Category: Business

Nearly 90,000 Irish SMEs have had data stolen in the last year

Datapac, Ireland’s leading technology solutions and services provider, today announces the results of a new survey which found that an estimated 89,744* SMEs (31%) in Ireland have had data stolen in the last 12 months. Furthermore, the research revealed that over two fifths (41%) of small and medium-sized businesses have permanently lost critical data within the same timeframe.

The survey of 150 SME business owners in Ireland was carried out by Censuswide in association with Datapac and cybersecurity and backup specialist, Datto, during February 2022.

The research shows 37% of Irish SMEs experienced a known cyberattack in the last year. Looking ahead, 86% of SME business owners are concerned that they will become a cybercrime target. However, almost a quarter (23%) admit that they are not at all prepared to defend themselves against cybercrime.

Evolving Threat Environment

The years of the Covid-19 pandemic witnessed rapid digital transformations across many organisations, largely to help facilitate new remote and hybrid working environments. 56% of businesses reported a reliance on cloud storage for some or all of their data storage needs.

When asked about the impacts of permanently losing data, over a quarter (27%) believe they would go out of business. SME owners also said the loss of critical data would impede their business growth (38%), damage their professional reputation (35%), lead to regulatory consequences (32%), contribute to employee attrition (31%) and result in the loss of some of their customers (29%).

Despite the prevalence of cybercrime and data loss, just 5% of Irish SMEs back up their data in real-time, with nearly three quarters (72%) reporting that their data backup frequency is once per week or less. The research shows around a fifth (21%) of small businesses don’t have a tested Disaster Recovery (DR) plan in place in the event of data theft or loss. In addition, 43% admitted they don’t have a secure copy of their data held offsite.

83% state that they have plans to increase their level of outsourced IT to a Managed Service Provider (MSP) over the coming year. Nearly a third (32%) attribute this decision to a need to address cybersecurity shortcomings in the face of the cybercrime risk, while 36% cited the need to access a wider range of expert IT skills and knowledge.

Commenting on the survey results, Karen O’Connor, General Manager, Datapac said:

“Our survey has highlighted the unprecedented scale of cybercrime for small and medium-sized businesses in Ireland today. With over 4 in 10 of all Irish SMEs permanently losing mission-critical data over the past year and almost a third having data stolen, this can have significant and damaging repercussions for these businesses and their customers.

 “The vast majority of business owners are concerned about being a cybercrime target, yet many still don’t seem to be taking the necessary steps to improve their protection. While threat detection and prevention are important parts of the cybersecurity puzzle, they don’t solve it alone. Data backup is a vital component and one that shouldn’t be overlooked. With almost three quarters of firms only backing up their data weekly or even less, this presents a huge challenge for businesses to maintain continuity after an incident.

 “In the likely event of a cyberattack, a robust backup and business continuity solution is the last line of defence and enables most businesses to recover quickly from business-critical data loss. Put simply, data cannot be recovered if it isn’t backed up effectively to begin with.”

Nicholas O’ Donovan, Sales Manager, Datto Ireland, said:

“The pandemic has permanently changed the way many organisations work, fundamentally altering where data is created and stored. A more dispersed workforce creates a larger network threat perimeter, which increases the risk of cyberattack.

Wherever the data lives, be it in an on-premises server or in the cloud, it needs to be backed up with the highest frequency possible in a way that allows instant restoration for when disaster strikes.”

Business Powered by Numarics: A New Evolution of Entrepreneurship

Numarics introduces its world’s first business operating system (OS) that completely covers business management for small and medium-sized businesses. Used by entrepreneurs and fiduciaries alike, Numarics eliminates all need for orchestrated use of disparate accounting and finance software. Startups get the services of a CFO and COO through one engine and the strong operations team behind it. The team of fiduciary and financial experts feeds the artificial intelligence of this engine with process flows – transforming the use of accounting and finance services. Currently available for in Switzerland registered businesses.

