💡 Note

If you are at this stage, normally you have:

Define your vision and objectives
Create your spaces
Fill your platform with interesting content
Structured your platform with appropriate tags and tabs
Enhance your platform

It's time to open the platform to everyone and communicate around your initiative! A few steps to follow for effective communication around your initiative, we are based on the ADKAR model in 5 phases: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement.

Your ideal communication plan

Step	What	When
Awareness	Awareness of change	Between 4 and 6 weeks before launch
Desire	Feel like a change	2 weeks before launch
Knowledge	Knowledge to change	Launch
Ability	Ability to change	2 weeks after launch
Reinforcement	Reinforce change	Within 6 months after launch

1. Awareness (conscience) :

Are our users aware of the change?
Have they been well informed of the change that is occurring and the value of the change?

This phase should be undertaken between 4 and 6 weeks before launch. Its objective is to inform users that something is being prepared, the details of the change (the previous tool closes or not, impacts on work habits). In this phase, it is not at all a question of making people want to connect to the platform, nor to explain the functionalities but rather to insist on the vision, the difficulties that this project seeks to solve, the interest of a change. For example:

Sending an email announcing the upcoming arrival of a new tool, with such an objective, such an issue
Information campaign based on a comparison of the situation BEFORE/APRES
Small video with difficulties encountered by users and information that the situation will change
Classic power point presentation in a team or management meeting to inform about the project scope
Information gathering on the needs encountered by these users or the difficulties in order to best meet them in the design of the platform
Survey on the name of the platform and the slogan related to the initiative in order to invest employees
Participatory workshop to collect needs or to already list the key contents that should be on the platform, or to identify future space animators

The advantage of this phase is not to take users off guard, not to give them the excuse not to take part in the project because they would not have been informed. This phase is essential and must be supported by the initiative sponsor.

2. Desire (desire):

How can we encourage users to change?
What's in it for me?
What implications does this change have for me?

Here, the messages are shorter, more powerful, the idea is to make users want to connect to the platform, to take part in the project. In a few words, play on the strengths of the project, the added value, what everyone will gain.

3. Knowledge :

Do our users have enough knowledge to change?

Launch: add your users!

4. Ability (capacity) :

do our users have the ability to put their knowledge into practice?
Are there opportunities to be coached, trained, answered, etc.?

For example:

Start a short "Tips & Tricks" newsletter that will be posted weekly in the platform with a little tip to post content, tag content, complete your profile, mention a user. - Keep it short and precise, the idea is that it should be a quick content to read
Create a help space on your platform where you can gather all the pedagogical resources.
Organize "Elium breakfasts", "Elium lunches and learn" or other concepts that allow people to meet each other, ask questions or discover a particular feature.
Organize online webinar sessions on lunchtime or at different times to discover the basics of the tool.

5. Reinforcement (reinforcement):

Have you planned any reinforcement steps to prevent habits from returning?

During the 6 months following the opening of the platform to all users, you must not let yourself go. This is where the effort begins to really engage in a change of habits. A good practice is to plan a reinforcement action every month during the 6 months following the launch.