{"id":41924,"date":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-16T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/communication-channels\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T23:08:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T07:08:22","slug":"communication-channels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/","title":{"rendered":"Communication Channels for Businesses: 9 Examples + 5 Tools"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication channels are numerous and vitally important to our lives. Just think about how many you engage with in the average week. Count every platform you check and every way people reach you. It adds up, doesn\u2019t it?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And while this may just seem like an interesting note, it\u2019s actually extremely significant in the context of business. Successful businesses must communicate highly effectively, both internally and externally, and that\u2019s easier said than done.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every time you deliver a message, you must choose which channel\u2014or channels\u2014are best for it. Would being face-to-face help? Or would a succinct and straightforward email yield the optimal result?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can figure out which channels are most appropriate for what you intend to say, you can give it the best chance of being received well. To help with that, this post will cover the basics of communication channels, including the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#What communication channels are\">What communication channels are<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#How to choose the right communication channels\u00a0\">How to choose the right communication channels\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#5 examples of communication channels\">9 examples of communication channels<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#The 3 best communication tools for small businesses\">The 5 best communication tools for small businesses<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\ud83d\udd0dModernizing the world&#8217;s largest businesses with RingCentral\ud83d\udd0d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Learn how industry giants are transforming their operations with RingCentral&#8217;s cutting-edge communication solutions. Download our eBook to explore case studies and strategies that showcase the power of modernized communication in driving efficiency and growth for the biggest businesses<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div class=\"download-form-widget standart-download-form\" data-url=\"https:\/\/assets.ringcentral.com\/us\/ebook\/ringcentral-modernized-biggest-businesses.pdf\" data-id=\"69d0219d586ad\" id=\"69d0219d586ad\">\n\t\t<button tabindex=\"on\"  on=\"tap:69d0219d586ad.toggleClass(class='open')\" class=\"open-modal-download-action download-form-button\" type=\"submit\">Get the eBook<\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-body\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-content\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-title\">\ud83d\udc40 Learn how RingCentral is modernizing some of today's biggest businesses <\/div>\n<form class=\"download-form SMB\" method=\"post\">\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Full Name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"text\" name=\"fullname\" placeholder=\"Full Name\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"text\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"email\" autocomplete=\"on\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"email\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"popup_form\" value=\"1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Asset_ID__c\" value=\"ODAM-03673\" class=\"download-form-input\"><\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Lead_Entry_Source__c\" value=\"RC Blog\" class=\"download-form-input\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"download-form-submit\" type=\"submit\" data-dl-element=\"button\" data-no-auto-dl=\"true\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\" data-dl-name=\"Get it now\">Get it now<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<button on=\"tap:69d0219d586ad.toggleClass(class='open')\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"  class=\"download-form-modal-close\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-thank\">Enjoy! <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a name=\"What communication channels are\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><strong>What are communication channels?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most people instinctively understand what they are, but ask them to define <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">communication channel <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and it can get a bit tricky. In a nutshell, communication channels are mediums through which you can send a message to its intended audience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, phone calls, text messages, emails, video, radio, and social media are all types of communication channels.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a company, communication channels keep information flowing efficiently. A breakdown in any channel, such as phone lines being down, could leave your employees and customers being seriously misinformed or left in the dark.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the flip side, effective communication channels can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/simple-steps-to-boost-your-teams-productivity\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">enhance productivity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and help you make better decisions as a team.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are a few other ways to use communication channels:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Receive and send important messages<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Answer your team\u2019s questions in real-time<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prompt discussions that encourage teammates to communicate with each other<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Share materials like presentation files and important documents quickly.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><strong>Types of communication channels<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Different channels of communication are typically classified as either oral or written. These categories can be broken down further into other different types of communication channels, such as formal, informal, or unofficial ones.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An example of a formal communication channel is a slide deck shared during an all-hands meeting, which gives employees a clear idea of the company\u2019s goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Informal communications, on the other hand, could include group chats addressing work-related issues. Lastly, unofficial communication channels could be any medium that team members use outside of work hours to discuss random topics (like that Warriors team chat you\u2019ve got with your coworkers).