Numarics OS Completely Replaces Software

“The artificial intelligence knowledge comes from the top expertise of our operations team,” says Kristian Kabashi, co-founder at Numarics and an expert in process optimization and automation, adding, “A software is built by software developers. Our engine learns from the specialists and virtually creates itself in the process.” To build a powerful, scalable and easy-to-use true digital solution, Numarics’ founding team developed an app that allows users to further feed the state-of-the-art engine with use cases – simply by using it. “The more users Numarics serves, the more business cases it covers,” Kabashi adds. In the process, human errors due to lack of time or carelessness in repetitive activities are eliminated. Kabashi: “We use the machine to sift through a high volume of data in milliseconds. Anywhere a human can make the mistakes, the machine does not. Anything that has to do with human experience and niche knowledge, our operations team of finance experts and affiliated accountants cover as consultants.”
With Numarics, accounting is no longer an extra item. It is integrated and seamless. Automated processing also includes reporting to the appropriate local authorities. The Numarics dashboard provides real-time metrics and financial forecasts that allow users to report to their stakeholders and plan investments and cash flow.
AI-driven Numarics is a quality guarantor for reporting even as with the annual financial statement. “The annual financial statements are no longer forgotten or postponed,” says Dominique Rey, co-founder and CEO of Numarics, referring to the process integration. More and more Swiss fiduciaries are joining Numarics and empowering Numarics as a RegTech solution (solution for regulation) – that is, using Numarics as a financial tool takes care of filings and compliance with tax authorities. “The accountant connected to Numarics thus has time for the consulting services of the users assigned to him /her and can refer to very individual optimizations, such as the creation of expense regulations with the district of Zurich if the company is located there,” adds Rey, who is a Swiss business expert and certified public accountant.
Accountants are usually highly trained specialists and are empowered with Numarics to focus on quality control and high quality consulting services. Compared to purchasing manual accounting services paired with software subscriptions, users benefit from lower costs.
Numarics OS offers comprehensive features such as invoice generation and automated dunning, legally compliant digital management of all receipts and documents, and payroll automation. Numarics employs finance experts in the operations team and makes the Numarics OS available to external accountants, replacing paper, bookings and software.

How to Make Money from Home 5 Working Ways

Are you looking for ways to make money from home? If so, you’re in luck! There are many ways that you can earn an income without ever leaving your house. This blog post will discuss 5 of the most popular methods for making money online from home. 

So, what are you waiting for?  Start earning some extra cash today!

 

  • Start a blog or online business

This option is suitable for those who are creative and have something to share with the world. 

There are many ways to monetize your blog or online business, so be sure to do some research and find the method that works best for you.

This could be the perfect way to make money from home if you have an entrepreneurial spirit. 

 

  • Complete online surveys

Completing online surveys is a fun way to make money from home. Many websites offer this type of work, so be sure to do some research and find the ones that pay the most.  Surveyjunkie.com is a great option, as they offer a variety of paid surveys that you can complete in your spare time.

 

  • Sell products on eBay, Amazon, or another online marketplace

Do you have some unwanted items around the house that you no longer need? If so, why not sell them online and earn some extra cash?  You can list your items for sale on eBay, Amazon, or another online marketplace. Be sure to take good photos of your items and write detailed descriptions to attract buyers.

 

  • Provide professional services online

If you have skills or talents that you can offer others, then you can provide your services online and make money.  There are a number of websites that allow you to sign up and provide services such as tutoring, graphic design, web development, and more. Be sure to create a profile that highlights your skills and experience.

 

  • Do freelance work or contract jobs

If you’re looking for a more flexible way to make money from home, then consider doing freelance work or contract jobs. 

This option allows you to set your own hours and work as much or as little as you want. There are a number of websites that can help you find freelance work or contract jobs, so be sure to check them out. The internet and sole trader business bank accounts have made it possible for people to make money from home in a lot of ways.

We’ve outlined five methods that are proven to work, but there are many more opportunities out there waiting to be discovered. 

Have you tried any of these methods?  Let us know in the comments below.

