Business Communication Chapter 7

Session 3
Digital Media
 Learning Objectives
1 Identify the major digital media formats available for business
messages, and list nine compositional modes used in digital
media.
2 Describe the evolving role of email in business communication,
and explain how to adapt the three-step writing process to
email messages.
3 Identify the advantages and disadvantages of business
messaging systems (Instant Messaging).
4 Explain why organizing website content is so challenging, and
explain the concept of information architecture.
5 Explain how to adapt the three-step writing process to
podcasting.
Activity: Handout 1a & 1b
Case Study-Asian Paints
 Digital Media for Business
Communication
• LO 7.1 Identify the major digital media formats available for
business messages, and list nine compositional modes used in
digital media.

• This chapter offers advice on using tools you’re likely to

encounter in any profession: email, messaging, websites, and
podcasting.
 Digital Media for Business
Communication: Major Formats
• Email
• Instant Messaging
• Web Content
• Podcasting
 Benefits of Printed Messages
• When you want to make a formal impression
• When you are legally required to provide
information in printed form
• When you want to stand out from the flood of
digital messages
• When you want a permanent, unchangeable
or secure record
 Nine Compositional Modes for messages
1. Conversation- Mimics Interaction
2. Comments and Critiques- Express opinions and Feedbacks
3. Orientation- Guide their way through unfamiliar systems/ subjects
4. Summaries- miniature version of the document
5. Reference Materials- Make information accessible
6. Narratives- Create an interesting read (Beginning, middle and an
end)
7. Teasers- A piece which intentionally withholds key pieces of the
story
8. Status Updates and Announcements- Content which is audience
centric
9. Tutorials- Present a topic as reliable expert
 Compositional Modes for Digital and
Social Media (1 of 2)
• Conversations Mimics spoken conversation
• Comments and Critiques Short chunks of information
• Orientations Find their way through an unfamiliar system
• Summaries Summary functions as a miniature version
• Reference Material Materials—numerical or textual information
• You can succeed with written communication in virtually all
digital media by using one of nine compositional modes:
• ●● Conversations. Messaging is a great example of a written
medium that mimics spoken conversation. And just as you
wouldn’t read a report to someone sitting in your office, you
wouldn’t use conversational modes to exchange large
volumes of information or to communicate with more than a
few people at once.
• ●● Comments and critiques. One of the most powerful
aspects of social media is the opportunity for interested
parties to express opinions and provide feedback, whether by
leaving comments on a blog post or reviewing products on an
e-commerce site. To be an effective commenter, focus on
short chunks of information that a broad spectrum of other
site visitors will find helpful. Rants, insults, jokes, and blatant
self-promotion are of little benefit to others.
●● Orientations. The ability to help people find their way through an
unfamiliar system or subject is a valuable writing skill and a talent that
readers greatly appreciate. Writing effective orientations can be a
delicate balancing act because you need to know the material well
enough to guide others through it while being able to step back and
view it from the inexperienced perspective of a “newbie.”
●● Summaries. At the beginning of an article or webpage, a summary
functions as a miniature version of the document, giving readers all
the key points while skipping over details. At the end of an article or
webpage, a summary functions as a review, reminding readers of the
key points they’ve just read. A series of key points extracted from an
article or webpage can also serve as a summary.
●● Reference material. One of the greatest benefits of the Internet is
the access it can provide to vast quantities of reference materials—
numerical or textual information that people typically don’t read in a
linear way but rather search through to find particular data points,
trends, or other details
 Compositional Modes for Digital and
Social Media (2 of 2)
• Narratives The storytelling techniques

• Teasers Intentionally withhold key pieces of information

• Status Updates and Announcements

Updates that
readers will
find useful
• Tutorials Reliable expert
●● Narratives. The storytelling techniques covered can be effective in a wide
variety of situations. Narratives work best when they have an intriguing
beginning that ignites readers’ curiosity, a middle section that moves quickly
through the challenges that an individual or company faced, and an inspiring or
instructive ending that gives readers information they can apply in their own
lives and jobs.
●● Teasers. Teasers intentionally withhold key pieces of information as a way
to pull readers or listeners into a story or other document. Teasers are widely
used in marketing and sales messages, such as a bit of copy on the outside of
an envelope that promises important information on the inside.

