Thirty thousand years ago Neanderthals communicated through gestures, sounds, and paintings. There are no reports of a language, but the language they adopted connected sender and receiver for daily tasks such as hunting or protection.
Today it is believed that only homo sapiens were able to communicate through language. This language, by the way, has a very valuable power, which is persuasion for one’s own purposes – and not only for survival.
In a society as intelligent as ours, not only one means of relationship was created, but several communication channels. We can now make faces and mouths, speak, or even type to convey a message.
With technology, these means of communication have taken highly effective directions, and through them we are able to persuade, establish trust, and build loyalty. Two of the tools responsible for this are chatbots and messaging apps, for example.
Although this may seem complex to understand, it is not so! Understand with us which are the most used communication channels in this new era and how the trajectory of each one of them has been.
What are communication channels?
Communication channels are the means used to maintain a relationship with the public. To stay close to their customers, companies don’t need to restrict themselves and use a single medium, as many have done with the customer service by phone.
Nowadays, technology allows other tools to be used and makes communication between people possible. Betting on the plurality of means is super effective, since it facilitates the contact of consumers with the brand.
Entrepreneurs have sought to diversify this relationship. The more complete the customer service, the better the company will be seen. That is why the various channels of business communication also need to integrate with applications, websites and other tools, forming what is known as omnichannel service.
What are the 6 main communication channels?
Some communication channels are more widely used and qualify as a good option for the public. For companies, understanding which channels to offer is the golden key when it comes to investing in customer relations.
Learn which are the main channels of today:
1. Chatbot
Chatbots, which for a long time were neglected by entrepreneurs, is one of the best communication channels of our days. This is because this medium can displace other multichannels and streamline the service with the target audience.
Before the digital transformation boom, some insights already showed how this technology in communication was a good bet. It is estimated that from 2019 to 2020 there was a 68% increase in conversational robots.
When well programmed and personalized, this tool can be very profitable for the company. Not to mention that consumers are more likely to be satisfied with good service.
2. WhatsApp
There is no doubt that WhatsApp is a worldwide fever. Today, according to a survey, WhatsApp is installed in 99% of Brazilian smartphones. Of these, 76% already communicate with brands through the application.
The tool allows conversation between two or more people through written texts or audios. The popularity can be justified by the application’s ease of use and free of charge.
So far, no other messaging app has a similar fame to WhatsApp. Telegram is also quite well known, but does not have such huge numbers.
3. E-mail
Email is a communication channel that can be used by companies or individuals in their day to day life. Compared to the previous two, it is an older tool, but its importance continues to be proven to this day.
Basically it comes in as one of the main communication channels because it is used in different situations. Complaints, documentation, marketing, among many other possibilities.
Perhaps the most democratic medium of all, e-mail is a tool that can be used in many ways.
4. SMS
We can say that SMS is one of the oldest communication channels on this list. Since its emergence, it has gone through several phases and advances. Nowadays it has lost some of its fame, but it is still part of the strategy of many companies.
SMS is a very important medium because of its tradition and democracy. People without internet access can use this channel and have the information they seek in the palm of their hands.
Even living in the glory days of smartphones, SMS still has its value, because besides being an immediate communication with the customer, it has very low costs compared to other forms of marketing, with a great opening rate.
5. Social Networks
Social networks are the newest communication channel on the list. When using them, the intention is not only to get a direct message to the user, but also to persuade and create and maintain a relationship through various marketing strategies.
By the way, this is one of the most used business communication channels today. Many companies use Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn to stay close to their customers and attract new users.
6. Site/blog
Last but not least, we have the website/blog. Here, communication takes place from the Google platform, the most accessed in the world. The user can type whatever he wants into a search bar and is taken to what he is looking for.
If he wants to buy a black tennis shoe, all he has to do is type in Google and a flood of sites and blogs with tips will appear. The communication here is a little more one-sided, but it still considers what this consumer wants.
How to integrate the communication channels?
Communication channels can (and should) be integrated! For this, companies must have a tool that makes this convergence of channels and helps users who enter a store’s Instagram to finalize the purchase through WhatsApp.
This intermediation can happen between different instances, such as from website to WhatsApp Business, chatbot to corporate phone, among others. The important thing is that the company has the concept of omnichannel communication in practice, since this facilitates even more the multichannel relationship.
The main benefits of an omnichannel platform are:
- Service efficiency
- Increased team productivity
- Promotes integrated communication
- Improves the customer journey
- Metrics tracking
And do you know which is the best platform in the market to serve your clients? The Weni Plataform!
–Did you like the article? Want to know more about integrated communication? Continue on WENI’s Blog and see more subjects like this one!