Why Technical Marketing Is an Essential Key for Every Business Today

Keeping a business afloat requires a lot of hard work and immeasurable input. When most people think of developing a company, they only think about capital, but it’s more than that. You need to put strategic plans and actions in place for the company’s sustainability in the long run. You need to know how to technically position your products in a way that would impress the least interested customer. 

Customers don’t only seek to purchase beautiful products but also care about their technical specifications. For instance, most customers would consider specifications like the RAM, storage capacity, screen inches, and speed rather than considering colors while purchasing a laptop. Colors may serve as an attraction factor, but the technical qualities of the product would sway the customer. 

This article will help you understand the concept of technical marketing and why it plays a fundamental role in the positioning of companies today. We’ll also mention some great marketing ideas to help you form a successful campaign. Remember that if you need professional help for your development, implement ideas, or make adjustments, you have different accessible small business loans, such as a Camino Financial business loan.

What Is Technical Marketing?

Technical marketing is a kind of marketing that gives a complex product complete specifications and technicalities. It expands on the product’s features in a way that is appealing to people. Usually, in marketing, technical jargon is often cut to the bare minimum because it may be too confusing or boring. 

But in this case, technical marketing is essential for and appeals to people who have a basic technical understanding and appreciation of a product. If this category of people is your target audience, this marketing is helpful.

Technical marketing differs from product marketing in that the latter provides peripheral information about the product. In contrast, the former offers detailed, explanatory documentation and technical content about the product. 

Great Technical Marketing Ideas and Strategies for Your Business

Knowing how essential this marketing type is to reach your ideal audience, these marketing ideas and strategies can help you get started. 

  • Attract Customers with Your Technical Content

Give your customers what they need. Offer them the quality information they want to know about your product. Create content that educates them about products and similar technological devices. Answer their questions through your content and help them make intelligent choices. 

Great content helps you provide insight, data, and information your prospects need. Offering a great range of technical data would help portray you as a professional or a business expert. Product guides, reviews, and how-tos are quality content your customers need.

  • Use Visuals for Explanation

Visuals, especially videos, create awareness in people’s minds. It weaves its way into your prospects’ memories so that they don’t forget your product so soon. Make a video advertisement highlighting your product speculations to create this unforgettable experience with your options. It is essential to remind them skillfully about what the products do and their technical functions. 

  • Leverage E-newsletters

E-newsletters are an excellent way to stay in touch with your target audience, distribute good material, and nurture your lead base to enhance customer loyalty and move prospects closer to a sale. When done correctly, a corporate e-newsletter may be one of the most successful and intelligent marketing tools available to you.

You could use insightful content as a tactic of getting prospects’ email addresses. Offer some of your best, and most valuable content as e-newsletters are only available when they sign up. You can also push your products to them and generate quality leads through this medium.

Tools That Can Help You With Your Campaign

Working with tools helps you achieve your technical marketing campaigns more effectively. We’ve highlighted a few of the best tools to work with below. Some of them are free, while others cost a small fee. Obtaining small business loans can help you pay for them quickly.

  • Ahrefs: This tool is effective in helping you develop content to attract your target market. It’s essential for link building, keyword research, rank tracking, and analyzing your competitors. 
  • Canva: Canva is a graphic design tool that makes creating graphics and video content quick and easy. If you want to create high-quality visuals for your prospects, Canva is the tool for you, even with minimal design skills. 
  • MailChimp: MailChimp is the all-in-one marketing tool that makes it easy to email marketing campaigns. It helps you grow your business and mailing list by sending your e-newsletters automatically, giving you time to focus on other aspects of your business. 

Final Thoughts

This article explained what technical marketing means and provided some great ideas for an effective marketing strategy. It’s also shared tools to help you with your technical marketing campaign. If you need funds to launch your campaign, simply click the link above to apply for small business loans.

Storing Your Activity Progress in Salesforce Explained

If you are involved in a small, medium, or large business and have worked with a CRM system to simplify task management of your sales and services, you probably know what Salesforce is. This American cloud-based software was specifically designed to provide its users with efficient enterprise tools for case, task, and issue management. Einstein Activity Capture and Revenue Grid tools also help automatically integrate data from clients’ mailboxes, calendars, and other services to Salesforce.