• In digital media, the space limitations and URL linking capabilities of Twitter
and other microblogging systems make them a natural tool for the teaser
approach. Although they can certainly be effective, teasers need to be used
with respect for readers’ time and information needs. Be sure that the
payoff, the information a teaser links to, is valuable and legitimate. You’ll
quickly lose credibility if readers think they are being tricked into clicking
through to information they don’t really want.
(Tweetables are Twitter-ready bites of information extracted from a blog post
or other messages. They often serve as teasers, although a series of them can
make an effective summary as well.)
●● Status updates and announcements. If you use social media
frequently, much of your writing will involve status updates and
announcements. However, don’t post trivial information that only you
are likely to find interesting. Post only those updates that readers will
find useful, and include only the information they need.

●● Tutorials. Given the community nature of social media, the

purpose of many messages is to share how-to advice. Becoming
known as a reliable expert is a great way to build customer loyalty for
your company while enhancing your own personal value.

As you approach a new communication task using digital media, ask

yourself what kind of information audience members are likely to
need, then choose the appropriate compositional mode. Of course,
many of these modes are also used in written media, but over time,
you may find yourself using all of them in various digital and social
media contexts.
 Content for Digital Media

• Use a conversational approach

• Write informally but not carelessly
• Create concise, informative headlines
• Get involved and stay involved
• Use promotion indirectly
• Be transparent and honest

Copyright © 2010 Pearson

Education, Inc. publishing as
Chapter 7 - 17
Prentice Hall
Optimizing Content for Mobile Devices

• Location-based Services
• Gamification
• Augmented Reality
• Wearable Technology
• Mobile Blogging
• Mobile Podcasting
• Cloud-based Services
Mobile expands your options as a content creator, and it gives your
audience members a wider range of engaging ways to consume your
content:
●● Location-based services. Location-based social networking links the
virtual world of online social networking with the physical world of
retail stores and other locations. As mobile web use in general
continues to grow, location-based networking promises to become an
important business communication medium because mobile consumers
are a significant economic force—through the purchases they make
directly and through their ability to influence other consumers.
●● Gamification. The addition of game-playing aspects to apps and
web services, known as gamification, can increase audience
engagement and encourage repeat use.
●● Augmented reality. Superimposing data on live camera images can
enrich experiences for consumers and supply useful information to
business users
●● Wearable technology. From virtual-reality goggles to
smartwatches to body-movement sensors, wearable technology
pushes the radical connectivity of mobile to the next level. Some of
these items work as auxiliary screens and controls for other mobile
devices, but others are meant for independent use. One of the key
promises of wearable technology is simplifying and enhancing
everyday tasks for consumers and employees alike.
●● Mobile blogging. Smartphones and tablets are ideal for mobile
blogs, sometimes known as moblogs. The mobile capability is great
for workers whose jobs keep them on the move and for special-
event coverage such as live-blogging trade shows and industry
conventions.
●● Mobile podcasting. Similarly, smartphone-based podcasting
tools make it easy to record audio on the go and post finished
podcasts to your blog or website.
●● Cloud-based services. Mobile communication is ideal for cloud-
based services—digital services that rely on resources stored in the
cloud.
 Activities
• Critique
• https://thewritingplace.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/guidelines-for-nonfiction-
critiques/
• Gamification
• https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/12-examples-of-
gamification-in-the-classroom/
• Job Orientation
• https://www.cleverism.com/10-tips-effective-new-employee-orientation/

• Messages
• https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-
businesscommunicationmgrs/chapter/planning-business-messages/

• Teaser Campaigns
• https://stripo.email/blog/examples-teaser-email-campaigns/
Critique of ‘Who Moved My Cheese’
by
Spenser Johnson
https://www.sfgate.com/entertainme
nt/carroll/article/I-got-your-cheese-
right-here-3326066.php
 Teaser Campaigns
Teaser Email Campaigns: What to Focus on?/
Number of Emails/ When to Send?
• Upcoming Sales
• Product Launch
• Special Event
 Email
• LO 7.2 Describe the evolving role of email in business
communication, and explain how to adapt the three-step
writing process to email messages.
• Email has been a primary medium for many
companies for several decades, and in the
beginning it offered a huge advantage in
speed and efficiency over the media it
frequently replaced (printed and faxed
messages).
• Over the years, email began to be used for
many communication tasks simply because it
was the only widely available digital medium
for written messages and millions of users
were comfortable with it.
 E-Mail in the Workplace
Overall Quality

Legal Issues

Confidentiality

Network Security

E-Mail Hygiene

Copyright © 2010 Pearson

Education, Inc. publishing as
Chapter 7 - 27
Prentice Hall
 Using Email In the Workplace

Advantages Disadvantages
Universal Availability of Alternatives
Private Indiscriminate Use
Accommodates Longer
Low-Value Messages
Messages
Not Instantaneous Spam
Scheduling Computer Viruses
Access Phishing
 Three-Step E-Mail Process
Planning

