The 13 Internal Communication Tools Your Company Needs in 2024

It’s a fact: the better your team communicates, the more successful your company will be. But how can your organization help to facilitate more productive conversations amongst its staff? The answer: internal business communication tools. They are crucial in companies to ensure coordination of shared ideas, making work smoother, and fostering teamwork.

In this article, we’ll first look at the benefits of effective communication tools in the workplace. Then, we’ll list the best internal communication tools available in 2024. We have a lot to get to jump right in and get started!

The Benefits of Effective Communication Tools in the Workplace

When your team can communicate effectively, it will be more productive, experience less staff turnover, and deliver better service to your company’s customers.

Benefit #1: More Productivity

When your team communicates effectively, it will naturally be more productive. Why? Because every team member will know their role and what they need to do to accomplish company goals. This knowledge will reduce mistakes and misunderstandings that waste time.

Clear internal communication also benefits management. When they have effective internal communication and a strong understanding of where their teams are on each project, they can better plan for the future and make any necessary adjustments.

Benefit #2: Less Staff Turnover

According to Gallup, an incredible 87% of employees are disengaged at work. One of the leading causes of disengagement in employee surveys is a lack of communication. Employees can build meaningful relationships when they converse with each other and their superiors.

This boosts team morale and tends to keep workers at their current jobs for longer. After all, why would they want to leave if they like where they work and the folks they work with?

Benefit #3: Better Customer Service

Better customer service is a byproduct of boosted productivity and reduced staff turnover. When your team communicates effectively, they can handle customer concerns in a timely manner.

When your employees can build relationships with each other and choose not to pursue jobs at other organizations, they’ll develop a firm understanding of company culture and processes and know the best way to assist your company’s audience.

The 10 Best Internal Communication Tools

Now that we know why internal communication tools are important in the workplace let’s cover the best apps available in 2021. We’ve broken this section into four different categories: video software, collaboration software, project management software, and digital file storage. Let’s take a look!

Video Software

Although Zight could easily been placed in the collaboration software category above, we have given it its section. This is because this internal communication tool emphasizes video communication.

1. Zight

Zight is visual communication done right and enables teams to collaborate faster and more effectively than ever before. Users are able to record both their screens and themselves and send the resulting footage to anyone they’d like. Do you need to teach a colleague how to use a specific piece of software? Just shoot a quick screen capture or video recording and send it over.

Are you looking to communicate your thoughts and ideas on a new project? You could use email. But it will likely take you a while to communicate clearly. Does the rest of your team want to read another 500-word message? Probably not. So use Zight to simply record yourself speaking your mind. It will be much quicker and more efficient.

Our app also comes with GIF creation and image annotation features. When you need to communicate clearly, use Zight. Fortunately, the tool is completely free. Why not give it a try right now?

Features

Here’s how Zight can transform your internal team dynamics:

• Visual Communication Excellence: With Zight’s screen capture and screenshot features, your employees can achieve impactful visual communication within your team, boosting employee engagement. Whether sharing screens, capturing images or recording videos and GIFs, Zight makes conveying ideas visually a breeze.
• Enabling Seamless File Sharing and Collaboration: Instantly share content within your team using Zight, with the added benefit of annotations and drawings for enhanced clarity. Say goodbye to the hassle of separate file-sharing tools; Zight streamlines collaboration effortlessly.
• Engaged Team Communication: Supercharge your video meetings with Zight, allowing you to share visuals to clearly explain complex concepts. Use video recording and sharing features to simplify discussions, ensuring everyone stays on the same page.
• Tailored Customization and Workflow Integration: Customize Zight to align with your workflow preferences. Enhance task efficiency by adding video call-to-action buttons and streamlining processes like scheduling meetings, linking to articles, or closing deals.
• Exhaustive Collaboration, Project, and Task Management: Zight bridges communication gaps for remote teams, facilitating the sharing of project updates, progress demonstrations, and visual clarification of project details. Improve task management by visually explaining tasks, reducing the need for lengthy written instructions.
• Streamline User Management: Take control of team access and permissions with Zight’s user management features, aligning effortlessly with your organizational structure.
• Enhance Collaboration Features: Boost teamwork with Zight’s collaboration features, including annotations, drawings, and visual aids that bring a new dimension to collaborative efforts.
• Provide Insightful Analytics and Reports: Track content engagement and team productivity with Zight’s robust viewing analytics and productivity reports.

