Complete Guide to Internal Communication Webinars

When you need to communicate important information while keeping employees engaged, emails and chat threats aren't always sufficient. Instead of sending another email that gets buried in inboxes or a chat notification that gets ignored, invite employees to an internal communication webinar.

With company webinars, you can share time-sensitive updates, answer questions, and get your message across in real time — while recording content that employees can reference at any time. In this guide, I'll cover the formats that work best for internal communication webinars and walk through how to plan your strategy.

Key takeaways:

• Employees prefer video communication over every other channel, making internal webinars an easy choice for many companies.
• Recording every company webinar helps you create an on-demand knowledge library that employees can access long after live sessions end.
• Internal webinars let you collect employee feedback instantly through polls, reactions, and Q&A sessions instead of wondering how your announcements were actually received.

Why internal communication webinars are so important

Whether you're just getting started with this format or you're ready to scale your internal communication strategy, here are a few ways your organization can benefit.

Replace static internal communication channels

Email and instant messaging often serve as broadcast channels. This means they work well for sharing news, but they're much less ideal for two-way communication.

Plus, employees already spend half the workweek communicating with colleagues and clients in writing. Why add to this workload by asking them to read yet another email announcement?

Webinars let you turn static updates into dynamic internal communications with minimal reading or writing required. These webinars can include visuals and videos as well as interactive components like real-time demonstrations and Q&A sessions.

Increase transparency and strengthen company culture

When you share announcements in a Slack channel or a company-wide email, you give employees minimal opportunity to engage. This can make major decisions appear opaque. And in some cases, it can lead to a sense of division between leadership and staff.

In contrast, company webinars create an open forum where you can communicate directly with employees and answer their questions. This can be helpful for building trust and helping everyone understand how their work connects to broader organizational goals.

It's no surprise that knowledge workers prefer video communication over all other channels. According to the Grammarly's The State of Business Communication report, video wins over text-based chat, in-person meetings, and phone meetings.

Gather real-time feedback from employees

Whether you're sharing quarterly updates, strategic updates, or employee milestones, webinars allow plenty of chances to collect feedback and reactions in real time. Employees can react, share opinions, or submit questions during the event.

Workplace engagement is more important than you might think. Between 2023 and 2024, the global percentage of engaged employees declined from 23% to 21%, according to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace: 2025 Report. Over time, lower engagement leads to lower productivity, which affects your bottom line.

When you host webinars with Livestorm, you can use polls to gauge reactions on specific topics. You can also set up Q&A sessions so you can answer employee questions and tailor your content to their needs.

5 internal webinar formats every organization can use

From major events like all-hands meetings or regular employee onboarding sessions, you can use webinars for many different scenarios. Here are a few of the most common options.

1. All-hands meetings

Turn company-wide all-hands meetings into engaging webinars where leadership can present updates, share performance metrics, and announce strategic initiatives.

Use Livestorm's live polls to gauge employee sentiment or gather input on decisions. Record sessions to ensure all employees can benefit, even if they can't attend live.

For example, Spendesk uses Livestorm for all-hands meetings. Adrien Gaucher, Spendesk Sales Manager, says: "Livestorm allows us to easily disseminate information, bring up questions, and, above all, share the replay to make the meeting accessible on demand."

2. Policy and compliance sessions

Share mandatory educational sessions about industry regulations or internal policies. Rather than scheduling multiple in-person sessions, host a webinar to maximize attendance across locations and time zones.

Use Livestorm's interactive features like Q&A sessions to clarify complex policies and make sure employees get the answers they need. Record the session so you can share consistent messaging across your workforce.

3. Cross-team collaboration

Break down silos and improve collaboration across departments or project teams. Host cross-team webinars to share project updates, address blockers, achieve alignment, and provide feedback in real time.

With Livestorm, you can use whiteboards to allow for brainstorming and visual planning. Teams can also share their screens so everyone can review documents or learn processes together.

4. Employee onboarding and training

Create consistent onboarding experiences for new hires via webinar series that cover everything from company culture and policies to role-specific virtual training programs.

Host live sessions to allow new employees to ask questions and get answers instantly. Offer recorded modules for self-paced learning and anytime reminders about internal procedures.

For example, WPP uses Livestorm for its internal knowledge base. The multinational company has a webinar training library that employees can watch on demand. Poppy Acton, WPP Global Account Manager, says: "We have, on average, three times more replay downloads than participants. Therefore, our events have true long-term life."

