The 7 Best Communication Tools for Connecting Remote Teams

Hey there! Are you leading or working with a remote team? If so, you know effective communication is crucial. But it can also be a major struggle. When coworkers aren‘t sitting next to each other, everything gets more complicated. Luckily, today there are amazing tools to enable seamless collaboration even when no one is in the same room (or time zone!).

In this guide, I‘ll share my insights based on researching and testing the top team communication platforms extensively. I‘ve personally worked remotely for over 5 years, so I know the pain points first-hand. Read on for my reviews of the leading solutions and advice for supercharging communication across your distributed teams. Let‘s dive in!

Why Communication Matters for Remote Team Success

Remote work has exploded in popularity over the last few years. According to Owl Labs, 52% of workers around the world are now fully or partially remote. Remote job postings on LinkedIn also increased more than 3x from March 2020 to March 2021.

There are terrific advantages with remote teams. You can hire talent anywhere, reduce overhead costs, and offer unparalleled work flexibility. However, effective collaboration doesn‘t just happen automatically when coworkers are distributed. In fact, over 30% of remote workers report communication issues, according to Buffer‘s State of Remote Work report.

Strong communication has always been important. But in remote settings, it becomes absolutely crucial. Frequent interactions that happen naturally in offices must be recreated digitally. Otherwise, remote workers are left feeling disconnected, morale and productivity suffer, and mishaps happen.

Investing in communication tools pays off through:

Increased transparency – Keep everyone looped in versus siloed.
Better collaboration – Team members can seamlessly interact.
More aligned teams – Groups stay coordinated around shared goals.
Simplified workflows – Tasks and projects move smoothly.
Cost and time savings – Less need for expensive travel.
Flexibility – People can work when and where they want.

But with tons of tools out there, how do you choose what‘s best for your needs? Let‘s explore!

Key Factors for Evaluating Remote Team Communication Tools

Remote teams have unique communication requirements compared to co-located groups. When assessing tools, consider factors like:

User experience – Is the interface modern and intuitive?
Learnability – How easy is it for new users to get up to speed?
Adaptability – Can the platform scale from small startups to large enterprises?
Mobility – Are the mobile apps fully-featured?
Security – How is sensitive data protected?
Compliance – Does it meet regulations like HIPAA or SOC 2?
Integrations – Does it connect with the other tools you rely on?
Searchability – Can you easily find past information?
Affordability – Are the costs appropriate for your budget?
Company culture – Does the vibe match your team‘s style?

Let‘s explore some top contenders that excel across factors like these.

7 Recommended Communication Platforms for Remote Teams

1. Slack – Simple, Powerful, Flexible

As one of the pioneers in team chat apps, Slack needs little introduction. This platform is beloved by remote teams across the world. Slack lets you create dedicated channels to discuss topics, projects, teams – you name it. These channels keep conversations organized and on-topic.

Slack

With Slack you can:

Message coworkers – Directly, privately, or in groups.
Share files – Easily send documents, images, videos.
Integrate tools – Connect Slack with your workplace apps.
Hop on video calls – Hold HD video conferences.
Personalize – Customize themes to suit your style.

Slack really shines when it comes to robust third-party integrations. It plays nicely with just about any app you can think of – over 2,400 at current count! For example, you can bring in data from your CRM, task manager, help desk, social media feeds, and more.

For these reasons and more, Slack is trusted by over 169,000 paying organizations, including 65 Fortune 100 companies according to Slack‘s website.

Slack works wonderfully for companies of any size and industry. The free plan supports unlimited users, while paid tiers unlock more features and controls. Overall, Slack hits the sweet spot between simplicity and power.

2. Microsoft Teams – Your Home on Microsoft‘s Ecosystem

If your organization is on Microsoft‘s ecosystem, Microsoft Teams is worth strong consideration. Teams seamlessly blends messaging, video conferencing, file collaboration, task management, and more into one platform.

It taps directly into apps like Word, Excel, Sharepoint, Outlook, and so on, uniting them into a single workspace. The user experience is exceptional with a modern conversational interface using customizable chat channels.

Microsoft Teams

Notable Microsoft Teams features:

Channels – Dedicated threads to keep projects organized.
Meetings – Audio, video, and web meetings for up to 300 people.
Co-authoring – Collaboratively edit Office documents in real-time.
File sharing – Effortlessly share files and notes.
Task tracking – Assign tasks to individuals or teams.
Third-party apps – Integrate your other business tools.
FedRAMP authorized – Meet U.S. government security standards.

The deep Office 365 integration makes Microsoft Teams a no-brainer for companies invested in Microsoft‘s ecosystem. But even if you use Google Workspace or other tools, Teams still shines thanks to top-notch third-party integrations. Over 800 apps and services partner with Teams including Salesforce, Trello, GitHub, and more.

3. Zoom – Frictionless Video Meetings

Most professionals have used Zoom Meetings over the past few years. But you may not realize Zoom also offers a full-featured team chat app called Zoom Chat.

Zoom Chat focuses on streamlining communication workflows. Lightning-fast video meetings integrate directly into any chat channel for on-the-fly collaboration. Zoom‘s mobile experience is also stellar – chat and meet on the go with all the essential features.

