Slack is an online messaging platform that you can use on Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS. You can create teams (the broadest discussion level) as soon as you sign up and also have channels. Slack is one of the most versatile tools and integrates beautifully with a host of other platforms.
Despite its name, it’s actually a messaging app that can potentially tighten up organizational efficiency. This is through the improvements it can have on team communication.
If you are looking for an easier way to communicate with team members and are tired of having to CC and BCC people for 80% of your emails?, then Slack is the ideal tool.
Besides the obvious benefits though of cutting down on email Slack provides a better way of exchanging ideas and making decisions within a group.
The remarks on efficiency and throughput may tempt you to start thinking of services like Asana or Basecamp. Let me clear this up for right now, it’s not the same and shouldn’t be compared to those tools.
Although there are some common features, Slack isn’t technically a project management and collaboration tool in the same way those two are. The primary purpose is to serve as a messaging platform. It can be made to do more than messaging, but you shouldn’t really be thinking of it as a Basecamp replacement.
Slack even has something in common with a lot of the software used for that protocol. It’s free. However, it stays that way only up to a point.
Slack has multiple pricing tiers, like most other apps nowadays which depend on the features and of course team members. The Free version doesn’t have all the same features and integrations as the paid version. Despite this, it’s still appealing and worth a look for most small businesses and startups seeking a better means of internal communication. Certainly give the free version a trial to get used to the interface and how it works.
Channels: There are two types of channels on Slack: the public and private. Obviously, the former are “threads that team members can access. On the other hand, private channels are only accessible to team members specified by the channel’s creator.
Cut down on email and improve your team communication