Communication – both inside and outside of the office – has become a major talking point over the past two years. With over 33% of people claiming that communication is harder than it was pre-pandemic and 18% claiming that it has gotten easier, clearly there is a divide amongst the masses. Business communication encapsulates any communication happening within a corporation, be it externally with consumers or internally between employees. As the world continues to be shaped by the evolution of technology and social change, communication will not lose its importance in 2022.
Strategic Communication Plans Matter
Companies who have developed strong internal communications strategies are 3.5 times more likely to outperform competition. As survey after survey pumps out negative feedback from employees regarding the quality of internal communication, it is clear that this is an area for improvement. Implementing a strategic communications plan can provide teams with the necessary tools, environment, and support to share information effectively. The benefits that come alongside a strong communications plan are vast.
Not only does it help to promote overall productivity, but it instills a positive culture of collaboration and trust between employees, making work output much easier to execute. That means higher engagement, better customer relations, and general satisfaction for everyone from the ground up. Companies can use an internal communications guide to get them started before making adjustments that suit the style, direction, and nature of a specific business team.
Direct Company To Consumer Communication
In an attempt to bridge the gap between corporations and consumers during lockdown, direct online communication has become one of the biggest tools businesses can use for customer engagement. Over the past two years, businesses have needed to get creative when it comes to delivering meaningful communication with their customers. Some of the ways they did that included utilizing apps like WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, Slack and even Facebook Messenger to initiate conversation with consumers – with success.
Previously used as casual, social apps between everyday people, consumers are showing appreciation for the convenient and informal approach businesses are now taking with communication. This trend is expected to continue throughout 2022 and into the future.
AI Chat-Bot Takeover
Due to growing awareness of AI, the market is expected to reach $77.6 billion by the end of 2022. This influx of investment into conversational AI is indicative of just how effective this form of communication can be. The ability for an AI chat-bot to be available for customer support 24/7 far exceeds that of the human capacity, making it an ideal resource for companies with a high consumer count.
In this day and age, consumers want to interact with companies that can provide them with the information and support they deserve. Fortunately for them, AI fits beautifully into this engagement-shaped hole that many businesses struggle to fill.
Business communications have shifted dramatically over the past few years, and the world has every reason to suspect those shifts won’t slow down anytime soon. For now, it’s up to businesses to cultivate strong communication strategies for both internal and external purposes.