5. Crisis communication

Respond quickly to urgent situations by hosting emergency webinars for your company. Provide clear background information on the situation and share next steps with all employees simultaneously.

These webinars are ideal for providing guidance and getting everyone aligned during challenging times. Plus, you can record the event so employees can continue to reference the messaging as necessary.

How to plan an internal communication webinar

To plan successful webinars for your organization, you need clear objectives and a straightforward plan.

Define your objectives and your audience

Get clear on what you want the webinar to accomplish and who needs to attend. For example:

• Are you sharing quarterly updates, training employees, or communicating a policy change?
• Is the webinar for all staff or specific roles or departments?
• What action do you want to inspire?

Choose the right webinar format

Pick the format that matches your objectives and audience:

• Live webinars for interactive discussions
• On-demand webinars for consistent company-wide messaging
• Automated webinars for routine training

Develop a webinar agenda

Map out a structure that covers all essential topics and keeps participants engaged. Plan time for introductions, the main message, and Q&A sessions or other interactive elements. Allow time to wrap up the webinar and share next steps at the end.

Recruit relevant speakers

Select speakers who are knowledgeable about the topic. For example, ask human resources to lead webinars that discuss policy changes, and recruit department heads to lead employee training sessions. For major news updates or crisis communications, rely on your executive leadership team.

Promote the event internally

Use internal email or messaging channels to share key details about the webinar, including a link to the dedicated registration page. With Livestorm, you can easily email invitations and monitor registrations. Plus, participants can easily add the event to their Google or Outlook calendar after registering.

Provide an on-demand recording

Even if real-time participation is your main goal, recording internal webinars is a smart best practice to follow. With Livestorm, you can record internal webinars and turn them into on-demand corporate communication videos. This way, employees, leadership, and board members can watch the content at their convenience.

Measure webinar metrics

Once the webinar wraps up, check the analytics to gauge performance and identify areas for improvement. Focus on these metrics:

• Attendance rate: Compare registered attendees to actual participants. Low attendance can indicate poor timing, competing priorities, or unclear value proposition.
• View duration: Track how long attendees stay engaged and see when attention drops off. If viewers often leave early, consider adding more interactive elements or hosting shorter events.
• Engagement levels: Monitor participation in polls, Q&A sessions, and live chat. High engagement usually signals relevant content, while low engagement often indicates a need for more interactive elements.
• Benchmarking against previous webinars: Compare current metrics to past sessions to spot trends. Use the data to refine your approach and inform realistic goals for future events.

With Livestorm's built-in analytics, you can track these metrics over time and improve your webinar strategy. And our Video Engagement Score makes it easy to gather comparative insights and benchmark your results.

Common challenges with internal webinars

As you introduce or scale webinars for internal use, you're likely to encounter some common challenges. Here are a few to watch for and how to move past them:

• Getting leadership to embrace the webinar format: Instead of replacing all communication with webinars at once, start with a single use case — like all-hands meetings. Compare webinar metrics to email or chat engagement to assess the results.
• Breaking through employee webinar fatigue: Keep webinars as short as possible, and limit the number of required sessions each week. Check webinar analytics to monitor engagement and find the ideal timing for your organization.
• Managing security concerns: Use an internal communication software tool like Livestorm, which is GDPR compliant, has ISO 27001 certification, and uses TLS/SRTP encryption.
• Preventing technical issues: Test your webinar platform and your technology before hosting a live session. Use Livestorm's microphone and webcam test to make sure everything works smoothly.

Frequently asked questions about internal communication webinars

How do you keep employees engaged during an internal communication webinar?

Keep employees engaged by using interactive elements like live chat, polls, and Q&A sessions. Focus content on topics relevant to employees' daily work and company goals.

How long should an internal communication webinar be?

Internal communication webinars should be 30 to 60 minutes to respect busy schedules and retain attention. For complex topics, break content into multiple shorter sessions rather than one lengthy presentation.

Can you run an internal communication webinar without a large tech team?

Yes, you can run internal webinars without a large tech team — as long as you choose user-friendly webinar software. With a browser-based webinar platform like Livestorm, speakers and attendees can participate without downloading an app.

How do you make internal webinars accessible for global teams?

Make internal webinars easy for global teams to attend by providing on-demand recordings. Create automated webinars for training content that employees can access whenever it's convenient for their schedule.