Pricing Plans

• Free– $0
• Pro– $9.95 Per User Monthly (annually)
• Team– $8 Per User Monthly (annually)
• Enterprise– Get a Quote

Collaboration Software

We’ll start with collaboration software. These tools will allow your team to easily communicate via chat and update each other on workplace happenings.

2. Slack

Image Credit: uctoday.com

Slack is an excellent internal employee communication tool. Source: Slack

Slack is an incredibly popular collaboration app that mega companies like Oracle, Target, and Airbnb use. The tool allows users to segment conversations into groups, known as channels. Channels can be dedicated to specific departments, teams, projects — anything you want. And unlike long, cumbersome email chains, users can leave Slack conversations anytime. They can then jump back into the chat later and immediately get up to speed due to the app’s archived and searchable history.

But it’s not just its chat features that make Slack a workplace favorite. Users can also use the tool to share files and conduct voice and video calls. Add in numerous integration capabilities with other top software, and Slack really does become a true collaboration powerhouse.

Features

• Channels: Streamline discussions by categorizing them into channels tailored for distinct topics, teams, or projects.
• File Collaboration: Facilitate seamless document exchange, image sharing, and file collaboration within ongoing conversations.
• Search Excellence: Retrieve archived messages, files, and discussions effortlessly through an advanced search feature.
• Customizable Notifications: Stay in the loop without unnecessary disruptions by fine-tuning notification preferences to your liking.
• Dynamic Communication: Engage in crystal-clear voice and video calls directly within the Slack platform.
• Collaborative Screen Sharing: Enhance teamwork by sharing your screen during calls for more effective collaboration.

Pricing Plans

• Free plan
• Pro- $7.25 per active user per month
• Business+- $12.50 per active user per month
• Enterprise Grid– Contact sales

3. Yammer

Image Credit: softwareadvice.com

Yammer makes internal communication fun and easy. Source: Microsoft

Yammer is an enterprise social media networking app many companies use to communicate internally. Microsoft has owned the solution since 2012, and it is part of the company’s Office 365 suite. But we should note that the tool is Mac-compatible as well.

The Yammer Discovery feed operates much like Facebook. Users have the ability to post their company news updates, ask questions, and share files. Others in the group then have the opportunity to like, comment on, and share posts they find valuable. It’s a fun and functional way for teams to communicate and keep each other informed.

Features

• Enterprise social networking to foster a sense of community and collaboration tools connecting employees across the organization.
• Interactive feed and conversations through the Yammer feed, where users can post updates, share information, and engage in discussions to enhance internal communication.
• Dedicated groups and communities that create focused collaboration spaces bring teams, projects, or departments together for effective internal communication.
• File sharing and collaborative editing on documents directly streamline communication around shared content.
• Integration with Office 365 ensures a unified experience and enables users to leverage familiar productivity applications.
• Announcements and polls promoting employee engagement and participation.
• Mobile accessibility allows employees to stay connected and participate in discussions from anywhere.
• Yammer embeds into other applications or intranet sites for a seamless and integrated internal communication experience.

Pricing

Microsoft 365 with Yammer incorporated offers four license pricing options:

• Office 365 E1 starts at $10.00 per user per month (annual subscription)
• Office 365 E3 starts at $23.00 per user per month on an annual subscription
• Office 365 E5 starts at $38.00 per user per month on an annual subscription
• Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise start at $12.00 per user per month on an annual subscription

4. Glip

Use Glip for high-powered team collaboration. Source: Glip

Glip by RingCentral is another collaboration software that packs a serious punch. The tool combines group and video chat capability, a team calendar, file storage, sharing options, and task management feature into one intuitive app that its users love.

96% of customers claim that Glip has made communication more accessible, and 64% say the internal communications tool helps them deliver projects faster than they could have before using the app.

From marketing to HR, Glip has been proven to boost communication and make teams more productive. That’s why successful brands like Box and Massage Envy use it.

Features

• End-to-end encryption for video and messaging (beta)
• Team messaging and file sharing
• Whiteboard and annotations
• Receptionist and admin console (heads-up display)
• Unlimited audio conferencing
• Unlimited storage for files and recordings
• AI Meeting Insights and Live Transcription
• Remote desktop control

Pricing

• Core– $20.00 /user/month paid annually
• Advanced– $25.00 /user/month paid annually
• Ultra– $35.00 /user/month paid annually

Project Management Software

These internal communication software tools are the best when managing projects and updating team members on progress.

