If you’re the owner of a smartphone, you probably use consumer messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Viber or even Skype to group chat with family and friends. Group chat lets you instantly send messages, pictures and videos to multiple people at once while seamlessly keeping a conversation going for days, weeks, or months.
If you’re like me, you might belong to several groups: family (one with parents, and one without), friends, school, hobbies…so what about the workplace? Can we use the same tools that we use in our personal lives to keep us connected with our coworkers?
The answer is YES! So maybe even 2 or 3 years ago, we did not use to text in the work place. But the world of work is changing drastically, and so all of us, individuals, companies and organizations need to adapt to new technologies and new ways of collaborating with each other.
Here’s 5 reasons why you need to use group chat in your organization:
1. Snap, Crackle, Pop!
Okay, so group messaging has nothing to do with Rice Krispies but group chat is “snappy”. Share information quickly and get the answers you want in real time with group chat. Even management can get in on the action and use group chat to share company news, training materials and time sensitive information.
Which brings me to point number two…
2. Email is so passé.
It’s not that group chat will replace email, but group chat can minimize decision making processes and main an engaging workflow that email cannot. Group chat makes communication with multiple people at the same amazingly simple and human.
3. No More Email Chains
Don’t you hate getting stuck in a never-ending email chain that ultimately just clogs your inbox? Group chat gets rid of those email chains, and keeps conversations relevant.
4. Different Strokes for Different Folks
Create different groups for your company’s teams, regions, hierarchies and interest groups to improve collaboration and make sure that all employees are on the same page.
5. No Email Address Required
Group chat is great for employees who don’t have a company email address, virtual teams, remote workers or those who don’t sit in front of a desk all day with access to email.
6. Make Fun of Your Boss During Company Meetings
And he/she won’t even know it. Just kidding. Don’t do that. There’s always a record somewhere!
So if I’ve convinced you to implement group chat, it’s probably best that you use a business mobile messaging tool that makes sure all of your messages are secure, encrypted, and achievable. Read our guide: 10 Things to Check for in a Business Mobile Messaging Tool.
Our next post will focus on security no-no’s when organizations use consumer messaging apps instead of using appropriate enterprise mobile messaging tools.