Writing

Completing

Copyright © 2010 Pearson

Education, Inc. publishing as
Chapter 7 - 29
Prentice Hall
 Planning Email Messages
• Ensure Message Has a Valid, Business-Related Purpose
• Comply With Employer Policies and Ethics
• Employ Planning Process
– Analyze Situation
– Gather Information
– Organize Message
 Writing Email Messages
• Business Communication
– Higher Expectation of Quality
– Informative and Compelling Subject Lines
– Opening Words Extend Subject Lines
– Use Emoticons Wisely and Sparingly
 Completing Email Messages
• Think Twice Before Hitting “Send”
– Revise
– Proofread
– Be Cautious of “Reply All”
– Don’t Send With High Priority Unless Necessary
Activity: Handout 2 a & b
Email Samples
 Types of Messages
• Positive messages are routine or good news. The
receiver is likely to react positively or neutrally.
• Negative messages are bad news. The receiver is
likely to react negatively.
• The overlapping category is Persuasive messages.
The audience is expected to need encouragement
to act as the sender desires. In some cases, the
receiver is more like a positive audience. In other
cases, the receiver is more like a negative
audience.
 Instant Messaging
• LO 7.3 Identify the advantages and disadvantages of business
messaging systems.
 Using Instant Messaging
Business Grade Systems

Routine Communication

E-Mail Social
Systems Online Meetings Networks

Internal Communication

Copyright © 2010 Pearson

Education, Inc. publishing as
Chapter 7 - 36
Prentice Hall
• While e-mail is here to stay as a business medium, its
disadvantages (including viruses, spam, and rampant overuse)
are driving many people to explore alternatives. One of the most
popular alternatives is instant messaging (IM).
• For both routine communication and exchanges during online
meetings, IM is now widely used throughout the business world
and is beginning to replace e-mail for internal communication in
many companies.
• Business-grade IM systems offer a range of capabilities, including
basic chat, presence awareness, remote display of documents,
video capabilities, remote control of other computers,
automated newsfeeds from blogs and websites, and automated
bot capabilities (derived from the word robot) in which a
computer can carry on simple conversations.
• IM functions are also being embedded into other communication
media, including e-mail and social networks.
 Advantages and Disadvantages of
Instant Messaging

Advantages Disadvantages
Mimics Voice Conversation Can Be Annoyingly Slow
Systems Vary Widely in
Can Choose Participants
Security and Privacy
Less Overload and Security Increased Risk of
Problems Miscommunication
 Messaging offers several key benefits over email
for specific communication purposes
• First, because it mimics voice conversation to a high degree, it is
better suited to back-and-forth exchanges than email and other
digital formats. If you’ve ever tried to carry on a conversation via
email or Facebook comments, you know how agonizingly slow it
can be to wait for the other person to respond.
• Second, with closed systems such as Slack, administrators can
choose who is allowed to participate, which means they can block
out all outside distractions and threats. Unlike email, which has no
centralized control mechanism on the Internet, these private
messaging systems spare users from many of the overload
problems and security threats that plague mail.
• Third, the instantaneous nature of messaging makes it the best
choice when senders want messages to be seen and acted on
immediately. (Email systems can be set up with alerts to tell
receivers about incoming messages, but the email messages still
need to be opened before they can be read.)
 Potential drawbacks of IM’s
• First for real-time conversational exchange, users of all
systems are at the mercy of other users’ typing speed
and accuracy, which can make messaging annoyingly
slow in some cases.
• Second, messaging systems vary widely in their levels
of security and privacy, and public IM systems aren’t as
secure as private, enterprise-level systems. But even
closed messaging systems such as Slack are at risk from
security attacks.
• Third, like email, messaging is a lean medium with little
opportunity to convey nonverbal signals, which
increases the chances of misinterpretation.
 Guidelines for Successful Messaging
• Applying the Three-Step Writing Process
– Planning Instant Messages
– Writing Instant Messages
– Completing Instant Messages
 Planning Instant Message
• View every exchange as a conversation; while you may
not deliberately plan every individual statement you
make or question you pose, take a moment to plan the
overall exchange.
• If you’re requesting something, think through exactly
what you need and the most effective way to ask for it.
• If someone is asking you for something, consider his or
her needs and your ability to meet them before you
respond.
• You rarely need to organize instant messages in the
sense of creating an outline, try to deliver information
in a coherent, complete way that minimizes the
number of individual messages required.
 Writing instant messages
• As with email, the appropriate writing style for business messaging
is more formal than the style you may be accustomed to with
personal IM or text messaging.

