Our Favorite Virtual Communication Tools

Like many teams, the BBG&G staff has adapted very quickly to working together virtually. We have a few tools that we find helpful for keeping in touch during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

If you’re looking for a platform to keep you connected with staff, clients, and the rest of the outside world, here are some of our recommendations. 

Slack

Slack is a modern IM-ing (Instant Messaging) platform for communicating with your team, in one centralized location. It’s a good alternative to email, which can easily become unwieldy and disorganized. You can arrange separate “channels” for different topics. Slack has different pricing based on team size, and there’s a free option available. 

Zoom 

Zoom is a virtual meeting platform. It offers top-quality meetings and virtual chats. Our team uses Zoom to set up internal and client meetings. Their different packages offer a wide range of services and can be customized to your team’s needs. Additionally, it offers a webinar add-on to most accounts, if you plan to market to your audience through webinar events. 

Other virtual meeting platforms we love:

• Google Hangouts – messaging, voice and video calls in one platform
• Skype 

Google Drive 

Google Drive is very helpful to keep documents in one location -- and it’s free. All Gmail accounts automatically get their own Google Drive. All types of Google documents (Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms) have the capabilities to save automatically. Additionally, multiple users can gain access to a document and edit live with other users. 

Other great cloud-based file storage solutions we love:

• Dropbox
• SharePoint – great for teams utilizing Microsoft Office 360
• Box – use this tool to integrate all your content portals and streamline the approval process

Calendly

Calendly helps you schedule meetings without the back-and-forth emails – for free! With Calendly, you can connect with up to six of your calendars to automatically check availability or you can select times to block off for meetings. Then a link is generated for you to send to clients, prospects, and your team to schedule a meeting with you. When someone schedules a meeting, a notification is sent to your inbox and added to your calendar (if you’ve sent up the integration). 

Other useful scheduling tools:

• Doodle – use this tool to quickly survey a group of people for their availability
• HubSpot Scheduling – another free scheduling tool

These are just a few virtual connection platforms out there. Need help making the best choices for your own team? Read more about our COVID-19 services here. Set up a free consultation call to see how we can assist you.

By Kayla, Account Executive & Communications Specialist | April 2, 2020