The desktop intranet platform continues to gather dust.
It fails to fit the needs and expectations of the modern workforce. So people avoid using it.
For many employees, especially frontline workers, a desktop intranet might as well not exist at all. Without easy computer access, they rely on paper memos, word of mouth, and unofficial messaging apps to piece together company updates.
But what if there was a way to connect and engage all employees — a place where everyone could access the information, resources, and digital tools they needed to do their jobs well?
Enter the pocket intranet. An intranet platform that meets your workforce where they already live — on their smartphones.
No, it’s not your parents’ intranet. It’s in a whole other league. An intuitive, mobile-first, modern intranet app that your employees will actually want to use.
Ready to see how it works? Let’s dive in.
Why the pocket intranet has become essential (not optional)
So why do your employees hate your old intranet? And how does a pocket intranet better meet their needs?
A mobile-first workforce
Frontline employees see the leaps and bounds being made in digital employee experience. But while desk-based staff get sleek tools and streamlined workflows, frontline teams are left with a patchwork of comms channels that don’t reflect the way they actually work.
In retail, hospitality, healthcare, and logistics, people aren’t glued to a desk. Many don’t even have a corporate email address. These employees are on their feet, serving customers and driving your operations.
A pocket intranet platform meets them where they are. It puts coworker connection, crucial updates, and a searchable knowledge hub into the palm of every frontline staff member.
Instant access > buried links
A pocket intranet doesn’t just benefit your deskless workforce. It removes the friction associated with a traditional intranet. So it improves employee communication, engagement, and efficiency across your whole organization.
Imagine accessing company news, payroll, coworker chat, surveys — any workplace tool — in just a tap or two.
The best employee intranets come with an intuitive dashboard, robust search functions, and secure-but-streamlined access to everything your teams need.
Consumer UX has trained employees to expect better
Employees spend their spare time on apps like TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Consumer-grade experiences have shown employees what good UX looks like.
So that slow, clunky intranet? It feels like a lumbering dinosaur in comparison to those speedy, streamlined interactions.
Employees want scrollable feeds, social media-style content, micro-learning modules, and engaging, real-time comms. A pocket intranet is an easy way to provide all this and more.
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What a modern pocket intranet looks like
So you’ve heard why a modern employee intranet platform is necessary. But what are the essential components that will help you make a success of your smartphone hub? Let’s take a look.
A personalized feed
A personalized news feed gives employees easy access to company updates and culture, right from their smartphone screen.
Blink’s news feed feature allows you to target content by location and role, so the feed never gets too noisy. You can populate it with engaging multimedia content, like photos, videos, and GIFs.
You can also allow employees to comment, like, leave emoji reactions, and even (depending on your controls) post their own content — turning your feed into a two-way communication channel.
Additional Blink feed features include short-form video stories, quick-fire polls, priority posts for critical updates, and employee recognition.
A structured, searchable hub
A mobile-friendly intranet isn’t just about scrolling. It’s about easy access to everything your team needs. Policies, handbooks, SOPs, training materials, and digital forms, all within one organized hub.
Blink’s hub keeps content accessible on the go. Employees can view pay slips, submit vacation requests, complete surveys, and access learning resources — from one dashboard with a single login.
Automated translation ensures hub content is available in each user’s preferred language, while powerful search makes finding the right resources a breeze. No more trawling through an outdated intranet or a well-worn paper manual to dig out essential info.
Embedded messaging + collaboration
When employees can reach for a dedicated messaging app, right within your pocket intranet platform, they find it easier to collaborate, share their ups and downs, and feel like part of the team.
The best intranet platforms feature a messaging tool that offers everything the big-hitters (like WhatsApp) are providing, without the security risks.
Blink’s chat tool features voice notes, chat search, voice and video calling, and the option to add multimedia content — including videos, images, and GIFs — to messages. So employees have an easy and engaging way to stay in touch.
Events
Keeping everyone on the same page when people don’t work in the same location — or even the same shifts — can be a challenge.
An employee intranet should bring everyone together. And the pocket intranet is no different. With Blink’s events feature, you can build buzz around an upcoming event.
Whether it’s training, onboarding, live Q&As, town halls, or in-person sessions, employees can RSVP, add events to their calendar, and view the latest event info — all from their smartphones.
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Real results from organizations that made the shift
Here are three organizations that switched from ineffective comms channels to a modern mobile-first intranet app.
- St.Amant. After a cyberattack, St.Amant — a Manitoba-based non-profit — was forced to reassess its intranet solution. Realising that the intranet was clunky, outdated, and failing to reach frontline teams, they adopted Blink as their all-in-one intranet app. Blink is already more than a tool. It’s a part of daily culture — 86% of the organization’s 2,200+ employees are now active users.
