5 Free Tools for Communicators in 2015

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It’s the beginning of a new year, and communicators are starting to execute their plans for engaging, informing and inspiring employees in 2015.

Here are five free tools to help communicators accomplish goals and revolutionize communications this year.

 

 

1. FlatIcon

Make your documents and decks more creative with FlatIcon.3b71c073edf470e4179f9152393ec90a

The use of icons has grown in recent years and has become a staple in creative materials. When used in the right situation, icons can increase employee engagement and make communications memorable. The best part of FlatIcon is that you don’t have to be a designer or have experience with InDesign to include icons in your documents now. This free website allows anyone to choose from thousands of icons and download them directly to their computer. Once there, you can insert them into your one-pager, deck or proposal with ease.

Tip: After inserting the icon into your Word Document file, change the settings to make it easier to move around in the document. Go to: Format > Wrap Text > In Front of Text

2. Bananatagbananatag-spring2013

Get analytics from your employee emails with Bananatag.

How can you measure the success of your email communications if you don’t have analytics? Luckily, Bananatag offers a free option of their software that will track emails and links within an email. This will give you the knowledge to readjust your email campaigns and be a more effective communicator. Also, the Bananatag team offers $5 and $10 options that provide additional benefits and is available for Gmail and Outlook.

Tip: Test when employees prefer to receive communications. Send communications at different times of the day and look at the open rates to see if there is a jump during a certain time period.

Watch Bananatag in action

3. Poll Everywherepolleverywhere (1)

Take your boring and typical meeting to the next level with Poll Everywhere.

Communicators are always searching for a new way to keep employees engaged throughout the entirety of a town hall, all-team or department meetings. Poll Everywhere helps communicators keep the audience engaged by using the very thing that distracts them, their mobile device. Utilizing their mobile device, Twitter, or web browsers you can engage an audience instantaneously during a meeting with Poll Everywhere.

You do have the ability as an administrator to preview and approve what goes live, and yes, regular message and data rates do apply.

Tip: Can’t get through all the questions submitted for the Q&A? Answer the questions you couldn’t and distribute responses after the meeting.

Watch Poll Everywhere in action

4. WeTransferwetransfer

Keep your inbox unclogged with WeTransfer.

At some point, we’ve all had to email a large image or slide deck, and once it’s sent, your mailbox memory is gone. WeTransfer makes sending large files easy with a free option to send up to 2GB worth of data per send. Next time you have to send images to a designer or distribute a large deck, use WeTransfer to take the burden off your inbox.

Tip: After you’ve sent the file, recipients have one week to open it before WeTransfer deletes the content.

Watch WeTransfer in action

5. SurveyMonkeyWeb

Measure the engagement level and effectiveness of your communications with SurveyMonkey.

For some, this will be a reminder; for others, this will open your world to a new way of gathering data. You need to set measurable goals each year and determine if you’re moving the needle in the right direction. Utilizing SurveyMonkey, you can survey your employees, compare results, and determine if you need to change course.

Be sure to ask questions to determine if the current communication tools are working effectively and what new tools employees would like to see in the future. Also, allow employees to leave an open comment to provide feedback in a free-text manner.

Tip: Ask demographic questions to look for trends in responses from employees based on age, location and department.

Watch SurveyMonkey in action

 

What tools do you use that communicators should use in 2015? Share your thoughts below.

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