<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"rc-subscribe\" id=\"new-rc-subscribe\"  style=\"background-image:url('\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/ringcentral\/assets\/images\/temp\/subscribe.png')\">\n\t\t<button class=\"close js-popup-close\"><svg class=\"icon_close_mobile\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\"><use xlink:href=\"#icon_close_mobile\"><\/use><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"rc-subscribe__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rc-subscribe__wrapper_text\">\n<h3 class=\"rc-subscribe__title h2\">Stay informed with RingCentral<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rc-subscribe__subtitle\">Subscribe to our emails for the latest blogs, events, and exclusive content on AI-powered communication solutions. Stay ahead with insights and tips from the leader in trusted AI communications.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/legal\/privacy-notice.html\" target=\"_blank\" data-dl-name=\"Privacy Notic\" data-dl-element=\"link\" data-dl-additional-info=\"social\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Privacy Notice<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"rc-subscribe__wrapper_form\">\n<form class=\"\" data-event-init=\"true\" novalidate data-js-form>\n<div class=\"rc-subscribe__row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tname=\"email\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tplaceholder=\"Email address *\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"Must be valid email. example@yourdomain.com\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tminlength=\"4\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmaxlength=\"255\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"email\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trequired\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpattern=\"[a-z0-9._%+\\-]+@[a-z0-9.\\-]+\\.[a-z]{2,}$\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"field__control\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tautocomplete=\"on\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-required=\"true\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-dl-events-hover=\"true\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-dl-element=\"email\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-dl-additional-info=\"LET'S WORK TOGETHER\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"Email address *\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-errormessage=\"email-subscribe-errors\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"field__errors\" id=\"email-subscribe-errors\" data-js-form-field-errors><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"rc-subscribe__row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<select\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tname=\"Country__c\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trequired\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"field__control\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-required=\"true\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-expanded=\"false\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"Country *\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-errormessage=\"country-subscribe-errors\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t><option value=\"\" disabled=\"disabled\" selected=\"selected\">Country<\/option><option value=\"Canada\">Canada<\/option><option value=\"United_States\">United States<\/option><\/select><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"field__errors\" id=\"country-subscribe-errors\" data-js-form-field-errors><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"rc-subscribe__row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type=\"submit\" data-event-init=\"true\">Subscribe<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"confirm-form\" role=\"status\" aria-live=\"polite\" style=\"display: none;\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"confirm-form__text\">Thank you for your interest in RingCentral<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a name=\"5 examples of communication channels\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><strong>9 Communication channels examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many different examples of communication channels, both in day-to-day life and business. Here are some effective communication channels to use in a professional setting:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><strong>1. Email\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A communications channel example that falls amongst the written category, email stands out as the most popular option. You can compose an email and get your message across in a jiffy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re sending something that you\u2019d like to be able to trace or refer to later on, emails are a good option because they can be stored in an inbox. The only thing is that employees are inundated with emails every day, so it can be easy for them to miss crucial messages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>When to use email<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When you need to forward a sensitive document or keep a permanent record of communications.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip: <\/b><\/div>\n<p>Emails are great, but be careful not to over-rely on communicating through emails\u2014inboxes tend to be overflowing with junk, so it might not be the best way to get a hold of someone. Always have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/email-alternatives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">back-up alternative<\/a> (like the other options on this list) ready!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><b>2. Video conferencing\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once in the realm of science fiction (remember the Jetsons?), <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video-call.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">video calls<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have become an almost indispensable part of today\u2019s businesses. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/ringvideo.html\">RingCentral&#8217;s RingVideo suite<\/a> takes this a step further, offering a range of video collaboration tools including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video.html\">Meetings<\/a>: For everyday team collaborations and client interactions<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/webinar.html\">Town Halls<\/a>: For large-scale company-wide communications<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/rooms.html\">Rooms<\/a>: To transform physical spaces into video-enabled conference areas<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/rc-events\/webinar.html\">Webinars<\/a>: For hosting engaging online seminars and presentations<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/rc-events.html\">Events<\/a>: For creating high-production, branded virtual experiences<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"rc_custom_video\"><a class=\"rc_custom_video__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtu.be\/9xaL89hYeFs\">\n\t\t            <picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi_webp\/9xaL89hYeFs\/maxresdefault.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"rc_custom_video__media\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/9xaL89hYeFs\/maxresdefault.jpg\" alt=\"\">\n\t\t            <\/picture>\n\t\t        <\/a><br \/>\n\t\t        <button class=\"rc_custom_video__button\" aria-label=\"Play video\"><svg width=\"68\" height=\"48\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\"><path class=\"rc_custom_video__button-shape\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\"><\/path><path class=\"rc_custom_video__button-icon\" d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t        <\/button>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n<p>People can join meetings from locations around the world, from one-to-one catch-ups to all-hands meetings with hundreds of people. RingVideo&#8217;s AI-powered features, such as live transcriptions and instant meeting summaries, further enhance productivity and engagement in every session.