With all the handy functions Salesforce offers, you can monitor how your business is doing and store your activity progress on the platform. Data capturing services help to make these processes more efficient. Read on to find out the details.

How to Monitor Your Activity Progress? 

You can benefit from the Activities dashboard, which is built on Tableau CRM. It displays a summary of your sales activities, including those added manually to Salesforce. If you wonder how long activities are stored in Salesforce, you should note that Events and Closed Tasks that were due more than a year ago are automatically archived. So are Closed Tasks with no due date created more than a year ago.

In Salesforce Classic, you can view the Activities related lists on the associated records: 

  1. Address the “My Tasks” component on the Home tab. 
  2. Click on a particular date on the Calendar on the Home tab.

 

In Lightning Experience, you can monitor the Activity Timeline on the associated records:

  1. Press the Calendar tab from the app menu.
  2. Observe the “Today’s Tasks” and “Today’s Events” components on the Home tab.

What Has Changed?

There has been a new location for activity storage information in Salesforce since summer 2021. The Activity Storage page that revealed the number of activities captured by Inbox and Einstein Activity Capture has been removed. Now you can find the activity storage data on the User Status page. This modification applies to a bunch of editions: 

  • Lightning Experience in Essentials; 
  • Enterprise;
  • Professional;
  • Performance;
  • Unlimited. 

Currently, your activity storage information is displayed when using Inbox with/without Einstein Activity Capture.

Are There Any Alternatives to Einstein Activity Capture?

Among various productivity-boosting tools you can use, Einstein Activity Capture can help you keep data between Salesforce, your email, and calendar applications up-to-date. Though this feature is widely used, some clients are concerned it stores sales activity information on third-party databases. 

Since emails captured by Einstein Activity Capture aren’t stored in Salesforce, they aren’t displayed in standard Salesforce reports. You can’t delete emails from Einstein Activity Capture, and the data is lost forever once you decide to migrate from it. Besides, the captured activities won’t show up on standard Salesforce reports, so you won’t be able to create accurate reports in Salesforce based on the data in this tool. 

However, other services like Revenue Grid can provide you with maximum data security and full analytics, by storing your data directly in CRM. Therefore, your data and your client data will never leave your business’s servers.

Keep Track of Your Business Data

This platform has provided its clients with an opportunity to reach maximum success, and using efficient tools will help you control your data. However, don’t forget about the importance of programming skills. You will need to master your knowledge of the Apex language (Java clone) and Visualforce (template language). Besides, you will require HTML, CSS, Javascript (jQuery) to succeed. Store your activity progress and make the right data-driven decisions.

Why to Implement Digital Signage: Key Benefits & Opportunities

You can expect the long-term benefits of using digital signage in marketing campaigns. There are various ways to use digital signage, from tiny displays to massive display walls. By inviting consumers to participate in market research, locate stock or browse product options, interactive digital signage may take engagement to a whole new level. In some instances, digital demonstrations of items or services are offered on storefront signs. You will want to collect as much information as possible such as digital signage pricing, before making a choice that might have a long-term influence on your organization. Likewise, consider the following advantages and opportunities before launching into the creative process with digital signage.

Increased exposure

Unlike print runs and email lists, digital signage in high-traffic locations allows you to reach an almost infinite number of people. It’s also possible to show more messages at a higher frequency and control when and where they appear. You can show a digital sign on any device with a screen. If you like, you may send messages to all of these devices simultaneously or any combination of them.

Self-service

It’s clear from recent research that internet users prefer self-service over calling customer support for help. One possible implementation is a self-service digital signage that enables customers to browse inventory or ask inquiries. When conventional customer service is too time-consuming or expensive, our service provides a cost-effective and rapid alternative. It is essential to have a strategy for swiftly and readily giving clients the information they need to purchase.

Customers who are left waiting and dissatisfied are the last things you need. They may go through with the transaction, but they may never return.

