How Technology Has Changed Business Communication Technology has forever changed the business communication landscape.
By Kartik Anand
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Technology has completely changed how we communicate, from our daily personal lives to the workplace. We can communicate faster, more efficiently and more conveniently.
There are new devices, tools and software coming out that continue to advance communication technology, and the existing popular technologies are constantly being updated and improved. Businesses communication must utilize this new technology to be successful. Years ago, communication advanced with the introduction of desktop computers and email. Now we have mobile devices with far greater computing power to handle email, while also participating in video conference calls with people on the other side of the world.
Business communication is also mobile and all walls have been removed. Businesses need to understand that they need to adapt quickly or lose market share to a competitor that understands the new communication landscape.
Here are four ways technology has changed business communication.
Public relations
Strategic public relations (PR) requires a much different approach these days and this is due to social media. Previously, PR was a means to portray a business in a positive light, highlighting achievements, awards and mentioning newsworthy information. Campaigns acted as a bridge between the business and its representatives to the general public.
Now, thanks to websites and social media, every business is easily accessible. If a consumer or media member has a question, they reach out directly. Even key executives are easily accessible through their personal social media profiles, which was never the case before. If you wanted to ask the CEO a question, you can simply send a DM on Instagram or Twitter and receive a response.
PR campaigns today focus on an entirely different agenda, which includes:
- Online reputation management
- Social media engagement, interaction and customer satisfaction
- Securing online mentions and interviews to help with maintaining a positive reputation
Related: 7 Creative Ways to Boost Your Social Media Strategy
Internal communication
The way a business can communicate internally now is incredible, and even more so is the ability to build a global team without office walls. This allows businesses to hire the best possible candidate for every position, regardless of geographical location.
There are SaaS programs, tools and software that allow for seamless collaboration, video conferences and data and file sharing. The biggest advantages include the following:
Video chat: Your entire global team can be present for meetings, announcements and group brain dump sessions. It also enables face-to-face communication that is more effective than emails.
Collaboration and screen sharing: This is great for meetings between departments or to highlight instructions. These tools can also provide demonstrations and allow team members to share notes.
Cloud storage: When everything is in one centralized location, organization is a breeze. Also, cloud storage eliminates the need to send files to several email addresses and risk being compromised. Setting files to "Read Only" and only allowing them to be accessed by internal team members is safer and more convenient.
Related: 8 Simple Ways to Make Social Media Work for Your Business
Marketing and advertising
The way a business puts out marketing messages and advertisements has completely changed and social media is the biggest reason for this. Consumers used to get their information from the television, newspaper and the like, which was also where they used to encounter the majority of the advertisements they know.
Now, Facebook news feeds are where many turn to when consumers are looking to get news, and this is also where businesses market to them. It's highly effective because you can target precisely.
Aside from social media, blogs and YouTube, podcasts are also very popular delivery methods to both share media messages and advertise your business. But no matter where you reach consumers, you need to be active where they spend the majority of their time. Years ago, they were sitting in front of the TV in the evening, ready to receive an advertisement. Today, everyone is glued to social media for a large percentage of the day.
Related: 10 Laws of Social Media Marketing