5. Trello

Trello is an intuitive project management app. Source: Trello

Trello operates on the Kanban methodology to make project management and workplace communication simple and effective. To use the tool, users first create boards for each project they’re working on. Boards can then be divided into columned lists representing different project stages.

Next, cards get added to each list and show the individual tasks needed to complete a project. Each card can contain instructions for team members to follow, a due date, and comments. Cards can easily be moved from one list to the next to signify progress.

Overall, Trello is an excellent tool for tracking projects and conversing with other team members. It also integrates with popular tools like Slack, Google Drive, Box, and Evernote.

Features

• Boards for collaboration to organize tasks, share updates and communicate on projects.
• Lists for workflow management to represent different stages of a project, facilitating clear communication about the progress of tasks.
• Cards for task details for transparent communication.
• Comments and discussions to help employees communicate and collaborate on specific tasks or projects.
• Checklists for task breakdown into smaller sub-tasks, fostering detailed communication about task progress.
• Due dates and reminders to establish timelines for tasks and receive reminders
• @Mentions for team collaboration, bringing specific individuals into the conversation, and promoting targeted communication.

Pricing

• Free– $0
• Standard– $5
• Premium– $10
• Enterprise– $17.50

6. Asana

Accomplish your team goals with Asana. Source: Asana

Asana is another one of the best internal communication platforms on the market. Does your team have a hard time prioritizing the right things? Asana is here to help. The entire app is built to help you see and accomplish what matters most.

Users first add tasks, give them due dates and priority levels, and assign them to specific team members. Progress on projects can then be viewed in multiple ways: via the timeline view, which lays out each task in the order it needs to be completed; the boards view, which operates in a very similar way to Trello (described above), and the calendar view, which shows users a standard calendar with every task that needs to be worked on.

Asana also offers a handy template feature. Not exactly sure how to plan and manage your next project? Start with a template. It will give you a proven framework for achieving success, and you can easily modify it to suit your unique situation.

Features

• Task Management to create, assign, and track tasks with due dates and priorities.
• Task Dependencies to link tasks dependent on each other to ensure a logical workflow.
• Calendar View to view tasks and projects on a calendar for better time management.
• Project Management to organize tasks into projects and set project goals and timelines.
• Kanban Boards to visualize work with Kanban boards to move tasks through stages.

Pricing

• Basic– $0
• Premium– $10.99
• Business- $24.99

7. Airtable

Airtable is a flexible project management tool. Source: Airtable

Lastly, we have Airtable, a combination of database, spreadsheet, and project management. It’s a very flexible tool that allows users to manage their work how they want to, not how they have to.

Like Asana, Airtable offers multiple ways to view projects and comes with standard templates to help get new projects planned and off the ground quickly. Once a project is added to the app, users can comment on it and converse with each other. Things like due dates, attached documents, and more can also be added.

Airtable is a great project management option for teams that crave power and flexibility.

Features

• Collaborative tables foster communication around shared information.
• Real-time updates to ensure all team members have access to the latest information.
• Comments and collaborative editing to facilitate employee communication around specific data points.
• Attachments and file sharing provide a centralized location for shared resources and enhancing communication.
• Linked records for relationships facilitating cross-functional communication.
• Filtering and sorting options to improve the clarity of information and communication.
• Integrations with other essential tools like Slack allow seamless communication between different platforms.

Pricing

• Free–
• Team– $20 per seat/month billed annually
• Business– $45 per seat/month billed annually
• Enterprise Scale– Contact sales

Digital File Storage

Finally, we have digital file storage tools. The first app listed below is an immensely popular solution you’ve probably heard of before. The second is less known but more powerful. Both are useful and would make worthy additions to your company’s slate of internal communication tools.

8. Dropbox

Dropbox is a popular file-sharing solution. Source: Dropbox

First, the tool you’ve heard of before Dropbox. This “digital filing cabinet” is popular amongst workplace teams because it makes sharing documents extremely fast and easy. Rather than emailing photos, videos, and documents back and forth, staff members simply add them to the company Dropbox account, and others can log in, view, and download them when needed.

Once files are inside Dropbox, they can be organized into different folders so they’re easy to find later. Users also have the ability to set permissions so that only specific team members are allowed to access certain files.

While file sharing probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “internal communication channels,” it’s essential to workplace productivity. In the modern age, true communication becomes much more difficult if your team can’t effectively send files back and forth.

