Delving into some cool Slack messaging features
Hellooo
In our last article, These popular online productivity tools have got you covered, we talked about a few of our fave tools. So why not delve into one of them a little further…the fan fave messaging app - Slack!
Now let’s get to know some of the great features that Slack has to offer:
1. Channels - Creating channels for different teams, projects, or topics helps the whole team keep on top of things. You can add a channel by clicking the ‘+’ button next to Channels in the sidebar and naming it whatever you think suits. You can also join existing channels or leave channels you no longer need to be a part of, by clicking on the channel name and selecting ‘Leave Channel’ or ‘Join Channel’.
2. Direct Messages - This is the perfect way to start a private conversation with a colleague. Do this by clicking on their name in the Direct Messages section of the sidebar and selecting ‘Message’. You can also easily search for and find previous direct message conversations, by typing the person's name in the search bar at the top of the Slack window.
3. File Sharing - Perfect for that document or video share that needs to get to a team member quickly. Do this by clicking the ‘+’ button next to the message box and selecting ‘Upload a File’, or drag and drop files directly into the message box to share them instantly.
4. Emoji Reactions - Reacting to messages quickly by using emojis, is a great way to express your thoughts or feelings without having to type a response, and it’s often all that’s needed. All you need to do is hover over a message and click on the smiley face icon to choose an emoji reaction…or why not add your own custom emoji!
5. Custom Emojis - These can add a personal touch to your Slack conversations, and all you need to do is go to your workspace settings, select ‘Customize’, and then choose ‘Add Custom Emoji’ to upload an image.
6. Search Functionality - Quickly find past messages, files, or conversations by using Slack's powerful search functionality. Entering keywords or phrases in the search bar at the top of the Slack window will help you retrieve relevant results.
7. Notifications - Customise your notification preferences to control when and how you receive notifications from Slack. By default, only a few things like mentions or direct messages will trigger notifications, but you can change that by going to your preferences, selecting ‘Notifications’, and adjusting your settings to suit your needs.
8. Integrations - Connecting Slack with your favourite apps and tools can really help to streamline your workflow. Explore the Slack App Directory to discover integrations for project management, file sharing, video conferencing, and more - helping to boost your productivity.
9. Channel Mentions - Get someone's attention in a channel by mentioning their username. Just type ‘@’ followed by their name in the message box - it’s as easy as that! Notifying someone directly can be a hugely efficient way of making sure a specific person gets any minor yet important details they’ve been waiting on to complete a task, without alerting everyone else in the team.
10. Status Updates - Let your team know your availability status by setting a status update e.g. Away. Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the Slack window, and select ‘Set a status’ to update your status. You can also ‘pause notifications’ for a set or custom amount of time, so you’re not disturbed when you’re in a meeting…or taking a much-needed screen break.
Hopefully the features we’ve mentioned above helps you consider how you could use Slack as part of your teams valued tool-kit. Luckily there are two versions of Slack on offer - free and paid, and while some of the above features might only be available in the paid version, the free version’s fabulous, so it’s best to compare them. For the most up-to-date features and pricing info, jump onto Slack today to find out if this top tool will work for you and your team.