Attention-grabbing

Overall, digital signage is a great way to draw attention to a business and attract new customers. People are attracted to these things because of their intrinsic uniqueness. In addition, the displays are frequently rated highly for their aesthetic attractiveness. It is common for the colors to be considerably more brilliant and dazzling than on a print sign. A lot of attention has been paid to this issue.

When it comes to material and its presentation, you have a wide range of options for drawing attention. The usage of animations and movement may be quite beneficial. Our eyes easily detect moving objects and changes in the environment.

You can show off the sign better using these effects. On the other hand, you may utilize it to draw attention to certain aspects of your content. One way to draw attention to your standout product is through animated visuals.

Increased flexibility with reduced risk

Businesses need every tool they can get their hands on to keep up with the ever-increasing demands of their customers, prospects, and staff. In the digital era, “Mad Men” type marketing efforts are rare because there is too much risk to invest in a static message that may not connect with your audience as you think it would. Yet, it is here that digital signage has had a significant impact.

With the unprecedented ability to handle material remotely, the chance of a catastrophically unsuccessful marketing campaign is much reduced since any advertising may be modified or replaced totally in seconds – not days or weeks. The cloud-based system allows users to make modest changes to their website and full-scale rebranding from any location in the globe.

Interactivity

Almost everyone has a smartphone these days, and they are accustomed to using touchscreens to access information. Your digital signage may provide a more immersive experience for your audience if you include interactivity, such as a voice or touch user interface. Using self-service kiosks, customers can easily find the information they are looking for and get to the parts of the process that matter most to them. You may also provide a wide range of alternatives on a single screen using touchscreens, such as interactive wayfinding, directories and menu boards. The use of interactive displays also allows your personnel to provide a more customized level of service to customers.

Whether it is a single screen or a worldwide network, digital signage displays are the best way to communicate effectively. Regardless of your audience, they are used to seeing information presented graphically, dynamically and in real-time. Digital signage can assist any business and provide solutions for hospitals, schools,  banks, hotels or government offices to attract and retain customers.

Key Ways Technology Can Help You Improve Your Supply Chain

As many business owners and managers have discovered since the global pandemic hit, it only takes one or two significant changes and disruptions to cause all sorts of issues with the supply chain, regardless of the types of items you deal with. 

Plus, as costs rise and the environmental impact of logistics continues to be felt, it’s becoming increasingly evident that all entrepreneurs who buy and move goods need to find ways to be more efficient and less wasteful with their supply chain movements. Happily, technology can help us improve this area of our organizations and be kinder to the earth.

Real-Time Data for Better Decision Making and Communication

It’s vital to move goods around as quickly as possible and get items delivered to the right places on time, every time. Big data programs can help make this happen, as you can learn about weather and traffic conditions as details get updated in real-time. You’ll enjoy a clearer picture of when deliveries will arrive and if you need to make changes to delivery locations or inform customers of delays or other factors. 

If your business makes, sells, or transports perishable goods, in particular, or offers express delivery options to your clients, this information will help with both decision-making and communication and keep consumers happier in turn. 

Also, you can use analytics programs to help you decide which stock to order and when, since software can track the performance metrics of various product lines, the outcomes of different marketing promotions and other activities, and sales and pre-order tactics. 

Another logistics decision organizations are faced with constantly is what goods to put on which trucks or in shipping containers, etc., and when. Happily, you can utilize tech tools to help you work out how to best streamline the movement of products by consolidating shipments. Rather than sending too many partially-full loads out, wasting delivery time, fuel, driver hours, and other resources, you can let consolidation programs determine the best way to combine purchase orders and pack truck beds and containers, etc. 

On top of noting parcel weight, stackability, vehicle capacity, and the like, software can use algorithms to take note of empty pallet spots on trucks in nearby areas that might be able to pick up single inventory items as they pass nearby. This lessens wasted trips and reduces the number of times you “ship air.”

Increase Inventory Visibility and Management

When companies handle a tremendous amount of inventory, it gets time-consuming and stressful trying to find out which stock is on which truck or boat or train, etc., and then unpacking orders and ticking off deliveries to ensure orders are complete and correct. There’s also wasted time and money when searching for missing items or concluding that goods have disappeared. Technology can aid you in this area as well, though. 

