Types of Modern Communications
Communication
is key to building relationships, and modern forms of communication allows us
to stay in touch with friends and family from anywhere in the world.
Today,
modern technology dominates our communication. We have a massive range of ways
in which we can stay connected, but each channel of communication can influence
our relationships in a different way.
1.
Social Media
Social media
has been around since the early days of the internet and it still dominates
most of our lives. The long list of social networks continues to grow and each
one is continuing to drive millions (and even billions) of users to their sites
everyday which is why it is one of the most popular forms of communication.
Social media
may be all about brand awareness, but it is also a great channel for
communication as it enables you to post open messages for everyone to see, as
well as engage with users through comments.
Whatever you
use it for, it’s a great first step for communication. Your messages aren’t
limited to your followers either, through the power of hashtags, shares, likes,
retweets, hearts and other reaction your posts have no limit to the audience it
can reach. We’ve all witnessed the power of posts going viral.
2. Social
Media – Direct Message (DM)
Social media
doesn’t necessarily need to be completely public. Almost every social media
channel offers a direct messaging option, some of those messaging services even
have their own messaging app such as Facebook Messenger.
Private
messaging through social networks has the same intimacy as email but tends to
be less formal.
Businesses
should only contact someone through Direct Message if the customer has reached
out to them through that channel. However, certain direct messaging techniques
are becoming a little more acceptable on some social networks such as
Facebook. Facebook
Messenger Bots are now
seen as the norm and can help you to connect with your audience through
Facebooks messaging service.
3. Instant
Message (IM)
While some
forms on Instant Message falls under social media like Facebook Messenger,
there are a wide range of Instant Messaging platforms that aren’t connected to
social networks such as Google Hangouts and WhatsApp.
IM is a great
tool for quick informal chats or group chats.
4. SMS Text
Messaging
We are all
aware of the uses of text
messaging. They are
short, generally informal and are a good way to communicate small bits of
information that can be received and replied to at the recipient’s own leisure.
These days we
are almost always within arm’s reach of a mobile device, so it isn’t a surprise
that more people are using their smartphones more than computers to search,
research and communicate than ever before, making it the perfect platform to
engage with your audience / customers.
5. Email
Marketing
The first mass
email was sent back in 1978 and even back then it was highly successful.
However, today it is one of the most underestimated marketing platforms around,
despite being one of the most beneficial in terms of return on investment.
Email
marketing can be
used for many different purposes, including to push products and services,
spread news, raise brand awareness or to deliver a message to the masses.
Over the
years, most businesses would have accumulated a great deal of email address and
in many cases, they would go to waste. With email marketing those email
addresses will enable you to reconnect with old clients as well as connect with
new potential clients.
6. Direct
Email
Email is
similar to direct messaging through social networks, but it is generally more
formal. It is the most popular way of communicating between businesses with
over 200
billion + emails being sent every day.
7. Blogging
A blog is a
conversational styled website that enables you to publish messages, news,
knowledge or any other kind of information on the world wide web for everyone
to see.
Most blogs
include a comments section in which you can engage with those likeminded people
that are interested in your blog post. This is why it is a great platform for
communication.
8. Voice
Calling
Voice calling
is even more personalised than the channels previously mentioned. The telephone
or mobile phone instantly allows both parties to hear the tones and emotions of
the other caller and is one of the most commonly used communication tools.
9. Video Chat
Video chat
enables both parties to see each other, allowing you to be able to read body
language and facial expressions. This form of communication isn’t as popular as
the voice calling but it does have its advantages.
With several
video-calling apps available for free such as Apple’s FaceTime, Facebook messenger,
Skype and WhatsApp, video calls are definitely worth considering.
10. Video
Marketing
Video has
really taken off over the last few years with the help of social channels like
YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. It also helps that it is easier than
ever to record videos with smartphones and cameras always handily available.
It’s important
that you get your message across in a variety of formats and video is one of
the most popular ways in which you can do so as it significantly boosts engagement.
11. Live Web
Chat
You are likely
to have seen a lot of these on websites already and they can be very helpful if
you are able to manage them correctly. Live web chats allow people on your
website to ask you questions directly in real time without leaving your
website.
You should
only consider using live web chat if you can guarantee someone will always be
actively using the widget. If it takes more than a few seconds to respond to
someone via web chat it will reflect poorly on your business so it’s best to
avoid these widgets if you can’t maintain the demand.
12.
Virtual Reality
Facebook has
been developing social VR for several years now and although
it isn’t a common way of communication yet, it has a lot of potential.
As virtual
reality advances and prices for the headsets fall, VR popularity will
inevitably increase. With more and more people buying VR headsets this could be
the next modern form of communication to hit the masses and it may only be a
few years away.
Advantages of Modern ways of
Communication
Main
advantages of modern ways of communication can be summarized as follows: (1)
Message can be transmitted quickly and easily from one place to another place
with the help of modern communication means. In the latest method, not just
time is reduced but distances are also getting shorter as well.
(2)
Modern way of communication increases the connectivity of the people. Now with
the help of cellular phone one can easily keep himself connected with others
from anywhere and at any time.
(3)
Tele / Video conferencing can lead to substantial saving both in term of money
and time. The people situated at distant places can organize a meeting without
travelling long distances as if they were all places together in one room.
(4)
Copies of, important documents including certificates, degrees, agreements and
contracts can easily be sent from one place to another with the help of E-mail,
fax machine etc.
(5)
Modern way of communication also reduced the cost of sending messages. E-mail
is far quicker correspondence than ordinary postage. Nothing is charged for
sending and receiving E-mail even though the message travels across the world.
(6)
With the help of modern ways of communication, the present business world is
advancing towards less formal structure. It reduces the office paper work and
enables the employees to work even without sitting at office (work from home).
(7)
With the help of e-commerce, the time required creating, transferring and
process a business transaction is reduced significantly due to automation.
(8)
Modern communication means also provide better customer services. With the help
of internet, we can get information about the product, its features, price and
terms of sale etc. with ease and speed.
(9)
E-commerce is proving helpful in creation of new business markets. Now the
information about the product can be shown to the customers on web sites and
orders can be fetched easily. Thus, it helps to enter into new markets and
provide easy and cheap access to the potential customers.
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