The server is down. Who needs to know?
At 9 am the file server stops. Staff are working. Customers are calling. The manager is travelling.
One message will not reach everyone. A good technician picks the right way to tell each group.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Channel | a way of passing a message to people | email or a phone call |
| Instant messaging | short written chat that arrives straight away | |
| Video conferencing | a meeting where people see and hear each other on a screen | |
| Digital signage | screens that show notices in a public place | |
| Community forum | a website where people ask and answer questions in public | |
| Blog | a web page of articles from a person or team | |
| Audience | the people you want to reach |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can pick the best channel for a message and say its strength and its limit.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Channels, their strength and their limit
| Channel | Best for | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Telephone | Urgent talk, a calm voice, one person | No written record unless you note it |
| Instant messaging | Quick questions inside a team | Gets lost in a busy chat |
| Details and a record that can be forwarded | Slow, and may sit unread | |
| Video conferencing | Meetings, showing a screen, remote training | Needs a good connection |
| Digital signage | Notices for everybody in a building | One way, and short |
| Blogs | Longer updates and news to many readers | One writer's voice |
| Community forums | Public questions and answers | Anyone may answer, so check what you read |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Three kinds of social media
Organisational accounts speak for the company, such as an official page. Public social media is open to everybody and can be seen by customers. Personal accounts belong to one person.
Be careful: a personal post about work can be read as the company's view, and it can reach customers.
Check
Have a go
Check
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.