™Marketing Magazine Issue 8 | Page 8

TOOLS FOR TROUBLING TIMES TOOLS FOR TROUBLING TIMES 9Familiarizing F yourself with all the new “essential” cyber technology seems anything but simple, right? We know rushing to move operations online is a hassle and that you’re already more than overwhelmed. To help you on your way, we’ve put together a quick list of reputable digital tools that will help you to navigate these troubling times as a remote business leader. Getting acquainted with a select few that work well for your company is critical. Think of these digital services as an additional set of limbs, enabling you to maintain control in a physically disjointed workplace. It is often difficult to tell the difference between quality software and clean copy. Rest assured that we’ve used all of these tried-and-true tools ourselves, and we want to help make them work for you. VIDEO CONFERENCING - ZOOM Zoom is a multifunctional video conferencing software that enables “face-to-face” collaboration and instruction through its online interface. The service is jam packed with optional, interactive features designed to keep users engaged in larger groups. The company is addressing security concerns as the number of Zoomers continues to grow. The most secure iteration, Zoom 5.0, was made generally available April 27, 2020, and provides maximum digital security for all users. The software is free to use for one-on-one meetings. Meetings of three or more are allowed 40 free Zoom minutes per day. Zoom provides the ideal alternative for team and client meetings. It is also valuable for hosting webinars, which many businesses are utilizing as an alternative income stream during this time. We’ve been using Zoom every day to host huddles and client meetings. The setup process was quick and the feedback has been excellent so far. VIRTUAL COLLABORATION - SLACK & BASECAMP Although collaborating online feels uncomfortable at first, we’ve uncovered some not-so-secret weapons to help you get the most out of your digital engagements. Designed to replace internal emails, Slack is a segregated instant messaging hub for ongoing team communication. The system uses dedicated channels to keep team members organized and focused on the task at hand. The instant messaging interface makes it possible to have collaborative discussions in real time and without the mess of multiple email threads. Basecamp is similar to Slack in that it segregates communications into categories, but the Basecamp interface is more interactive. Managerial accounts are able to review activity details for all teams and departments with ease. Individual employees and other team members are limited to those departments, assignments, and schedules that are applicable to them. Features such as automatic check-ins and collaborative task lists make Basecamp most effective for managing multiple teams or departments digitally. 8 | TULIPMEDIAGROUP.COM