Cerkl Releases Key Findings From 2025 Internal Communicator Benchmark Report
Sector engagement metrics reveal patterns in employee communication effectiveness
CINCINNATI, OH. September 5, 2025 — Cerkl today published its 2025 Internal Communicator Benchmark report, offering the most detailed look yet at how organizations measure and improve internal communication effectiveness. The report draws on real engagement data across industries to provide comparators for email open rates, content resonance, and channel performance, helping communicators set evidence-based goals and demonstrate impact.
The report underscores that internal communication benchmarks are essential for turning raw data into actionable insights. Benchmarks grounded in actual performance enable communicators to identify strengths, address weaknesses, and align strategy with organizational priorities rather than guesswork.
Among the key findings:
• Internal email open and click-through rates remain primary metrics for benchmarking engagement, providing a baseline for message reach and relevance.
• Sector-specific engagement patterns highlight meaningful differences in audience behavior. Manufacturing organizations using Broadcast see open rates near 83 percent for news digests, the highest across reviewed industries.
• Healthcare presents unique challenges with average open rates around 48 percent, with associate news and engagement topics performing strongest.
• Software and IT organizations show robust delivery rates — nearly 100 percent — with open rates above 55 percent for email blasts, though digest engagement trends vary.
• Higher education institutions demonstrate high email open rates (57 percent) but more modest digest engagement, underscoring the complexity of reaching diverse campus audiences.
By comparing performance across these sectors, the report helps internal communicators understand where their results sit in a broader context and where targeted strategies can improve outcomes. Benchmarks also reveal which topics and channels are most effective for different audiences, guiding investment in content and tools.
“Tarek Kamil, Cerkl’s CEO and Founder, said, ‘Internal communication is more than transmission of information; it’s connection, clarity, and trust. Benchmarks give communicators the compass they need to move from intuition to evidence-based decision making.’”
The report emphasizes that benchmarks are not static targets but living reference points that, when paired with modern analytics and segmentation tools like Cerkl’s Broadcast, empower communicators to refine tactics and prove ROI to leadership.
The full Internal Communicator Benchmark report can be found here.
About Cerkl
Cerkl is a global leader in internal communications technology, trusted by Fortune 500 enterprises and growing startups alike. Cerkl’s flagship product Broadcast is used by companies globally to reach nearly 6 million employees every month. Broadcast offers plans for companies that communicate primarily via email as well as companies with multiple channels for employee communication (SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Slack, mobile and more). Learn more at cerkl.com.
