I use Slack a lot, with most of my clients in fact. It has been a game-changer in the way we communicate mainly because it takes the conversation away from the inbox which of course is great thing.
I'm asked quite frequently about app recommendations and because there are so many out there sometimes it can feel a bit overwhelming, especially when you don’t really know what you’re looking for. As a result, you risk downloading something that actually costs money to use properly, is far too complicated and doesn’t solve the problem you wanted to resolve in the first place.
However Slack is different from a lot of apps in that it has truly become one of the essential tools that I use on a daily basis. This blog post explains it's purpose, how it works and why you should be using it with your virtual team.
So, what is it?
Slack is an online communication app that allows teams to keep in contact with each other easily and efficiently, reducing those infuriating email chains that clog up your inbox. Conversations are organised into channels that you create, such as social media, marketing, sales, new leads etc. All information is stored and easily searchable for future reference. You can post directly in the channel for all to read or tag someone specifically and they will get a notification. There is also an option to private message someone. Think of some of the traditional non-business apps like GroupMe or WhatsApp, and think of Slack as the same, just tailored for business needs.
But why does this app work for me? One of my clients uses this app, along with other members of the team. We all work virtually yet input into multiple projects so great communication is essential. Using Slack means we are all able to communicate easily and see what each of us is working on. It’s just like popping over to a desk and chatting to someone about where they are with a specific project or task, except that Slack keeps everyone involved up-to-and date with progress. People might not be directly part of a conversation, but they can view it and might have some useful nugget of info that can be passed on or, see something of relevance to their specific workstream. And if you think they may really need to know something – tag them in the conversation.
There is also the option to integrate lots of other apps such as Hootsuite, Dropbox, Trello, Google Drive etc.
Slack is available as a desktop app for Windows and Mac and also to download on iOS and Android. And wait for it the basic package is FREE yes it’s free - you can search and browse 10k of your most recent messages, 5GB total storage etc. I think that’s enough for a small business to start with.
Ultimately in our busy lives, apps should be about simplicity, increased productivity and better communication, and this app has all of those in bucket-loads.
If you would like to know more about the various services I offer and how I can support your business please visit the services section on my website. Better still why not get in touch, I offer a free one-hour consultation.