplace Managers (Viva Engage/Teams community owners)
• Corporate Affairs & Executive Communications teams
• Aspiring Thought Leaders & High-Potential Employees
• Microsoft 365 Champions Program Coordinators
• Learning & Development Professionals