Going digital has the strong benefit of cutting out the physical labour otherwise involved, such as going from storing physical files to digital folders. The same can be said of digital communication, with many tools making passing messages as fast and convenient, or even more so, than verbal communication.
But what tools are there that help us with open digital channels between workers? In this article, Real Business will look over the many options at a workplace’s disposal for easy communication, provision of organisational project management tools, and comparisons of each.
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What Digital Communication Tools Are Best For You?
Digital communication is streamlined and convenient. With a click of a button, you can communicate verbally or even bring face-to-face communication to digital platforms, as well as potentially leaving a paper trail behind for written messages. Embracing these digital tools and channels is the standard for staying efficient and relevant in today’s climate.
The tips below will help you decide what communication tool is best for you, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each digital communication type.
Phone
Phone communication remains a common method of contacting individuals. Usually, in an office, this is reserved for higher management, whose clients or business partners need a direct line to them via their mobile devices. However, plenty of office staff are also equipped with landline phones for customers to call directly into their chosen department:
Advantages:
- Immediate response – Having a direct line for real-time interaction allows for prompt resolutions.
- Complex discussions – Through swift verbal communication of ideas, you can not only resolve complex topics but also build rapport and trust with clients and coworkers.
- Attention – Phone calls tend to keep the attention of the other party more effectively than text.
Disadvantages:
- No paper trail – Unless recorded, there’s no paper trail – meaning information isn’t retained.
- Interruptive nature – Calls may interrupt otherwise important occasions, leading to rescheduling, which may sometimes be forgotten due to it being unofficial.
Most people have an email nowadays, with many website registrations and other services asking for an email to send important information to. Emails are effectively a digital mailbox that bars any chance of losing correspondence.
Advantages:
- Paper trail – Emails provide a permanent record unless you opt to delete them.
- Efficient – Emails do not require recipients to be within the same time zone or available to receive, and you can even send a single email to several people at once.
- Flexible – Emails can be short and sweet, long with complex information, formal or informal etc. It’s one of the most universally recognised digital communication channels available.
Disadvantages:
- Delayed response possibility – Despite being instantaneous, it’s not a method that typically prompts an immediate response.
- Interpretation – As with all forms of written communication channels, an email’s tone amongst other things can be misinterpreted.
- Inbox burial – For email addresses that have a lot of incoming traffic, such as a business owners, some emails may be lost amid many others.
Instant Messaging
Instant messaging has become a very common way of digital communication in personal settings, and after the 2020 quarantine, the same can be said of businesses – with Teams finding great use and fortune during this period.
Advantages:
- Real-time interaction – With notifications, status updates and checks if a person has read the message or not, this type of digital communication is fairly instantaneous.
- Quick updates – Messaging is one of the few avenues where prompt informality is permissible if it serves to quickly update a situation, at least amongst coworkers.
- Flexibility – Instant message software can either be one-to-one or involve groups, as well as other features such as video calls, voice assistance etc.
Disadvantages:
- Distractions – IM’ing can cause disruptions, as it’s almost a knee-jerk reaction to want to check.
- Internal use only – There’s no way to utilise instant messages in a non-professional setting.
- Security risks – There is a lot of potential for security breaches via instant messages, making them less ideal for confidential information.
Text Messages
Text-based messages are some of the oldest digital communication methods available, available since way before phones became smartphones.
Advantages:
- Widely accessible – Whilst most have access to the internet, it’s not required for text messages, meaning it’s a very available digital communication channel.
- Direct and concise – Text messages are generally short and to the point.
Disadvantages:
- Organisational – Texting provides a paper trail, but one that’s hard to organise, considering any number can contact you and doesn’t come with contact details.
- Lack of confirmation – Anyone can claim to be anyone over text, with no confirmation of sender (unlike an email, that has an email address)
- Personal – Texting has a personal feel to it, meaning it’s not suitable for professional settings.
