In business communication, evolution seems to be an on-going process. It has become significantly more visible and more intense in the last two decades, especially last year, when importance and changes in communication, internal and external, became evident after the COVID-19 pandemic had caught us all off guard.
Last year most certainly taught us to be prepared for the unexpected in the future. Our reactions will be much faster and it will be much easier and simpler for us to find balance, in communication and in other aspects of our private and professional lives.
Efficient communication, in line with strategic needs and targets of companies and brands, is the most important factor of commercial sustainability and growth. That is why all of us working in the communication sector always say that strategy is the foundation and that the development of digital technologies has become a helping tool to pinpoint our target groups more easily, ways to reach them and convey our messages in new and innovative ways and achieve more valuable results.
For the most part of the 20th century, companies and brands used traditional media such as newspapers, magazines, radio and TV to communicate with consumers and the general public. These communication methods were efficient in their efforts to reach the wide public, but also relatively expensive and not accurately directed towards specific groups of customers.
In the 21st century, digital communication technologies have created completely new ways of communication with target audiences. In the new era of the Internet, smartphones and social networks, brands and companies, as well as individuals can very easily interact with their target public. Technologies and channels of communication I have previously mentioned alone will not be enough to preserve their customers and we have to go back to where we started, relying on strategically adjusted communication, responding to specific needs of your target public.
One of the key factors to evaluate business efforts, including the success of communication which supports it, is the user experience. The user experience is a single element of key importance to differentiate brands. Poor communication greatly contributes to poor user experience. A loyalty that customers used to have for a company or a brand, today can disappear with a single poor user experience.
“The chatbot technology which relies on artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the technologically most advanced trends in business communication”
In order for a company to provide the best user experience, it has to, first of all, rely on satisfying professional communication, with both – its own employees and its customers. Internal communication has evolved owing to the pandemic and messages are no longer conveyed only from the management to employees. They have become a two-way street much more, and include messages conveyed from the employees to the management as well, which helps empower the employees who act as the best ambassadors of a brand or a company they work for.
During the pandemic, many companies have realized the importance of communication, both external and internal, and accelerated their digital transformation in order to respond to their current environment. The mobile phone has become the main tool of communication with both internal and external publics. Communication adjusted to mobile phones is the main tool to establish ties with customers. I believe that in 2022, there will be an increased number of companies using mobile phone technology to distribute their messages to consumers.
The chatbot technology which relies on artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the technologically most advanced trends in business communication to be expected to gain even more and wider impact in 2022. The chatbot technology gives an opportunity to companies to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their communication with consumers exponentially. Among other things, chatbots can respond to many inquires in real time, and even take over entries before they are even filed.
Relevant business communication trends depend on the market, the industry and the strategic position. But the fact is that the evolution of communication is heading towards artificial intelligence with an impact in almost every industry.