Communication is the lifeblood of any business. Your ability to communicate clearly and appropriately with employees, customers, and business partners impacts every aspect of your business.
Today, there are a variety of communication methods available. The challenge then becomes which to use when. Each business must establish the appropriate protocols to ensure the most efficient communication possible.
Email marketing and instant messaging are businesses' most common digital communication methods today. Instant messaging includes apps like WhatsApp and WeChat and chat features for video conferencing programs like Skype, Microsoft Teams, and Slack.
Email and text each have their advantages and disadvantages. Understanding these differences is the key to using them appropriately.
Email Is the Old Stand-By
Most people have used email since the 1990s. It’s the standard form of communication in the business world. The text has only become widely used in recent years.
While everyone you communicate with within your business has an email address they probably check regularly, it may not be the case with text messaging. In addition, a wide variety of texting apps and services are available, so it can be challenging to find one that everyone uses.
Chatting in Real Time
The main advantage of instant messaging over email is the sense of immediacy. Most people text on their phones, so they’ll see your message the second you send it. You can get someone’s attention quickly, while your email might sit in their inbox for hours or days.
Most text apps allow you to see whether your message has been read. Feedback like this makes it seem like an actual conversation. You can chat back and forth in real-time.
This is why businesses often establish a guideline of using email generally but text for urgent matters or issues where you need a quick and simple answer.
Special Features
Both email and IM have their unique features. With email, you can send large files, archive messages, organize messages by label, and have offline access.
Text messaging allows you to create groups for chatting, make easy audio or video calls, and see whether the person you want to reach is online.
Also Read: 8 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Digital Communications (orkra.com)
Documenting Your Communications
One of the reasons businesses like to use email is that it’s easy to document conversations. Everything said in a particular discussion is saved in your inbox. Email platforms have search functions to find discussion topics by email.
Some instant messaging apps provide archiving or searching, but you’ll often find yourself scrolling back through discussions to find information. This is one reason why email is used for essential discussions.
Privacy and Security
Unfortunately, email can be vulnerable to phishing attacks. With IM, you’re communicating with a small group of selected people. Most IM platforms have robust security, so there aren’t spam messages from outside.
Instant messaging platforms also offer end-to-end encryption and identity verification to keep conversations extra secure.
Also Read: Face-to-Face Vs Digital Communications: 6 Key Differences
Which to Use for Your Business?
If you’re trying to decide which suits your business, the answer is both. There’s a right time and place for emails and instant messaging. What’s imperative is that you establish protocols with your team and use these communication tools most efficiently with outside partners.
Want to learn more about how to best use digital communication in your business? Head over here: Email Marketing - ProfitMagik