Features

• File Storage: Safely store files, documents, photos, and videos securely within the internal communication platform.
• File Synchronization: Ensure access to the latest version of files for seamless collaboration.
• File Sharing: Share files and folders with team members, regardless of their platform access, fostering collaboration within the internal communication tool.
• File Retrieval: Effortlessly recover deleted files and access previous versions of documents within the internal communication system.
• File Versioning: Enable the ability to revert to earlier versions of files, promoting effective version control.
• Collaborative Workspaces: Establish shared folders and dedicated workspaces within the internal communication platform, enhancing team collaboration on files and projects.

Pricing

• Plus– $9.99 / month
• Essentials– $18 / month
• Business– $20 / user/month

9. CleanPix

CleanPix is specifically designed for professional marketing teams. Source: Capterra

CleanPix is a digital asset management (DAM) service designed for marketing and PR teams. It has the same file storage and sharing capabilities as DropBox but also includes high-end features such as file tagging and media galleries for easy relocation. Let’s take a quick look at each of these:

• File Tagging: CleanPix allows users to organize their files via tags rather than folders. A tagging system is much more efficient when a company has thousands of files. Rather than digging through folders that may contain hundreds of different files, users simply type a specific tag into the CleanPix search bar, and the service will quickly showcase the assets tagged with that phrase.
• Media Galleries: A CleanPix gallery is a public-facing library of files that those outside your organization can peruse. These folks can then request access to specific files. This feature is convenient for organizations that regularly deal with media requests. Rather than simply sending bloggers and news reporters random images, they can be sent a link to a public gallery where media pros can select their own files for their stories.

Not every company will need the bonus features that CleanPix offers. But it’s an excellent option for marketing and PR teams that manage large asset libraries and will improve your company’s communication ability.

Features

• Centralized asset storage– To store and organize digital assets
• File sharing and distribution– To facilitate the distribution of files and images among team members.
• Access control and permissions– To manage who can view, edit, or download specific digital assets, ensuring data security.
• Metadata and Tagging– It makes it easier for teams to find and utilize specific digital resources.
• Version Control allows teams to access the latest versions and track changes over time.
• Collaborative Workspaces– To allow teams to collaborate on specific projects or access related digital assets.

Pricing

• Lite– $20/month Standard rate
• Plus– $295/month Standard rate
• Premier– $795/month Standard rate

10. Staffbase

Staffbase stands out as a comprehensive employee communication software solution, boasting an intuitive interface and a platform rich in features. A notable strength of Staffbase lies in its capacity to centralize peer-to-peer communication across various channels.

This internal employee communications tool establishes a unified platform, granting employees access to crucial information, enabling real-time conversations, and keeping them abreast of company news and updates.

Through Staffbase, organizations can establish dedicated channels for different teams or departments, promoting efficient communication and mitigating information silos. The software incorporates features like push notifications, employee surveys, and targeted content delivery, facilitating personalized and focused employee communication.

Furthermore, Staffbase streamlines collaboration among remote teams with its file-sharing capabilities, facilitating the exchange of documents, presentations, and media files for seamless internal communications.

Features

• Effortless teamwork and quick access to the most up-to-date company documents.
• The employee communication software has a user-friendly interface, ensuring everyone can craft polished and compelling content effortlessly.
• Access to back-office data to enhance decision-making for internal communication strategies.”
• A fast and adaptable onboarding process.

Pricing Plans

• Starter– Contact for a quote
• Business– Contact for a quote
• Enterprise– Contact for a quote

Employee Feedback

With an employee feedback app, managers can use surveys, polls, suggestion boxes, and more to understand employees’ motivation and satisfaction. This includes surveys about company culture, when employees leave, and many others.

Employee feedback tools are known to help with the following:

• Creating conversations with employees smoother to increase engagement.
• Continuously improving company culture with ongoing feedback.
• Making workplace processes better with real-time insights from feedback.
• Managing changes more effectively by keeping employees informed at every step.

11. ConnectTeam

Connecteam is a comprehensive employee management application that boosts employee engagement and simplifies communication processes. Connecteam’s employee feedback app lets you assess your team’s feedback and examine real-time insights for continuous business improvement.

With Connecteam, you can make informed decisions through organizational surveys, live polls, the implementation of suggestion boxes, and other valuable features.

A bonus advantage is that Connecteam is one of the employee communication tools that allows employers to search for employees by title, department, location, birthday, or branch while ensuring that all contact information is protected and secure.

