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4 Must-Have Communication Tools in 2023

Learn about essential tools that can help you have an effective communication in your workplace.

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In any business, effective communication is essential. Establishing differenteasy and effective communication helps boost collaboration and makes it easier for employees to focus on more important work. There are various communication tools out there, but each offers something differently from the others.

What your employees don't want is to have to use too many tools. Switching between apps or tools reduces productivity and may impact efficiency. Employees may miss important messages and information if they use lots of communication tools.

No matter how small or big your business is, what you need is an efficient tool that empowers communication without compromising the productivity of your employees.

In this article, we will take a look at some of the most important communication tools that make communication easier and more effective.

Intranet

Most organisations have lots of important files and resources, quick links, and questions being asked over and over again.

If you don’t have a centralised location for your company resources, your employees will spend most of their time finding important information rather than working productively.

An intranet can provide a centralised location for all resources, FAQs, and HR-related documents. Additionally, it’s a go-to palace for checking company events, news, updates, and employee directory.

Sharepoint, Google Workspace, and Facebook's Workplace are the top choices when it comes to creating an intranet solution. Some companies also choose to build their own using WordPress. However, to build a fully-functioning intranet, you need to invest in intranet providers such as Steegle, Lumapps, and Happeo.

2. Instant Messaging

Your employees deal with back-and-forth communication on a daily basis. Having an instant messaging tool makes one-on-one conversations easier.

One of the most popular instant messaging tools is Slack. But, not everyone is related to Slack because you need to subscribe to their premium plan for unlimited search functionality. Another thing, Slack doesn’t offer a self-hosted solution which leaves you unable to gain more control over your team’s communication.

Nowadays, remote employees are becoming mainstream and organisations are looking for affordable instant messaging tools to meet their needs.

Here are some of the best Slack alternatives:

Google Chat
Microsoft Teams
Discord
Chanty
Ryver
RocketChat
Mattermost

3. SMS

Man receiving a text message while at work

Texting employees might feel a bit conversational, but it is one of the most efficient ways to communicate with your employees regarding company updates or other relevant information.

While internal emails receive high engagement, more than 50% of employees are more likely to check text messages than emails.

The advantage of using SMS is that your employees don’t need additional training because they are completely familiar with how text messaging works and it is most convenient for them since they always have access to their mobile devices. No matter where they are, you’re confident that they will receive and see the message you sent them.

There are, however, specific instances where text messaging is the best channel to reach your employees.

Emergency or safety notifications
Weather and office closings notification
Construction updates
IT network outages
Status updates
Deadlines
HR-related information

Even though text messages are an effective way to communicate with your employees, they often have different approaches to it. Having a dedicated tool that comes with SMS features is one solution, although it can be overwhelming, you may need it for emergencies or any other reasons.

There are different tools that offer robust two-way SMS features such as:

SimpleTexting
Trumpia
Zipwhip
Simplified Alerts
Alertfind

4. Email Management Software

Some people may think that emails are old–fashioned, however, your employees are still checking their emails for important information from time to time. The most effective way to communicate with your employees is to use tools that they are using on a daily basis which includes email.

All businesses use email services like Gmail or Outlook, while some have upgraded to email marketing software such as Mailchimp and Hubspot. There are also internal communication platforms that include email services.

Using Gmail or Outlook for internal emails is great, however, you have no way to determine the effectiveness of your messages, and managing different distribution lists can be challenging.