<\/p>\n<p>This channel also comes to the forefront in certain industries like healthcare, with healthcare professionals using video conferencing to see patients and offer remote treatment. It may take some time getting used to, especially if your employees haven&#8217;t participated in a video conferencing session before, but generally it&#8217;s pretty easy to pick up.<\/p>\n<p><strong>When to use video conferencing:<\/strong> When you want to communicate strategic decisions or hold discussions with your remote team, or when you need to host large-scale virtual events or webinars.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip:<\/b><\/div>\n<p>Use an intuitive video conferencing solution (like RingCentral Video\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video#demo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">check out a demo<\/a> of how it works!) that makes it easy to participate in virtual meetings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><b>3. Phone calls<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides video conferencing, a phone call is another communication channel example that\u2019s great for communicating urgent issues and getting answers quickly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you don\u2019t need visuals to communicate your message, a voice call is a little more convenient. Plus, if the person you called isn\u2019t available, you can leave a voice message without being restricted to a certain number of text characters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That being said, phone calls can incur massive initial costs, especially if you\u2019re using traditional phone lines or systems, like a private branch exchange (PBX) to transfer calls to other members of your team.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you think you\u2019ll be making lots of international calls, look into a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/lp\/small-business-phone-service.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">business phone service<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that lets you make calls over the internet. Many providers even offer the option to get a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/can-i-buy-a-specific-phone-number.html\">custom phone number<\/a> that&#8217;s memorable and aligned with your brand. Again, RingCentral is a good option here (especially since the app has phone calling, video conferencing, and even team messaging all in one place):<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation\" title=\"RingEX | The modern business phone system, reimagined with AI\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RqVKtZzc4Lk?start=45&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><b>When to use phone calls: <\/b>When you need to communicate something urgently but you don\u2019t need to give a visual demonstration.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip: <\/b><\/div>\n<p>Use a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calling app. This lets you make calls over the internet (no pricey phone lines used here) and eliminates the need to purchase expensive hardware.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><b>4. Instant messaging (IM)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/instant-messaging-programs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">IM, or team messaging<\/a>, is great for simple and direct communication between teams. You get pinged right away if someone sends you a message, and you can type out a reply in seconds. Some messaging platforms even let you share files and create tasks in your message threads:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/rcapp.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-44657\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/insurance-task-in-ringcentral-app-1024x684.png\" alt=\"insurance task in ringcentral app\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While all of this sounds great, IM channels can get \u201cnoisy\u201d if you have your notifications turned on all day. There can be many ad hoc groups, comments, and discussions on various topics depending on how your team uses it, so make sure to customize your notifications or your availability status so that you don\u2019t get disrupted too often:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-43365\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/blog-presence-1-1.png\" alt=\"availability status in ringcentral team management app\" width=\"512\" height=\"399\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>When to use messaging: <\/b>When you want to collaborate quickly on a project or get an informal opinion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip: <\/b><\/div>\n<p>Use a team messaging tool that makes it easy to sort discussions by topic or groups.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><b>5. SMS texting<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your teammates are often away from their desk, then <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/business-text-messaging\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">business text messaging<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> may be the most efficient way to communicate something urgent. You don\u2019t need internet connection to send and receive messages, and SMS logs can also be kept and referenced to make sure everyone\u2019s accountable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plus, you can get your message across without derailing someone\u2019s focus since they don\u2019t have to open a browser or log in to an app. But mobile phones remain a personal space for most people, so SMS texting should probably be avoided unless it\u2019s something really important.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>When to use SMS<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When you want to check in on the status of a project or communicate last-minute requests.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip:<\/b><\/div>\n<p>Use simple, clear, and direct language to get your point across. (Remember, you can only use 160 characters in a single text with some providers.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><strong>6. Live chat<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you have customers that regularly seek information from you, deploying a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/live-chat.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">live chat<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> system on your website can be a hyper-efficient way of addressing their needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A handful of support assistants equipped with the right resources can smoothly resolve basic queries and escalate anything tricky to the most suitable people. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making this option even stronger, you can also make use of AI-powered chatbots capable of achieving remarkable levels of efficiency. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This isn\u2019t always necessary, but it\u2019s ideal for businesses that face near-constant customer engagement, with transportation companies being excellent examples.