For example, place RFID tracking sensors on packages so you can check at any time exactly where a package is, whether in transit, at a warehouse, or elsewhere. When deliveries arrive at your location, you can also use RFID readers to scan whole boxes at once. This means stock can be unloaded and given to customers ASAP or otherwise used rather than waiting for each piece to be checked individually. This tech is also helpful if you use it in warehouses to locate items, especially those that seem to have gone missing.

The right service provider is key to making this all work. It’s worth seeking out a vendor of big data and analytics services that can help you set up the software, integrate it with your existing infrastructure, and customize it to your organization’s needs. That’s why it’s important to click to request a quote before making a final decision. Comparing your options and selecting a technology partner that can cater to your unique needs will help you make the most of the tech available and improve all areas of your supply chain. Plus, as new technology emerges, they can keep you updated on how it could benefit your organization. You’ll always be ahead of competitors who don’t utilize such tools or partners.

Manage Supplier Networks

If you’re a retailer or wholesaler and deal with significant supplier diversity, managing all these relationships and the different orders you place at different times can get tricky. However, with the aid of technology, namely big data, you can use analytics solutions to understand which suppliers perform best for your needs and make changes accordingly. 

For example, compare actual performance on things like breakages, correct deliveries, on-time shipments, and customer satisfaction against key performance indicators (KPIs) you set at the start (which could even be part of supplier contracts). Integrate analytics software into your vendor systems, accounting programs, social media feeds, and the like to keep updated on the cost of goods, delivery timeframes, customer complaints, and more. You can then have your tech tools send you alerts or prepare reports if KPIs drop below a specific range. 

Other ways technology can help you improve your supply chains include enabling better forecasting and trend spotting, improved route planning in transit, driver behavior tracking, and warehouse inventory setup and management. 

As you can see, there are all sorts of helpful ways digital systems can benefit your business, so it pays to start utilizing tech tools more today.

 

Irish NFT project launches for St.Patrick’s Day

Lepros a NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) collection, founded by young blockchain and crypto enthusiasts Niamh Coleman and Keith Finn have partnered with Kinsale Spirit Company to create three one of one NFT pieces which are inspired by the Kinsale Spirits Whiskey bottles: Red Earl, Spanish Earl and the Great Earl. These will be auctioned on St. Patrick’s day with a redeemable physical signed bottle from Kinsale Spirits and will have bespoke access/ privileges in the metaverse.

Kinsale Spirit company has previously embraced the NFT marketplace by auctioning off the first ever Whiskey Cask represented by an NFT (A non-fungible token) and auctioned on the NFT marketplace OpenSea.

Lepros’ aim is to build an Irish inspired Virtual Land powered by blockchain technology. With a vision is to recreate the Irish cultural experience in a virtual land and provide a space for people to be connected to Ireland no matter where they are based in the world. Holders from their NFT collection can experience, trade & connect with Ireland & Irish businesses virtually in the Metaverse.

This virtual land, named LeproLand, will provide a platform for Irish diaspora with Irish roots worldwide to connect online and experience Ireland through immersive gaming, music, sport, tourism, education, social events and more.  It will also provide a platform for Irish businesses to connect, advertise and provide goods/services to their end users directly in the Web3 space.

Co-founders of Lepros, Niamh & Keith say,  “In a world where people become more accustomed to digitalization and technology through the growth of new technologies like the metaverse, it’s important not to lose sight of the real world and that is why we wanted to combine the two.”  adding “The inspiration came from many things, our shared fascination & passion for decentralised ecosystems/applications, and of course our love for Ireland & connecting with people.” 

On the involvement of Kinsale Spirit Company, Ernest Cantillion says “ Kinsale Spirit Co was delighted to partner with the Lepros NFT project, it was a great fit for us. Not only are they embracing this emerging new technology as we are, but are also using it to leverage the global Irish diaspora . That diaspora makes up a huge part of the works market for Irish whiskey and we are happy to connect with them at every opportunity “

Coupled with LeproLand, Lepros are dedicating time and resources in creating an exclusive clothing store, secondary NFT collection with utility for holders and creating an innovative concept to teach people in all things Web3.

