7 Basic Communication Tools for Businesses

Whether the goal is to inform, convince, or retain, an effective communication strategy can clearly enable a company to stand out in a competitive environment.

But, how to identify the most suitable communication tools for your company? What is the method for choosing and applying them effectively?

This article explores the seven best communication tools for companies, covering both internal and external outreach, as well as digital and physical formats.

We guide you on how to integrate these tools into your communication strategy and provide tips on how to maximize their use to achieve your objectives.

Regardless of the size of your company, whether you run an SME, a start-up, or a large company, you will discover communication tools suited to your needs.

What is a communication tool for a company?

A company communication tool is designed to facilitate the dissemination of messages to a targeted audience. These means can be digital or physical and are used to communicate both internally (employees) and externally (clients, partners) of the company.

The choice of communication tools depends on the specific objectives the company wishes to achieve, and on their business model–be it a SaaS or otherwise.

There are mainly two categories of communication tools in a company: internal and external. The former aims to improve the flow of information among employees, strengthen their sense of belonging, enhance their well-being and motivation, encourage teamwork, and share skills.

The latter, on the other hand, are used to highlight the company's image, attract clients and reduce churn, stand out from the competition, increase its visibility and credibility, and boost its revenue.

The variety of communication tools for companies is broad, ranging from digital to physical, formal to informal, direct to indirect, and covering written, oral, visual, or auditory formats.

Among them are the logo, the classic business card, the website and its blog, social media, emailing, newsletters, catalogs, brochures, flyers, and posters in print.

That's not all—press releases and more interactive support like podcasts, videos, webinars, chats, instant messaging, forums, wikis, surveys, and games are other relevant tools.

When selecting communication tools, consider several aspects such as the target audience, the message to be conveyed, the budget, the available time, the frequency of dissemination, the channel, the format, the tone, and the style.

It is also important to evaluate their effectiveness by measuring their impact on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:

• Open rate
• Click rate
• Conversion rate
• Satisfaction rate
• Retention rate
• Return on investment (ROI)

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List of essential communication tools for companies

In this section, we list 7 essential communication tools for interacting effectively with clients, partners, and collaborators. Designed to meet the demands of today's businesses, these tools facilitate communication, whether your teams are on-site or telecommuting. Note that this is not an exhaustive list.

1. A reliable telephone system

The telephone remains a cornerstone of business communication, allowing quick contact with anyone, whether they are part of the company or not.

Thanks to advanced technologies such as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), you can benefit from greater flexibility and enhanced features such as voicemail, call forwarding, and conference calls.

These systems allow you to make and receive calls from any internet-connected device, such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet.

2. The CRM: Essential Pivot

The CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is at the heart of managing interactions with your customers. It organizes and analyzes the data of your contacts, prospects, and sales, facilitating the planning and monitoring of marketing and loyalty campaigns.

Thanks to the CRM, you can personalize your communication and automate management of customer relationships by sending and text messages.

You can easily integrate your phone system with your CRM depending on the compatibility of the tools. Ringover integrates with the best CRMs on the market.

3. Emails

Essentially, emails allow for the exchange of written information and attachments, whether for formal or informal purposes. Use emails to inform, confirm, remind, express gratitude, and even conduct marketing actions like promoting your products or services to a targeted list of contacts.

4. Social Media

Create and animate an online community through social media. Share multimedia content (texts, images, videos, podcasts) and communicate about your news, values, and offers.

Interact with your audience by responding to their comments and engaging them. The most used platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

5. Website

Your website serves as a platform to present your company, the products or services you offer, as well as your references and contact information. It acts as a digital showcase for your brand on the web.

It must be attractive, easy to navigate (ergonomic), responsive, and secure. To be visible on search engines like Google, it must be optimized according to search engine criteria (SEO). You can use your website to attract qualified prospects through contact forms, quote offers, white papers, or webinars.

6. Online Advertising

Internet advertising allows you to broadcast targeted ads to capture the attention of your target audience and encourage them to take action. Using online advertising can increase your visibility, notoriety, web traffic, and sales.

There are various formats to consider, including SEA (Search Engine Advertising) to buy keywords on search engines, SMA (Social Media Advertising) for advertising spaces on social networks, and display advertising for banners or videos on partner sites.

7. Instant Messaging (for internal communication)

Instant messaging offers a platform to communicate in real-time with your colleagues, making internal communication fluid, especially for remote teams.

It promotes informal exchanges, help requests, document sharing, and more. You can organize discussion groups by project, department, or topic.

This tool is useful for audio or video calls, organizing virtual meetings, and engaging your team through surveys, quizzes, and games. Applications like Slack, Teams, or even WhatsApp are among the most adopted.

Key Takeaways Regarding Business Communication Tools

In conclusion, communication tools are the pillars on which a company's ability to convey its message clearly and effectively to its various audiences rests. Whether to inform, persuade, or retain, a well-thought-out communication strategy and business phone system can make a difference in a competitive environment.

From VoIP software to CRM, through emails, social media, websites, online advertising, and instant messaging, each tool offers unique possibilities to interact with customers, partners, and employees.

It is essential to choose the appropriate tools based on your company's specific objectives, while considering factors such as the target audience, available budget, and key performance indicators to monitor. Additionally, regularly evaluating the effectiveness of these tools is crucial to adjust your communication strategy and maximize your impact.

Ringover can help you now create or optimize your communication system through its eponymous solution. Try it now for free to see the difference it will make for your business!

Communication Tools FAQ

What are social communication tools?

Social communication tools refer to the platforms and strategies used to facilitate interaction and information sharing among individuals and groups within a community or between communities. These tools include:

1. Social Networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn): Allow content sharing, interaction, and community building around common interests.
2. Online Forums (Reddit, Quora): Spaces to ask questions, share answers, and discuss various topics.
3. Messaging Apps (WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram): For direct and group communications.
4. Video Sharing Platforms (YouTube, Vimeo): For sharing and viewing video content.
5. Consumer Review Sites (Yelp, Tripadvisor): For sharing and consulting reviews on services, products, or experiences.

What are internal communication tools?

Internal communication tools are essential to ensure good information flow within an organization. They include:

1. Professional Emails: For official communications and daily exchanges.
2. Company Intranet: An internal network serving as a documentation and communication platform.
3. Enterprise Social Networks (ESNs) like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Yammer: Promote collaboration and instant communication.
4. Project Management Software (Asana, Trello, Monday.com): For planning, task tracking, and collaboration.
5. Telephony and Videoconferencing Systems (Zoom, Ringover Meet, Skype): For remote meetings.
6. Internal Newsletters and Bulletin Boards: To share news and updates with all employees.

What are digital communication tools?

Digital communication uses online tools and technologies to disseminate messages to a target audience. Main tools include:

1. Websites and Blogs: The foundation of a brand or organization's online presence.
2. Email Marketing (Mailchimp, Brevo): To send newsletters, promotions, and personalized communications.
3. Social Networks and Social Advertising: To interact with the public, share content, and promote products or services.
4. Content Marketing: Creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract and retain a defined audience.