The world’s largest analysis of Microsoft Viva Engage has found activity levels for the enterprise social network are bouncing back after a post-COVID-19 drop in usage, and more than 78% of employees are now reading posts.

Viva Engage activity reached highs during the pandemic, but since the return to the office and more hybrid working practices, activity had been dropping until we started to see a steady rise this year to higher activity levels, cementing Viva Engage as an essential part of the internal communications channels mix.

There has also been an upward trend in responsiveness to Viva Engage posts. This means more people are reacting, replying and commenting on their colleagues’ posts. And more people are tagging others into conversations through @mentions, which brings colleagues into conversations.

It’s not all good news, however, with SWOOP Analytics’ people-to-people engagement measure, which measures collaboration between colleagues, trending downward. Measures for innovation are also trending downward.

SWOOP Analytics has revamped its 10^th annual Viva Engage benchmarking report to provide a one-stop guide on how to get the most from Viva Engage. The report is a go-to resource for anyone managing a community or network, and for anyone launching Viva Engage.

There is brand-new research in the report, including the best time of day, and day of the week, to post on Viva Engage, along with a deep dive into how different job titles are collaborating on Viva Engage, including executives and senior leaders.

The good news is, people are using Viva Engage extensively. Viva Engage readership levels are high, with 78% of all employees reading posts and active participation at 29%.

SWOOP Analytics’ 2024/25 Benchmarking Report also found:

• You get almost 150% more replies when you ask a question on Viva Engage, but only 12% of posts or replies include a question.
• You receive 120% more replies when you @mention a person in a Viva Engage post, but only 14% of posts @mention a colleague.
• You receive 82% more replies when you add an image to a post and 168% more replies with a video. 50% of posts and replies include images but only 4% of posts and replies have a video attached, so if you want to stand out, think about adding a video.

“Our research validates Viva Engage as a vital part of any organisation’s internal communications mix,” said SWOOP Analytics CEO Cai Kjaer. “We have used this data, combined with extensive research, to shape benchmarks on ‘what good looks like’ for Viva Engage usage, along with tips and practical advice on how to improve employee engagement on Viva Engage.”

In this year’s report, SWOOP Analytics analysed more than 15 million Viva Engage interactions from more than three million employees and 3,751 communities across 70 organisations in a six-month period.

SWOOP Analytics’ 2024/25 Viva Engage Benchmarking Report is available now to download for FREE at www.swoopanalytics.com/viva-engage-bm-24.

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