In the light of this pandemic, teams all over the world have switched to remote working. Working remotely might certainly take a toll on the overall team communication. At such times, communication and collaboration tools come to the rescue of teams.
It is much easier to communicate and coordinate with people while being at the same place.
But, as Charles Darwin once said:
The same holds true today for businesses as the world starts adapting to the ‘new normal’.
If you wish to excel and work efficiently, you most importantly need an established communication system for your team.
While working remotely, communication ensures for everybody to be on the same page.
The one right thing for effective remote communication is the usage of the right tool according to your team requirement.
Here, we have highlighted the top communication and collaboration tools you can choose from:
1. Video Calling Tools:
It is best to communicate via video calling tools for:
- Detailed discussions and explanations,
- Group meetings and reviews
- Real time brainstorming and ideation
- Fun rejuvenation activities
You can check out the following tools for the same:
A.Microsoft Teams:
This tool facilitates key features such as:
- Screen Sharing
- Note Taking
- Instant Messaging
These features help you make a more productive use of the meetings conducted and fulfill the project requirements without disrupting the ongoing meeting.
You can also integrate Microsoft Teams with tools such as Slack, Clickup and other Microsoft Office Tools.
B. Zoom:
It includes features like:
- Chat Rooms
- Webinars
- Cloud Storage Support
- Recorders
The features of zoom help out in making the calls more interactive. You can also build archives of your meetings/webinars and can use those for future reference.
2. Instant Messaging Tools:
It is not always possible to conduct video meetings for all the required tasks. Instant messaging tools are great for small queries or while asking for updates from your teammates.
These tools ensure brief clarifications. Here are some of the tools you can try out:
A. Telegram:
Telegram is one of the best tools to be used for organizational communication. It facilitates features such as:
- Using multiple phone numbers
- Sending and receiving large files
- Creating custom channels
- Chat folders (You can bifurcate according to clients/ projects)
B. Slack:
It is one of the most widely used communication tools for businesses. Slack provides various features such as:
- Slack Channels
- Multiple Integrations with Google Drive, Clickup, Asana and more.
- Advanced Search Modifiers
3. Virtual Whiteboard Tools
Using these tools is a great way to visually collaborate with your team. Whiteboard tools can be used when you aim to brainstorm and ideate together while planning new strategies and campaigns.
Here are some of the whiteboard tools you can use as your digital canvas:
A. Stormboard:
This tool features your whiteboards as digital sticky notes. You can view and edit the notes in real time. The key features of this tool include:
- Vote between on screen boards
- Chat function
- Assigning tasks to team members
Stomboard also facilitates easy integration with Zapier.
B. Miro:
Miro is another virtual whiteboard tool that allows you to collaborate and centralize communication across the team. It also provides an infinite canvas, templates & frameworks that you can use.
The other features include:
- Sticky notes and widgets
- Mouseover Collaboration
- Easy screen sharing and presentation
- Embedded video, chat and commenting
4. File Storage And Collaboration Tools
Working remotely will essentially require you to store and share files with your team members. Use these tools to manage access and organization of files:
A. Google Drive:
This cloud storage platform from Google is used worldwide. It also facilitates seamless compatibility with G Suite for further collaboration.
The key features include:
- Sharing Permissions
- Improve Collaboration
- Real time sync
- Live cursor display
B. Dropbox:
Yet another file storage tool, Dropbox lets you bring all your files together, integrating with other tools you wish to use.
It also provides key features such as:
- Automatic Backup and Organisation
- Large File Sharing
- Offline Access
- Manual Bandwidth Settings
- File Recovery
5. Project Management Tools:
Project management and collaboration tools make it easier for digital marketing agencies to streamline tasks across various teams. As a result, there is lesser chaos, delay, and better efficiency with all the tasks in sync. You can check out the following tools:
A. Asana
Asana helps you organise the work processes in structured ways, share details and assign tasks to team members. It also provides features such as:
- Automatic email updates
- Activity feed
- Setting reminders
- Task tracking
B. Basecamp
Basecamp lets you split your work into projects and provides a varied set of tools for each project. This tool includes features such as:
- Interactive Gantt Charts
- Project Templates
- Scheduling
- To-do lists
- Task history
Conclusion:
More than ever now is the time to adapt to these remote working tools. Usage of the above-mentioned communication and collaboration tools will ensure that you work as effectively as you always did!
To help you optimize your agency workflows and gain a competitive advantage in the market, we’ve put together some of the best tools to help agencies freelancers operate more smartly, faster and provide their clients with the best possible results.
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