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>When to use live chat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When you need to provide rapid and economical customer support at scale.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip:<\/b><\/div>\n<p>Be honest with customers when you\u2019re using chatbots. Companies that try to hide their use of automation can suffer customer dissatisfaction and reputation damage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><strong>7. Knowledge bases<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of providing information about your business or processes upon request, you can forward people\u2014typically employees, but potentially customers as well\u2014to purpose-built repositories of relevant documentation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Guides, FAQs, training courses, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flipsnack.com\/digital-newsletter\">flipbook newsletters<\/a>, and even onboarding videos are perfect for knowledge bases, allowing users to find the answers they seek.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And though it takes time to create a fleshed-out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/create-knowledge-base\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">knowledge base<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it can deliver superb ROI through all the time it saves once it\u2019s up and running. Make it accessible to an <a href=\"https:\/\/document360.com\/blog\/ai-powered-knowledge-base\/\">AI-powered knowledge base assistant<\/a>, and you\u2019ll have a quick way to get even the most niche questions answered without needing to dig through old files.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>When to use knowledge bases<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When your business relies on numerous SOPs and you\u2019re spending too much time guiding new hires through core actions.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip:<\/b><\/div>\n<p>Carefully research platforms before deciding where to build your knowledge base. A strong platform will make it easy to upload and edit content, provide excellent performance and reliability, and support any integrations you desire.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><strong>8. Blogs (or vlogs)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blogs started as online diaries covering the latest TV shows and the many oddities of early internet systems. They\u2019ve long since become potent tools for businesses that want to connect with their customers more broadly and attract more visitors (ideally prospects) to their websites.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blog posts can share company updates, industry insights, case studies, product or service reveals, or even behind-the-scenes stories that serve to humanize the businesses behind them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vlogging can take that personal feel to the next level by putting faces to companies, making them easier to like.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>When to use blogs (or vlogs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When you want to share in-depth information, tutorials, or updates with your audience to drive engagement and build brand authority.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip:<\/b><\/div>\n<p>Build and deploy a long-term content plan, then stay extremely patient. It takes a long time\u2014and great consistency of output\u2014to earn a sizable audience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><strong>9. Social media networks<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With massive user counts and global reach, social media networks are perfectly suited to spreading messages, but they\u2019re great for other things, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/social-media-customer-service.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media customer service<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> helps you reach your customers in ways more convenient for them, for instance, earning you significant goodwill.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, being active on social media is great for engaging with prospective customers <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fellow members of your broader business community. A move as simple as commenting on a post from the head of a company you admire can lead to a productive conversion or even a collaboration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s also much to be said about the company culture benefits of employees engaging with one another\u2019s social activity. You should never attempt to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mandate <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">social engagement, of course, as social media use is mostly a private thing (and some don\u2019t use it at all). But, if you build company social accounts that spark industry discussions and celebrate company milestones, you can certainly encourage it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if you can get numerous employees participating in social media discussions alongside your business accounts, you can present a unified front to the world, suggesting strong morale and strengthening your brand reputation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>When to use social media networks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When you want to improve brand visibility, show expertise, and build team cohesion.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip:<\/b><\/div>\n<p>Make good use of the potent analytical options of social networks. Getting deep into the data can help you optimize your reach, getting your messages seen by more relevant people and setting up more valuable engagement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><strong>Choosing the best communication channel<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although it might be tempting to communicate through as many channels as available, choosing the right communication channel or channels actually needs a more calculated and mindful approach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Below are a few things to think about before you select a channel for your business messages:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><strong>1. Get familiar with your team<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It might seem obvious, but the first step when choosing the right channel of communication is to consider the preferences of your team. Who are they and what channels do they engage in? Do they prefer phone calls, text messages, or some other form of communication?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can find this out by conducting an employee engagement survey or using employee engagement apps. Knowing where your team hangs out will help make sure you\u2019re using the right communication channels to talk to them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h2 h3\"><strong>2. Consider your message<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The type of message is another thing you should take into consideration when asking yourself how to choose the best communication channel. Ask:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is the information formal or informal?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does it include visuals or text?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is the message time-sensitive or trivial?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does it need to be easy to find later?