Red Earl Whiskey is part of the innovative Kinsale Spirit Company’s Battle of Kinsale Series which is themed around historic characters who fought on the Irish side in the Battle of Kinsale in 1601. Released in April last year, Red Earl Whiskey is already being exported to several countries, including strong sales in the US and China. Work is under way in their distillery for the delivery of two more whiskeys later this year: Great Earl Single Grain Irish Whiskey named in honour of Hugh, The Great O’Neill, and Spanish Earl Single Malt Irish Whiskey, in honour of Juan del Agula, representative of the King of Spain who fought alongside the Irish.

An Overview of Business Communication Channels You Should Be Using

The medium through which a message reaches an audience is a communication channel. The audience can be your internal or external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders are people within your organization, such as your workforce and managerial team. On the other hand, your key customers, prospective buyers, investors, and vendors constitute external customers. 

A few examples of such communication are as follows. 

Internal Stakeholders: You might send an update to your company’s employees about a new organizational change. 

External Stakeholders: You are about to launch a new product. And, you send a few prospects in your sales funnel some marketing messages. It could also be as simple as sending your existing customers a greeting. 

There are a variety of ways that you can send these communications. The traditional face-to-face and written communication channels are great for certain activities. Then there are the more new-age channels like mobile and digital. 

Even newer channels like video messages combine the benefits of old and new channels. Bigvu has an engaging guide on how you can use such cutting-edge channels. For example, video emails allow you to share your body language, tone of voice, and sincerity in your communication. 

Oral Communication 

An oral channel is considered the richest way for you to get your message across. These include things like face-to-face, telephonic conversations, customer presentations. They also include video meetings, conferences, and lectures. The messages delivered through this medium have a low level of distortion. That is because the audience also perceives your body language and the intonation of your voice. Apart from the message itself, these provide a separate layer of meaning. 

Additionally, this medium also has the advantage of instant feedback. This medium, however, is the most labor-intensive. The number of individuals involved in this channel is the highest in number. They are highly effective in delivering sensitive messages. 

For example, when there is a likelihood of layoffs in a company, you, as the leader, should use an oral channel. It will create a sense of assurance in your employees, avoid anxiety, and be used externally. If, for instance, you are about to discontinue a product that is crucial for a small set of customers. 

Written Communication 

Emails, text messages, reports, spreadsheets, memos are all a part of this channel. These types of communication are sparser. Thus, you must give appropriate context to what you are writing. Without this, the words in the messages might get interpreted incorrectly. You must also ensure that you remind the reader to inquire and clarify anything ambiguous. With this form of communication, you cannot guarantee that your message has been seen. Since these types of communication are received in large numbers, yours might just get lost in the crowd. 

However, they have their uses. When you write something to your customer, they have the liberty to absorb it over a long period. It also allows you to send a large amount of information to your customer at one time. When you need to send complex materials that need to be studied, this is the best form. Contracts, proposals, and price quotations are some good examples of this type of communication. 

Electronic Communication 

Traditional modes of electronic communication are television and radio broadcasts. In comparison, newer modes are social media, web pages, and blogs. This channel has the broadest reach and is the quickest medium. This channel also allows for segmented marketing and will enable you to deliver targeted marketing messages. 

This channel is highly efficient, yet it does carry some inherent risks. Hacking has become a serious threat to this type of communication. The technology that enables electronic communication is vulnerable, especially when a company stores unencrypted data. Cybercriminals can steal sensitive customer files and private communications. 

So which channel do you choose? A rule that you can follow is this. The more the emotional component of the message, the richer the medium needs to be. When you need to send a very quick standard message, like scheduling an urgent meeting, an email will work best. 

What if you need to cancel a lunch meeting? Then a personal phone call works much better. In reality, though, channels work best in combination. After a face-to-face customer meeting, the best idea would be to give them written notes of the meeting. It ensures that both parties have the same understanding of the terms and provides scope for future reference.