Modern social intranet: A powerful software solution for workplace collaboration

A modern social intranet transforms the way teams communicate and collaborate. Explore the features, goals, and providers behind the latest tool empowering the future of work.

Features & benefits: Why invest in a social intranet?

FAQs: What to know before making the leap

Social intranet alternatives: Discover a simpler, more intuitive solution

Social intranet vs. social network

We're all familiar with private messenger apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Around two-thirds of Germans use private messengers every day for entertainment, to get information, or to chat with friends and family. It's a similar concept for social media channels: They bring the world to our smartphones.

Social intranets are an attempt to bring this convenience and familiarity to the workplace with software solutions that feel like a social network within a company—with similar features, looks, and benefits. The biggest difference? The information on a social intranet is accessible only to the employees within that company.

Functions

The most important features of a social intranet

Interactions

Likes, comments, reactions—these help make a social intranet, well, social! With just the click of a button, employees can show how they feel about certain topics, lending them a voice.

Newsfeed

Inform and stay informed. Every social intranet needs a newsfeed. Updates, announcements, and tips are collected in one central place and available to everyone, anytime.

Chats & groups

Chats are a must-have feature that allow employees to share information, exchange ideas, and grow together. With the addition of groups, team members can find a sense of belonging and ensure they get information that's relevant to them.

Search & navigation

Up to 20% of weekly work time wasted on searching for information? Not anymore. The search feature lets users type what they're looking for, and intuitive navigation guides them through the social intranet—making finding information faster than ever.

How a social intranet can transform your organization

Why do companies use a social intranet? Consider this shocking statistic from McKinsey: Employees spend up to 20 percent of their weekly working time searching for information. Make information more accessible, more quickly, with a social intranet.

Beyond time savings, a social intranet boosts motivation, strengthens culture, and transforms your organization in these ways:

Greater cooperation

A social intranet is where networking and collaboration thrive, helping you improve communication between employees and optimize efficiency.

Higher levels of satisfaction

Social intranets boost satisfaction and motivation, creating a healthier team environment.

More innovation

The social intranet fosters exchange; exchange generates ideas. This becomes the hub for new ideas and exciting solutions (in other words, more innovation).

Improved efficiency

Get work done with less time and effort spent. A social intranet makes information more easily and quickly accessible to all, which speeds up processes and conserves resources.

Stronger corporate culture

You'll have a platform to convey best practices, which reduces the physical and perceived distance between employees—and increases a sense of unity in tangible, measurable ways.

Better communication & information

Social intranets make it possible to update all employees at the same time. It's every company's dream: internal communication that's quick and easy.

Social intranet FAQs

What should a modern intranet be able to do?

A modern intranet improves communication and collaboration within an organization. Here's what your intranet needs to succeed:

Blog & newsfeed - These are the foundations of a social intranet. With a blog and newsfeed, all employees can stay up-to-date no matter where they live. Add comments, reactions, and surveys to really make communication shine.
Employee directory & profile - Empower collaboration by making it easy to find and contact colleagues and maintain your own profile.
Document management - Store documents and make them accessible so your teams always know where to find the information they need.
Search - Save time and eliminate frustration by allowing employees to type queries and find answers quickly.
Mobile design - Design is often the biggest weakness of many social intranets. Mobile employee apps are an excellent alternative to the social intranet for companies with many operational employees.
Integrations - A modern intranet does not stand alone but integrates with existing tools and applications.
Analytics - With an analytics dashboard, you can see at a glance what's being received well by employees—and what's not.
Security - A modern social intranet is secure. Reputable providers give precise information on how data is processed.

It's not just your newsfeed that needs updates! The entire social intranet software needs regular updates to be effective. If you don't have the time or resources to do this yourself, consider a SaaS solution, such as an employee app that's constantly being developed (we'll get to that below!).

How much does social intranet software cost?