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, zero in on the appropriate communication channels to use. If, for instance, you\u2019re delivering a presentation, you might want to take advantage of video <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/free-conference-call.html\">conference call services.<\/a> They have a screen sharing feature so that you can share different types of reference materials.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><strong>Interesting note: Characteristics of communication channels<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When matching a communication channel to your message, it\u2019s useful to know some key characteristics and best features of a communication channel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s a quick rundown of some of the types of channel we mentioned earlier:<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Written communication channels &#8211; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ideal for if you want a record or paper trail of any communication, and for when accuracy is paramount. Tends to be slower to get your message across, however, and also slower to get a response.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Oral communication channels &#8211; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ideal for messages you need to convey instantly and also for if you want real-time responses or collaboration. Less appropriate, however, for sharing more complex information and can often leave you without a record of conversations. Unless, of course, you can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/features\/call-recording\/overview.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">easily record calls or meetings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><strong>3. Take a look at your budget<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your budget will also influence your choice of communication channels because you\u2019ll have to invest some money to get your message across. Ask yourself:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is the channel affordable given your company\u2019s overall budget?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What tools are available for each channel?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re going to use multiple mediums for business communications, how much money are you willing to invest in each?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a name=\"The 3 best communication tools for small businesses\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>The 5 best business communication tools for small businesses<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identifying the right channels is a good first step, but you also need the right communication tools to relay your message through different mediums. Here are four options to look at:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>1. RingCentral<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/rcapp.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-56439 size-full\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Blog-hero-image.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"930\" height=\"700\" \/><\/a><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we mentioned earlier, if you\u2019re looking for an all-in-one communications app that won\u2019t break the bank, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/rcapp.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RingCentral<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> might be the perfect option for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Video conferencing. <a class=\"waffle-rich-text-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/voip-caller.html\">VoIP calls<\/a>. Instant messaging. SMS. You get all of that and more without a phone system or having to download tons of different software.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The other perk is that you can switch easily from a phone call to a video call in the app, just by tapping a button:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-43036\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/541703413-Call-to-Video-Blog-Post-Images_mobile.gif\" alt=\"flipping a call between devices\" width=\"375\" height=\"812\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/unified-communication-platforms\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) platform<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, RingCentral gives you a consistent, unified experience across multiple devices, no matter which channel of communication you choose to use at a particular time. The nice thing about having all these communication channels in one app? You don\u2019t have to pay multiple subscription fees every month for different apps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Pricing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Starts at $20 per user, per month for the RingEX Core plan<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ud83e\udd2f On top of all this, RingCentral could save you up to $400 an hour in IT costs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Explore the RingCentral Advantage for small businesses:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><button data-href=\"#leadform-popup\" class=\"js-open-popup-activator btn primary\" >Take the tour<\/button><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\ud83d\udcb0 You can also <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/roi-calculator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">use this calculator<\/a> <\/strong>to see roughly how much your business could save by using RingCentral to support your team&#8217;s communications with clients or customers, and each other.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>2. Slenke<\/b><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-5125\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image6-61-1024x564.png\" alt=\"Slenke combines business communication with task and time management.\" width=\"840\" height=\"463\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/slenke.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Slenke<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> combines business communication with task and time management. In terms of communication, you can have both team and individual chats, and you can even create messaging boards for participants. All messages and files shared with this tool enjoy top-grade encryption for the utmost safety of your information.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One thing to note: Slenke doesn\u2019t have a built-in video conferencing or screen sharing feature. You\u2019ll need to invest in a standalone video conferencing tool and then integrate it with Slenke for a unified experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Pricing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Starts at $15\/user\/month<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>3. ContactMonkey internal communications<\/b><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5126 size-medium\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image5-78.png\" alt=\"ContactMonkey internal communications\" width=\"637\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not everyone\u2019s hopping off the email train. Let\u2019s face it, sometimes, emails are still the best way to communicate with your team.