Features

• Mobile employee communication tools,
• Task management
• Digital forms
• Employee scheduling
• Time clocks and training course development and delivery
• Suggestion box to gather feedback from remote teams.
• 1:1 and team chats, as well as employee feedback forms to collect real-time feedback
• Share updates and company announcements while receiving feedback via comments and reactions.
• Surveys and live polls to improve business decision-making.

Pricing

• Small Business Plan– $0
• Basic– $29 per month for the first 30 users and $0.5 / month for each additional user
• Advanced– $49 per month for the first 30 users and $1.5 / month for each additional user
• Expert– $99 per month for the first 30 users and $3 / month for each additional user

12. Jotform

While informal instant messaging serves well for casual conversations, surveys offer a more organized approach to gathering your team’s perspectives on specific subjects. Utilizing this internal communication tool like Jotform empowers employees to express their opinions, identify concerns, and propose solutions.

Image Credit: jotform.com

Jotform, an intuitive online form builder, facilitates the creation of surveys for diverse purposes, such as assessing employee satisfaction, collecting suggestions for new initiatives, and brainstorming ideas for team-building activities.

Features

• Survey responses as professional-looking reports so you can get insights at a glance
• Integration with internal communication tools — including Slack, Google Drive, and Asana — to share the results
• Drag and drop functionality
• Set submission deadlines and assign forms to make sure you get responses on time

Pricing

• Starter– Free
• Bronze– $39/month billed annually
• Silver– $49/month billed annually
• Gold– $129/month billed annually

13. Qualtrics XM

The Qualtrics EmployeeXM platform is an advanced tool designed to collect employee feedback proactively. Its onboarding, employee training, and talent development features enable quick integration for employees, while solutions for continuous feedback provide ongoing insights into the culture and the overall employee experience.

Qualtrics’ seamless ability to switch between active projects is convenient for employees overseeing multiple surveys. This can be done effortlessly through a menu located at the upper left-hand side of the screen, eliminating the need to navigate back to a ‘Home’ screen.

In addition, Qualtrics helps you to import questions from previous surveys at any point in the survey design process. This can save plenty of time, especially when dealing with complex questions.

Features

• Feedback program automation
• Real-time feedback
• Intuitive dashboards
• Pre-built surveys
• Impact measurement across the employee onboarding cycle.

Pricing

• Contact for sales

Choose the Right Internal Communication Tools

All of the internal communication tools listed above will benefit your company. We encourage you to try a few of them (most have free versions available or offer free trial periods) and invest in the ones that suit your team’s workflow. Good luck!

Speaking of “free versions,” Zight can be used for exactly zero dollars a month. Sign up today and get access to our revolutionary screen recording, GIF creation, and image annotation features. You’ll love the convenience and increased productivity our tool gives you, guaranteed!

Yes, I want to try Zight for FREE!

Why you should use Zight for internal communications.

Zight (formerly known as CloudApp) is a versatile tool for internal communications, offering several advantages:

1. Visual Communication: Zight enables users to create and share screenshots, GIFs, and screen recordings easily. Visual content can often convey information more clearly and quickly than text alone, reducing misunderstandings and enhancing clarity.
2. Efficiency: With Zight, you can provide feedback, demonstrate processes, and share updates in a visual format, which can save time compared to writing lengthy emails or messages. This can streamline communication and make it more efficient.
3. Asynchronous Collaboration: Zight supports async communication by allowing team members to view and respond to content at their convenience. This is especially useful for remote teams working across different time zones, as it reduces the need for real-time meetings.
4. Integration with Other Tools: Zight integrates with various other productivity and communication tools like Slack, Trello, and Jira. This allows seamless sharing of visual content within the platforms your team already uses, enhancing workflow integration.
5. Documentation and Training: By using Zight, you can create a library of visual documentation and training materials. These resources can be easily accessed by new employees or team members who need to review specific processes or information.
6. User-Friendly Interface: Zight is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, even for those who are not tech-savvy. This minimizes the learning curve and helps ensure that all team members can adopt the tool quickly.
7. Enhanced Feedback: Visual feedback can be more detailed and specific, helping team members understand exactly what changes or improvements are needed. This can improve the quality of work and speed up project completion.

By leveraging Zight for internal communications, teams can enhance their efficiency, clarity, and collaboration, ultimately leading to better outcomes and a more cohesive working environment.