You want numbers, we know, but a social intranet is as unique as your company. That's why there are a few factors that determine the price:

Requirements - What must the software be able to do? Unsurprisingly, the greater the requirements, the higher the price usually is.
Culture - Which functions fit the competence level of the employees and the innovation level of the company? This can also push the price up or down.
Structure - How complex is the company structure? This influences the choice of provider.
Technology - Which IT solutions are already available? Should these be integrated?
Duration - How long is the contract with the provider? This also influences the cost.

An employee app is often cheaper than a social intranet. The initial costs and effort for the implementation are sometimes lower. Companies with many operational employees especially benefit from this.

What are the advantages of a social intranet?

A social intranet changes the way companies work together. If the implementation is successful, a social intranet becomes the central hub for communication and knowledge transfer.

Other advantages:

✅ A social intranet promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing. Employees from different departments can share their expertise and work together on projects, leading to more innovative solutions and better results.

✅ A social intranet promotes transparency. Giving employees access to information and updates promotes a sense of ownership and responsibility. This can lead to more engagement and a more positive work culture.

✅ A social intranet increases productivity and efficiency by streamlining workflows and reducing the time spent on administrative tasks. Overall, investing in a social intranet can have a major impact on the success and growth of a company.

Is SharePoint a social intranet?

No, SharePoint is not a social intranet—even if the Microsoft solution is often used as an intranet. Want to know why doing so doesn't make sense?

SharePoint is not an intranet, but a website construction kit with a document management system.
SharePoint lacks the most important features that an intranet needs in order to be used meaningfully. These include chats, groups, and integrations to other systems.
SharePoint is cumbersome, especially for editors. An intranet software should be one thing above all: easy to use.
SharePoint is expensive—at least, if it is to become an intranet. It involves a correspondingly high programming effort.
SharePoint is included in the Microsoft 365 license package, so theoretically, it can be used quickly. In practice, however, it can't. A lot of time is needed to really establish it as a meaningful intranet replacement.

A better social intranet alternative is an employee app, such as the one from Flip.

In summary: A social intranet optimizes internal communication and collaboration

Many features of a social intranet are useful—there's no doubt about that. It's a communication channel you can access anytime, anywhere, and it increases employee satisfaction and motivation. But, let's face it: A social intranet has disadvantages, too.

The disadvantages of a social intranet:

❌ Complex

❌ Stand-alone solution with little scope for integration. A social intranet includes many functions—but not all systems.

❌ Desktop-optimized instead of mobile-first, which ignores not only the usage behavior of most people, but also the 80 percent of employees who do not work in the office.

llustration of a girl holding a smartphone

Flip-Guide: The social intranet for operational employees

A smarter, modern alternative to the social intranet: The employee app

89 percent of Germans own a smartphone, and they use it up to 2.5 hours every day. This means that the smartphone has now replaced the television, laptop, and PC as the most-used device. The figures prove it: The smartphone is firmly anchored in everyday life.

At work, however, things often look different: Only about 7 percent visit the intranet with their smartphone. The main reason: Most applications are still optimized for the desktop—and for office workers. Smartphones and operational employees are neglected.

For companies with many operational employees, the employee app is a much better alternative to the social intranet. Why?

✅ Intuitive - No unnecessary functions. The feel is similar to familiar messenger services. An employee app is so simple that it needs no introduction.

✅ Integratable - All programs bundled in one place. With one app, you bring all systems to your employees on the floor.

✅ Smartphone-optimized - Clearly laid out even on a mobile phone. An employee app is first and foremost an app—developed for use on mobile devices, but also usable on a PC.

Features of a modern social intranet

Want a platform that engages everyone? An employee app combines the features of a modern social intranet with the simplicity of private messengers. Here are the features that bring added value:

Surveys

Digital mood barometer

How is your workforce feeling? With surveys, it's no longer a mystery. Ask questions, get answers, and make emotions visible.

Chats & Groups

As simple as a private messenger

Intuitive and fast. Keep the helpful conversations flowing. Chats and groups optimize voting, regardless of time and place.

Tasks

Clear the clutter

Manage tasks digitally, and structure workflows better—for yourself and others. You can create these quickly and keep deadlines in view.