Video Calls And Video Conferencing
A video chat can be done via many desktop or mobile apps and has gained great prominence since the 2020 quarantine in the business realm, with even courtrooms utilising the technology.
Advantages:
- Face-to-face communication – Video calls allow you to have face-to-face communication with others, so you can see visual cues on top of audio.
- Remote location – You can attend video conferences and calls from nearly anywhere, eliminating travel logistics.
- Engagement – Virtual meetings are very involved, keeping people engaged.
Disadvantages:
- Technical issues – The technological advances of video conferencing are impressive, but it still relies heavily on technical features working properly, and are subject to issues occasionally.
- Fatigue – Over time, video conferencing can be fatiguing, with the term “Zoom fatigue” being coined as a result.
- Group limitation – Larger groups tend to find more difficulty being engaged and having worthwhile discussions as opposed to smaller groups.
Social Media
Social media has emerged as a powerful digital communication channel, enabling personalities and businesses to connect with a vast audience.
Advantages:
- Wide reach – Social media platforms are usually global, and even when they’re not, they reach a massive amount of people, making them the playground of digital marketing efforts.
- Brand building – Companies effectively use social media campaigns to engage users and enhance their marketing strategies, exemplified by Spotify’s Wrapped campaign which encourages users to share personalised content on social media platforms, thus increasing brand visibility and engagement.
- Target audience – You can employ targeted messaging to capture specific demographics, improving your communication’s relevancy and engagement.
Disadvantages:
- Lack of control over message spread—Once you post information, you have no control over how far the message can spread, or even how it can be interpreted.
- Fast-paced – Not necessarily a bad thing, but when new changes can change the context of your industry at the drop of a hat, it can render even the best-laid digital strategy inefficient.
My Business Needs Digital Communications: What Digital Tools Should I Use?
What makes digital communication important is the speed and efficiency at which things get done. The following will be some pointers for what works best as a communication tool, depending on your business needs:
- Internal communication channels – Tools for coworkers to communicate with each other, keeping informed and aligned on projects:
- Slack – An instant messaging tool for real-time communication, also can divide channels by goals, departments or topics.
- Microsoft Teams – Teams combines chat, video calling and file storage to provide a platform for teams to collaborate and hold discussions.
- Asano or Trello – Project management tools that allow internal communication channels, keeping tasks and progress transparent.
- External communication channels – Tools that allow you to open communication channels to clients, partners or external stakeholders, helping maintain relationships and share information.
- Email – Ideal for formal and documented communication. Has the ability to send messages and attachments, and is considered an official communication method.
- CRM Systems – CRM systems such as Salesforce and HubSpot allow you to manage client interactions, important for different team members to stay up to date with issues, enquiries and more to respond effectively.
- Social media platforms – Platforms like Linkedin or Facebook are often used for customer engagement and support – a famous example is Wendys relating to customers by acting less like a corporation, and more like a normal user, using humour.
How To Use Digital Communication Tools To Harness Data-Driven Marketing?
In the digital age, data is abundant and rapidly generating, and using digital communication channels to capture and transmit this information can be the difference between failure and success for many businesses.
- Audience identification – Identifying the habits of your customers, segmenting them and creating strategies can boost engagement and sales overall. For example, using HubSpot, you could segment first-timers and high-spenders into categories, and send them different offers that may cater to them individually.
- Optimise content via engagement metrics – Using tools to identify frequency and patterns in engagement can help you make more efficient designs, products or services, and using project management tools like Mailchimp to A/B testing to find solutions.
- Real-time data with social listening – Tools like Sprout Social offer social listening features that can track mentions of brands or topics related to it, or their products. So, if a specific type of clothing, like sweaters in winter, begins trending you and your team can be notified and act immediately.
Conclusion
Overall, using digital communications enables users to work more productively together. There are many digital tools available, and many with advanced settings that allow specific, specialised actions that may be indispensable in certain industries. Make sure to check what options are available to you, and experiment.