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is where <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.contactmonkey.com\/blog\/internal-communications\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ContactMonkey<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> comes in. It\u2019s ideal for internal email communications and integrates seamlessly with Outlook or Gmail. That means you can track every email opened and know which messages are being read.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want to know how individual employees or campaigns are doing? There are advanced analytics for that. Dig into the data to identify your most engaged employees or measure link clicks, email opens, devices, and feedback.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Internal communications often get overlooked because the focus is (often, rightfully) on the customers. But if you need to step up your internal email game, then ContactMonkey has everything you need to analyze the performance of your emails and make logical conclusions based on emerging trends.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Pricing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Custom, based on your needs<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>4. HubSpot<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56800\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/HubSpot-screenshot.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"512\" height=\"321\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/products\/sales\/email-tracking\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HubSpot\u2019s email tracking software<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is an excellent choice if you\u2019re looking to optimize your email outreach strategy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The platform keeps you in the loop with how each email is doing\u2014you\u2019ll get notified as soon as prospects open up your emails, click on one of your links, or download a document.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can then use the platform\u2019s contact record to zoom in on each specific prospect and gather the details necessary to send personalized follow-ups, like its lifecycle stage, previous conversations, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Pricing: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Free version available. Paid plans start at $15 per user, per month, as part of HubSpot\u2019s Sales Hub. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>5. Kommo<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kommo.com\/?utm_source=&amp;utm_campaign=listing-en&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=ringcentral\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kommo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is an effective communication channel that allows you to synchronize chats from various platforms to one system. Its advanced features integrate team messaging and individual lead discussions into a single CRM to leverage productivity and business efficiency.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don\u2019t need to open multiple apps to connect with potential leads and clients. Instead, with Kommo, you can access all their chats on different social media platforms in one place, experiencing easy and quick communication. Also, Kommo has a built-in messenger, facilitating easy communication and collaboration among team members.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Pricing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Starts at $15 per user, per month<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Reap the benefits of communication channels that best suit your business<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might have decided that one communication channel is right for you, but don\u2019t get stuck with it. Experiment and see if you can\u2019t harness further communication channel benefits by broadening your scope.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, depending on the urgency of your message, you may want to use instant messaging or opt for an even quicker medium like SMS. But there\u2019s no guarantee that these channels will work better than, say, video conferencing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, take the time to test a few channels, so you\u2019ll know which ones will help improve your communications strategy. Also, make sure whatever tool you choose, it offers multiple ways to communicate\u2014you\u2019ll be amazed at how much more efficient and streamlined it\u2019ll make your business communications.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Communication channels are numerous and vitally important to our lives. Just think about how many you engage with in the average week. Count every platform you check and every way people reach you. It adds up, doesn\u2019t it? And while this may just seem like an interesting note, it\u2019s actually extremely significant in the context &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1148,"featured_media":58063,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17901],"tags":[2012,10120,18167],"class_list":["post-41924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-leadership","tag-communication","tag-communication-channels","tag-how-to-communicate"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.3 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Communication Channels for Businesses: 9 Examples + 5 Tools<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore 9 essential communication channels for businesses. Learn how to effectively use phone, email, video, messaging, and more to improve collaboration.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Communication Channels for Businesses: 9 Examples + 5 Tools\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore 9 essential communication channels for businesses. Learn how to effectively use phone, email, video, messaging, and more to improve collaboration.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"RingCentral Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ringcentral\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-05-16T07:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-09T07:08:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Article-image_RingEX_Desktop-Phone-Incoming-Call-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1152\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Roman Tobe\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ringcentral\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ringcentral\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Roman Tobe\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Roman Tobe\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/cd4eeced3d5890ae81689ec5218ec7c4\"},\"headline\":\"Communication Channels for Businesses: 9 Examples + 5 Tools\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-16T07:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-09T07:08:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/\"},\"wordCount\":3464,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Article-image_RingEX_Desktop-Phone-Incoming-Call-1.png\",\"keywords\":[\"communication\",\"communication channels\",\"how to communicate\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Business &amp; leadership\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/\",\"name\":\"Communication Channels for Businesses: 9 Examples + 5 Tools\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Article-image_RingEX_Desktop-Phone-Incoming-Call-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-16T07:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-09T07:08:22+00:00\",\"description\":\"Explore 9 essential communication channels for businesses. 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