• You should generally avoid acronyms (such as FWIW for “for what
it’s worth” or HTH for “hope that helps”) except when
communicating with close colleagues.

• The participants should communicate quickly and rather informally

but still maintain good etiquette and a professional tone.

• This style is even more important if you or your staff use messaging
to communicate with customers and other outside audiences.
 Completing Instant Messages
• One of the biggest attractions of messaging is that the
completing step is so easy. You don’t have to produce the
message in the usual sense, and distribution is as simple as
hitting “Enter” or clicking a “Send” button.
• However, don’t skip over the revising and proofreading tasks.
Quickly scan each message before you send it, to make sure
you don’t have any missing or misspelled words and that your
message is clear and complete.
• Keep in mind that many corporate messaging systems store
every message, and systems such as Slack make them easily
searchable, too, so even brief messages that you send in a
hurry become part of a permanent record
 Tips for Efficient and Effective
Messaging

Don’t Use for

Be Thoughtful and Courteous
Impromptu Meetings
Use “Unavailable” Use for Short,
Feature As Needed Simple Messages
Don’t Send
Focus on One Conversation
Confidential Information
Use Caution Sending Personal Follow Security
Messages Guidelines
 Application: Using Text
Messaging
• Marketing
• Customer service
• Security
• Crisis management
• Process monitoring

Copyright © 2010 Pearson

Education, Inc. publishing as
Chapter 7 - 47
Prentice Hall
• Text messaging applications in business include the
following:
• Marketing (e.g., alerting customers about new sale
prices)
• Customer service (e.g., airline flight status, package
tracking, and appointment reminders)
• Security (e.g., authenticating mobile banking
transactions)
• Crisis management (e.g., updating all employees
working at a disaster scene)
• Process monitoring (e.g., alerting computer technicians
to system failures)
• Because IM is currently more versatile and widely used
in business than text messaging
 Business IM Benefits

Rapid Response Reduced Costs

Conversational Wide Availability

Copyright © 2010 Pearson

Education, Inc. publishing as
Chapter 7 - 49
Prentice Hall
 Website Content
• LO 7.4 Explain why organizing website content is so
challenging, and explain the concept of information
architecture.
• You probably won’t develop web content as
often as you use email, social networks, and
other media, but most companies have at
least a basic website, and you might be
involved in planning or expanding on it. Most
of what you’re learning about using other
digital media is relevant to website content as
well, although the unique nature of websites
presents some special challenges.
 Organizing Website Content

Opportunities Challenges

Pros of Versatility Cons of Versatility

Multiple Purposes Difficult Planning

Multiple Audiences Difficult Organization

Web Site:Information Architecture
• Multidimensional Medium
– No Beginning, Middle or End
• Three-Dimensional Outline
– Vertical Hierarchy
– Horizontal Division
– Links that Tie All Pages Together
• Recent Trend Toward One-Page Websites
 Tips for Organizing Websites
• Brainstorm Likely Usage
• Identify Likely Entry Points
• Create a Map or Other Visual Tool
• Ensure Easy Return to Top Level of Site
• Give Search Options – Key Terms, Paths, Etc.
• Be Consistent with Labels
 Drafting Website Content
• Build Audience Trust
• Inverted Pyramid Style
• Use Easily Readable Chunks of Information
• Present in a Concise, Skimmable Format
• Use Direct and Concise Link Names
• Adapt Content for a Global Audience
Website : Asian Paints

https://www.asianpaints.com/
 Podcasting
• LO 5 Explain how to adapt the three-step writing process to
podcasting.

• Podcasting is the process of recording audio or video files and

distributing them online. Podcasting combines the media richness
of voice or visual communication with the convenience of
portability. Audiences can listen to or watch podcasts on a blog or
website, or they can download them to phones or portable music
players to consume on the go. Particularly with audio podcasts, the
hands-off, eyes-off aspect makes them great for listening while
driving or exercising.
 Understanding the Business
Applications of Podcasting
• Training
• Marketing
• Selling
• Recruiting
 Formats for Podcasts
• One on one interview
• Solo Commentary
• Panel (Guest Interview or Discussion)
• Non Fiction Narrative Story Telling
• Hybrid (Create a show)
• Repurposed Content (Long standing
Audio programs and Live events)
 Adapting the Three-Step Process for
Successful Podcasting
1 – Plan 2 – Write 3 – Complete

Analyze the Clear Beginning,

Revise and Edit
Situation Middle, and End

Gather the Scripts vs. Outlines

Record
Information and Notes

Write and Organize

Organize Material Distribute
in Advance
THANK YOU