- Stagecoach. Before Blink, bus company Stagecoach had internal communications scattered across email, a SharePoint intranet, and bulletin boards. Employee satisfaction rates were low, and operational updates weren’t cutting through. Now, thanks to Blink, 86% of drivers open the app daily, and 100% would recommend it to a coworker.
- Domino’s. Manager cascades weren’t working for Domino’s, a global leader in the pizza delivery industry. And the company had no central place for staff to access news, tools, or support. By partnering with Blink, Domino’s has transformed internal comms. Today, 94% of store employees have adopted the app, which provides a frontline-friendly platform for comms and connection.
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How to build a successful pocket intranet: 4 key tasks
Inspired by the examples above? Let’s get to building your pocket intranet. Once you’ve chosen your intranet partner, here’s how to build momentum and get employees checking in daily.
1. Set mobile-first content standards
Content lands differently when it’s viewed on a small smartphone screen versus a laptop. So guide your creators on what good mobile-first intranet content looks like.
Good intranet app content is:
- Short — break down complex ideas into bite-sized posts, because quick, digestible info is easier to read and remember.
- Visual — catch attention and convey more with images, videos, infographics, and other engaging visuals.
- Interactive — you have all the tools you need to start a two-way conversation (so use them!) — pose questions and ask employees to contribute content.
A good starting point? Mirror the format of social content. And steer clear of overly corporate language, walls of text, and dreaded PDFs.
2. Use audience targeting
Your intranet is only useful if employees see content that matters to them.
A delivery driver doesn’t want news about the next office coffee morning. A retail associate isn’t interested in IT changes for head office. And a nurse on the wards won’t benefit from news about the corporate marketing team.
If employees log in and find content that isn’t relevant to their day-to-day work, they’re less likely to return tomorrow.
So segment your audience by team, location, role, and tenure — then use targeting features to deliver a personalized experience. When employees see only relevant, relatable updates, engagement goes up, and your intranet becomes a tool they actually rely on.
3. Run launch campaigns that feel social
A strong launch sets the tone for your intranet and can make or break early adoption. The goal is to make employees feel excited, curious, and motivated to explore the app from day one.
Start weeks before launch by building anticipation. Share teasers in team meetings, internal emails, and on posters in break-out areas. Give intranet ambassadors early access to the app so they can guide coworkers and spark their interest.
On launch day, go big. Make it feel like a celebration. Support employees to get signed up. Offer tutorials and incentives. Create a stream of engaging, scroll-worthy content to keep employees coming back for more.
4. Focus on measurement
From the very beginning, use intranet analytics to understand how people are using your app.
Track who’s logging in, when they’re most active, and which content is performing best. Are employees watching short videos more than they’re reading documents? Which posts generate comments, reactions, or shares?
Dig down into the data to see how your intranet performs among different segments of your workforce. And look for gaps — teams or locations that aren’t engaging, or managers who may need extra intranet guidance.
By keeping a close eye on the data, you can make informed adjustments to your content, launch strategy, and onboarding. You find it easier to achieve high adoption and engagement rates — now and into the future.
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Transform your intranet experience with Blink
Mobile-first, modern intranets are becoming the norm. But not all apps are created equal. Many providers simply shrink a desktop intranet onto a smartphone screen, sacrificing usability, features, or functionality in the process.
Blink takes a different approach. Built from the ground up as a mobile-first intranet, it delivers a seamless, consumer-grade experience across both mobile and desktop.
Employees get real-time messaging, a personalized news feed, a searchable content hub, and deep integrations — all in one intuitive platform, and all from their smartphones.
So, with Blink, your intranet becomes more than a repository of documents (that nobody actually checks). It becomes a hub for connection, collaboration, and engagement — a digital water cooler that employees return to regularly.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs): Intranet apps
#1. What is an intranet app?
An intranet app is an intranet designed for mobile devices, like smartphones. Features often include a news feed, real-time messaging, a content hub, and integrations with other workplace software. This mobile-first intranet platform is designed to improve employee engagement and employee experience across all segments of the workforce, including hard-to-reach frontline teams.
#2. Are intranets outdated?
Yes. Traditional intranets were built for desktop use, making them clunky, hard to navigate, and frustrating on smartphones. They lack the social, interactive features employees are used to on apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, or TikTok.
Modern, mobile-first intranet apps solve these problems. Designed for smartphones, they deliver a user-friendly, social-media-style experience that meets employee expectations while supporting the needs of today’s organizations.
#3. What should I look for in a mobile-first intranet platform?
First and foremost, you need a mobile user experience that doesn’t skimp on features or functionality. You want employees using your intranet on their smartphones to get the same great experience as those using it on a desktop.
You should then consider security, the range of features available, and the reputation of your chosen intranet partner to ensure a smooth, streamlined intranet experience.
Blink. And build a pocket intranet your workforce will actually use.
