Introduction:
When it comes to productivity apps, Slack is at the top of the list. It’s simply a discussion group for your entire organization, and it’s designed to be your primary means of communication and collaboration. Its workspaces let you organize communications via channels for conversations and private messages for sharing information, files, etc.
Slack also connects with a number of different apps, allowing you to manage your complete workflow from one place. Consider it an instant messaging tool similar to Skype or Google Chat, but with integrated file sharing, video, and phone conversations, as well as the option to invite individuals from outside your organization to collaborate. As a result, Slack communication is both robust and diverse. It is available for both mobile and desktop apps.
Communication with Slack:
Slack chat is organized into channels, and you may send direct messages to organize discussions and replace communications that would otherwise be scattered among emails, text messages, and in-person meetings.
Slack provides a variety of communication options for you and individuals you invite to join your team. You can create topic-based channels and send direct messages to other users. You may choose whether users can view your Slack channels by making them public or private. Public channels are open to everyone in the office, whereas private channels are only accessed by invitation.
Integration with Third-Party Services:
One of Slack’s most powerful features is its integration with third-party services. You can use some of your favorite apps directly within Slack using. So you don’t have to keep switching tabs, remembering where that shared link went or opening a new app just to double-check something.
The following are some of Slack’s most important integrations:
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- Heroku
- GitHub
- Zendesk
- Zapier
Sharing with Slack:
Sharing files and documents, in addition to simple text messaging, is one of the essentials of modern collaboration. You can share any sort of file in your workspace with Slack, including (but not limited to):
- Word Documents
- Spreadsheets
- PDFs
- Images
- Videos
- Audio
Search Feature in Slack:
People, Messages, and Files are all searchable in a Slack workplace, making it one of the most powerful features. Slack will suggest modifiers as you type in the search field and show you related channels, team members, and search history to help you find accurate results. You can switch between messages and files, sort by most recent or relevant, and search without channels. You can also utilize a variety of specific terms and commands to easily and quickly know what you’re looking for.
Commands Feature in Slack:
You can use a few different commands from any chat window. Whether you’re in a channel or a direct messaging group to change messages, notify a specific group, or accomplish a few admin activities.
Message Edits:
- Edit or delete messages
- Emphasize words or phrases by using *asterisks* to create bold text or _underscores_ for italics.
Mentions:
- @username – send a notification to the person you’ve mentioned
- @here – sends a notification to everyone currently active in the channel
- @channel – sends a notification to every member of a channel
- @everyone – send a notification to every member of your Slack workspace
Slash Commands:
- /open – create a new channel
- /leave – leave a channel
- /archive – archive the current channel
- /collapse – hide all images and videos in the current channel
- /expand – show all images and videos in the current channel
- /who – list all members of the current channel
- /remind – Creates a reminder for you or another person/channel
Slack Pricing:
Slack offers options ranging from free to $12.50 per user. Small teams can use the tool for free, which gives them access to 10,000 of their most recent messages, 10 app integrations, and 1:1 phone and video conversations. The fee – and advantages – rise to $6.67 per active user per month charged annually or $8 per active user per month billed monthly after that. Special pricing is accessible through the company’s sales staff for extra-large organizations or those in regulated industries.
Conclusion:
Hopefully, now you understand what Slack is and why it is a popular workplace productivity tool. It allows teams to communicate more quickly and efficiently while maintaining all documentation in one source.
Slack is extremely useful for teams who work remotely. Your staff will be connected and organized no matter where they work thanks to Slack chat, the option to screen share in Slack, and the ability to download the Slack app to your phone or tablet.