Zoom Chat

Notable Zoom Chat features:

Channels – Organized topic-based conversations.
@Mentions – Easily notify coworkers.
Polls and emojis – Make chats interactive.
File sharing – Quickly send documents, videos, and images.
Search – Instantly find any message.
Third-party integrations – Connect your workplace apps.
AI transcription – Save chats as text docs.

One advantage of Zoom Chat is its seamless integration with Zoom Meetings. You can jump from any chat right into a HD video call with one click.

Zoom Chat offers a free basic plan, with paid tiers adding features like unlimited chat history, custom retention policies, and more. The $150-per-year Pro plan is a great value for most teams.

4. Google Chat – Seamlessly Connected to Google Workspace

Google Chat brings straightforward team messaging into Google‘s Workspace productivity suite. For current G Suite/Google Workspace users, Google Chat is typically the easiest communication add-on.

Chat‘s clean interface keeps conversations neatly tucked away in dedicated spaces for teams, projects, or topics. Find any message easily with robust search. And start quick video meetings with Google Meet.

Google Chat

Notable Google Chat features:

Spaces – Organized digital rooms for topics and teams.
@Mentions – Pull specific coworkers into a discussion.
File sharing – Effortlessly share files and pics.
Video calls – Start instant HD video meetings.
External communication – Chat with clients too.
Emojis and GIFs – Express yourself visually.
AI smart suggestions – @mentions, reminders and more based on context.

Since Google Chat lives alongside Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Meet and more, it‘s easy to wire your workflows together. For companies invested in Google Workspace, Chat makes collaboration feel effortless.

5. Flock – Affordable Team Chat with Bots and Integrations

Flock pitches itself as a "messaging and collaboration app for teams." This tool aims to give teams an affordable Slack alternative with powerful features.

Flock lets you message coworkers privately or in public and private channels. You can also share files, polls, notes, reminders, and more. Flock even offers built-in video conferencing.

Flock

Standout Flock features include:

Notes – Quickly capture ideas and share as notes.
Reminders – Set personal or assignable reminders.
Polls – Survey your coworkers with custom polls.
Bots – Automate workflows with bots.
Video calls – Hold meetings with screen sharing.
App integrations – Connect tools like Trello, GitHub, and Gmail.
File previews – Review files without downloading.

Flock offers a free version for teams up to 10 people. Paid plans unlock more message history, users, bots, and admin controls. Flock is cost-effective choice for startups and small businesses.

6. Twist – Threaded Conversations to Cut Down Chaos

Twist bills itself as an "asynchronous communication tool for distributed teams." The platform aims to tame messy inboxes by organizing conversations into topics and threads.

Twist

With Twist, teams can:

Create threads – Discuss ideas in dedicated threads.
Leave feedback – Gather input privately or publicly.
Send company updates – Share announcements.
Integrate tools – Connect apps like Trello, GitHub, and more.
Stay organized – Keep projects structured in topics.
Reduce noise – Focus on threads rather than inboxes.
Enhance transparency – Loop in relevant coworkers.

This "structured conversation" approach lets you communicate without constant interruptions. It works exceptionally well for fully remote teams.

Part of working remotely is losing those fun social interactions that happen naturally in traditional offices. Watercooler aims to digitally recreate this social glue for distributed teams.

Coworkers can spark friendly discussions, share news and stories, post memes, give recognition, and more. Watercooler brings a social media-style feed to the workplace.

Watercooler

With Watercooler, you can:

Start conversations – Kick off discussions in themed channels.
Share articles and images – Stay current on company happenings.
React with emojis and GIFs – Show support and appreciation.
Give digital high fives – Show coworker appreciation.
Connect social profiles – Share tweets, Instagram posts, and more.

While less structured than some platforms, Watercooler fosters personal connections between remote coworkers. The social and fun vibe helps teams bond.

Key Takeaways and Recommendations

Remote communication tools empower distributed teams to execute at peak levels. But with so many options, it can be tricky to decide what‘s best for your needs. Here are some key recommendations based on my extensive research and testing:

Slack – My top overall choice. Simple, flexible, integrates with everything. Free version available.
Microsoft Teams – Excellent for organizations invested in Microsoft‘s ecosystem.
Zoom – Recommended if you want frictionless video meetings.
Google Chat – Best pick for Google Workspace users wanting tight integration.
Twist – Great for asynchronous threaded communication to reduce chaos.
Flock – Affordable full-featured option for small teams.
Watercooler – Recreates social co-worker connections.

Every team and company culture is unique. But with the right communication solution, your distributed teams can thrive and out-execute even traditional in-office groups.

The key is picking a tool tailored to your workflows and team culture. Setup consistently across the company. Train coworkers to use it effectively. And promote remote best practices like overcommunication, transparency, and inclusion.

With the right foundation, remote teams have limitless potential. The world‘s best talent is now available regardless of geography. Communication tools play an enabling role in tapping into that potential.

What questions do you have about supercharging communication for your distributed teams? Let me know in the comments! I‘m always happy to help fellow remote workers.