You’ve probably already heard of Slack. The workplace messaging app is already a firm favourite at companies from across the globe, in part because it takes the idea of chat rooms and instant messaging and brings it into a business setting but with a touch of 21st century magic. It makes communicating between teams and across multiple different destinations much, much easier.
But we’re not here to sell you on the benefits of using Slack, because the chances are that you’re already using it. Instead, we’re here to tell you that the tool should be your best friend if it isn’t already because of the suite of functionality that it has to offer. Most people are only using the most basic tools like channels and private messaging, and that’s a shame.
Used correctly, Slack has all sorts of different ways to boost productivity and communication, like the fact that you can create your own bots or import them from third-party websites. Different bots do different things, and if you take the time to develop your own then you can use them to store, access and retrieve information or to set up automated reminders to keep employees on track.
Using channels the right way
The ability to create both public and private channels is what gives Slack its superpowers. It’s a good idea to create channels for different physical locations, as well as for different teams and even different projects. Private channels can be used for more sensitive teams like your senior management or your finance team to make sure that you get all of the benefits of the communication without putting any of your information at risk.
While you’re at it, be sure to take the time to pin any important messages or documents to the channel to make it easier for people to find and to access them. Remember, too, that if your partners, suppliers and clients aren’t on Slack, you can invite them to join you and use shared channels to collaborate across different companies.
If you’re a particularly avid user or if you like to customise the functionality that you have available, you can also carry out a few tweaks to remove unnecessary features and to pin the most important channels to the top of your sidebar. You can also change colours or even import RSS feeds from elsewhere to make sure that all of your most important information is right there in a single place.
Conclusion
Slack is like a gift that keeps on giving, and the more you use it, the more you’ll pick up on new tips and tricks, even if that’s only by picking up new keyboard shortcuts to save yourself a little time. It’s also one of the most powerful communication tools that’s currently out there on the market, and if you’re not using it then you can bet that your competitors will be. But by making Slack your best friend, you’ll have a leg up over them and be in the perfect position to take them down. Good luck.
Dane
Dane Cobain is a published author, freelance writer, book blogger, poet and (occasional) musician from High Wycombe, UK. Before going freelance, he worked as a social media marker, now specialising in writing about publishing, technology and marketing.