Writing for Business Success/Business writing in action/Changing communication channels

“	Digital communications media are inherently capable of being more interactive, more participatory, more egalitarian, more decentralised, and less hierarchical. As such, the types of social relations and communities which can be built on these media share these characteristics.	”
—Mitchell Kapor

On this page, we will examine both traditional and digital business communication techniques.

We will identify the most common forms of each and discuss their benefits. We will also discuss how the growth of digital communication has transformed how we work today.

Modernising Business Messages

The advances in information technology, and especially the widespread use of the internet, have brought dramatic changes to the way business communication is conducted. This in turn has precipitated change in the way that we work today.

Traditional written business communication consists of letters, memos, brochures, etc. that all share the same medium: paper. Modern written business communication still uses those formats, but is now using digital media. The move to digital communication methods has seen expanded communication techniques such as email, instant messaging, texting, posting, chatting and more. We will discuss these in more detail later.

Activity: Your communication preferences

• Think about some different types of communication you receive from businesses, such as bills, reminders for appointments, requests for information, and advertising.
  • How do you receive them? For example, by letter, email, or text message? Through blogs or online advertisements?
  • What influences the business's choice of communication channel?
  • How do you, the customer, prefer to receive each one?
  • What are the reasons for your preferences?
  • In what ways are your preferences shaped by your culture, life experiences, beliefs, and/or values?

Note your responses in your learning journal. If you would like to share your responses with others, don't forget to tag your post with the course code CCOM101.

Digital communication methods

Digital business communication has not only seen the expansion of communication in general, but has transformed the way we work, thanks to almost instant methods of communication. First, since we are now “always” connected, there is the tendency to always be at work. But this change in communication has also brought some good news, as traditional work hours have given way to flexible work time for many businesses. Secondly, we have seen a shift from direct manager-to-employee reporting relationships to a more team-oriented, “flattened” collaborative organisational structure. Third, where we work may have become less structured as well, with the introduction of virtual workplaces and employees working remotely.

Dell’s connected workplace - the impact of electronic communication

The Dell company, known for computers and electronics, is a prime example of the impact that electronic communication has had on modern work practices. The increased use of digital communication platforms to conduct work allowed Dell to develop the 'Connected Workplace' program. This program encourages employees to work remotely, meaning employees can work from anywhere in the world as long as they have internet access. Some of Dell’s North American employees who opted to work remotely relocated to ski areas in Canada to take advantage of their mobile status. Some employees work Sunday through Thursday from 12:30pm to 9:30pm so as to better coordinate with team members based in other time zones. This then allows them to spend their morning and weekend free time on the ski slopes. In 2012, Dell expanded their “Flexibility and Mobility” program to seventy-three sites in twenty-nine countries, representing twenty-five percent of eligible employees.

For the professional business environment, the three primary benefits of digital communication methods are that communication is:

• Instant and fast-paced
• Extensive
• Convenient

It can also contribute to positive social change.

Instant and fast-paced communication

Communication using digital techniques is instant. As soon as the sender hits the Submit, Enter, or Send key, the message is available to the audience in a matter of microseconds. The business benefit of instant communication is obvious — little to no delay in valuable information being sent to individuals, customers, and/or the organisation. Responding to a competitor’s new product release, informing colleagues of project status, scheduling a full staff meeting, and acknowledging a customer complaint are all accomplished nearly instantly.

Extensive communication

Another benefit of digital business communication is that it is extensive. One email message or text message can be easily routed to thousands of employees at the same time. A post on social media can be seen by millions of customers. Never before have we had the “reach” that a single digital communication can provide. Additionally, digital communications can be extensive in their contents as well; while sending a printed forty-page report by mail has associated costs, it’s virtually cost-free to send the same content digitally.

Convenient communication

Digital business communication is convenient, which helps encourage better communication. Workers can relay information to their colleagues with a few mouse clicks, which means that they are more likely to do so. Additionally, the fact that digital communication is instant and extensive also contributes to the convenience of using these techniques.

Communication for change

Finally, the use of digital communication in the business environment can contribute to positive social change in some circumstances. Always being connected may not seem to be a benefit at first glance, but if that allows employees to have more flexible work hours, they may be happier at work. A team-oriented workforce, which tends to foster sharing and support among team members, has been shown to contribute to greater employee productivity and success. And who does not appreciate a shorter - or even non-existent - commute? Virtual and remote offices have been credited with tangible benefits to employees.

Traditional communication methods

Traditional methods of business communication tend to mean paper-based messages such as formal letters, brochures, reports, proposals, and notes. Based on the advantages of using digital communication discussed above, why would we wish to continue to use traditional means?

There are several reasons why these traditional methods of communication still have their place:

• Reader preference
• Storage and archive
• Security
• Convenience
• Perception

Reader preference

One of the most important elements of any type of communication is how effective the message is. Communication is most effective when the message is clearly received by the intended audience. Some people prefer to read information from a sheet of paper rather than a digital screen, or prefer to read a novel from a paper book rather than on a tablet device. Human senses affect communication, and touch is a very strong human trait. In communication, it’s all about the receiver instead of the sender, so by putting the receiver of the communication first, the message will be more effective.

Storage and archive

Another advantage of traditional communication methods is in the storage of documents. Many organisations today believe in having a hard-copy document to back up electronic records. Computer servers and mainframes have been known to crash, resulting in the loss of data. Despite the fact that emails, texts, and other digital communications have been found to be legally binding, the storage and archiving of paper documents continues to be important since electronic storage is not foolproof.

Security

A third advantage of traditional communication techniques is closely related to data storage: data security. Data breaches and malicious hacker attacks have shown that no electronic record is completely safe, even with firewalls and cyber-security software.

Convenience

While convenience was listed above as a benefit of digital communication, it is also a benefit of traditional communication. In order to open an email, read a text, or scan a social media post, you must have a functioning device that is connected to the internet. We all know that there are times when we are unable to be online because of poor signal coverage or a dead battery. There are even times when we wish to be disconnected on purpose to have a bit of a break.

Perception

Finally, traditional communication methods can make a good impression and improve the receiver’s perception of the message sender. How many of us find it a little overwhelming to wade through a mountain of email, texts, and social media posts every day? A simple thing like a business letter on quality stationery has been shown to differentiate a sender from others. A formal written proposal sent to a customer usually gets opened, in contrast to an email that is flagged for later or marked as unread. A hand-written note is almost always opened right away because of its novelty.

Discussion forum: Digital versus traditional communication methods

What are your views on the advantages and disadvantages of digital communication methods in business, compared with traditional methods?

How have your personal experiences shaped your views?

Please share your thoughts in the discussion forum.

Acknowledgements

The content on this page (excluding the activity) was adapted from Introduction to Changing Communication Channels, authored by Robert Danielson and provided by Lumen Learning under a CC-BY-4.0 licence. The content is part of the online course Business communication skills for managers.