What Is Contextual Communication?

Contextual communication is defined as the bidirectional transfer of information

between two parties, where both sides are aware of the relational, environmental,
and cultural context of the exchange. Simply put, it means that all entities involved
know what the conversation is about.

In the digital realm, the three types of context include:

 Visual context. This reflects what users are

doing electronically — for example, apps they're
using, websites they're browsing, music they're
listening to. Visual context is primarily controlled
or managed by software.
 Physical context. This is information gathered
from sensors such as device microphones and
cameras. It also can include information like
movement, location, temperature, and power or
battery consumption.
 Analytic and big data context. These are the
insights that an application can generate when it's
linked to cloud platforms or a local database. For
example, behaviors, preferences, and stored
information can all be processed.

The three primary sources of context within applications are:

 Intent: the goal a person is trying to achieve

(purchase versus support, for example)
 Physical: data gathered from sensors such as
cameras, microphones, or accelerometers
 Social: the user’s social preferences — for
instance, LinkedIn versus Facebook, SMS versus
WhatsApp

An example of contextual communication in action is mobile banking. With these

applications, passwords or biometrics like touch or facial recognition help verify
identities. Throughout the user's experience, the app defines intent (for example,
choosing the type of bank account to work with). If users need to contact the bank,
in-app direct calling conveys context to the bank contact center or chatbot.

Another common example involves rideshares — or, more specifically, customers

patiently waiting for their rideshare. From within the app, a passenger simply taps to
contact the driver. Before a single word is said, the context of the call is established
— the driver knows that the passenger is calling and the app calculates the time of
arrival. Then, when the call begins, the driver can greet the passenger with real-time
information. This full context helps solidify the experience.

Why Is Contextual Communication Important?

To define CX, think of all the common customer touchpoints — phone, website, chat,
in-app, in-person, etc. Think of what your customers see or feel across these
channels. Is the call quality clear? Are the visual cues on the website easy to follow?
Do the text and graphics within the app guide you to next steps? How’s the
temperature inside your location?

Always think like the customer by stress-testing your channels. Go through a typical
phone call, engage in a chat, use the app, visit your location. You may not be able to
be everywhere all the time; however, AI and omnichannel engagement can help
extend your reach and availability.

During the stress test, if you pause or comment negatively along the way — chances
are, so will your customers. And you may not get a second chance. Go back to the
rideshare example. If you were left waiting, without any form of update, you’d look for
another ride. That’s why contextual communication is so important.

What is the Context of Communications?

The context that results in a basic understanding of the situation in which
the communication is taking place, and the factors that influence the
communication also becomes quite important in this respect.

There is a possibility that the contexts might influence and overlap with
each other, that can make the communication even more robust.

The context can be categorized as:

 Interpersonal
 Intrapersonal
 Public
 Mass
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What is Intrapersonal Communication?

Intrapersonal communication is when a person is involved in
communication with themselves. It is often regarded as self-talk.

This may include imaginary conversation with oneself, a particular visual

and any self-retrospection.

The interpersonal communication can have either positive or negative

impact, and can impact how one perceives others and influence their world
view.
One's culture, native languages and outlook shape their personal selves
and have a bearing on their experiences and how they communicate with
others. This form of communication serves as the basis and forms the
nuances of communication.

One of the most popular and well received models of inter-personal

communication (that appears as a transaction with one's self) takes into
consideration some of the key features of the communication process that
include:

 the source,
 reviewing the message,
 the channel through which it is communicated,
 the feedback received,
 the environment, and
 the context where the process gets shaped.

It is very important to consider that all these stages or levels are

internalized and brings into line all the elements that help in delivering a
message.

The preparation for communication includes developing a plan, initiating to

resolve problems and internalized conflicts, along with examining the
judgment one has of themselves as well as others.

The interaction, however, has no external expression, but they borrow

heavily from the experiences encountered in the external environment.

What is Interpersonal Communication?

Interpersonal communication is mostly perceptible having an externalized
expression as it involves two or more people. It can range from being very
formal to intimate to impersonal. The different types are as follows:

 One-on-One Communication - It involves direct communication between two people

through different medium of communication such as telephone, internet, etc.
 Group Communication - Group communication involves small groups in conversation
and is a very dynamic process. It mostly involves three-to-eight people in
conversation. The larger the group, the more likely it is to disintegrate into smaller
ones to ease the communication. The age, likes, dislikes, culture education, sex and
demographic features are some of the determinants to understand the participants in
a group discussion. At times, group discussion can be mutual or other times, it can
become one-way. However, the following are the different variations of group
discussions.
 Team-based communication - Team communication is a part of group
communication. The various forms of communication between different team
 members can be interpersonal. Team communication becomes very important to
how the business operates and it becomes a challenge, at times, for the managers
as well as the employees involved in such communication. Given its importance,
team communication will be discussed in greater detail in the next article.

What is Public Communication?

Public communication takes place when one person presents his/her views
in front of many people, similarly this communication can also be in written
form where one person is writing for others.

The speaker may initiate a dialogue or conversation to engage the

audience and this can be done via email, or through point-counter-point
letters sent to editor.

This form of communication is inherently different from group

communication that has a different set of rules.

The speaker is often protracted by the group in a public speaking

institution.

With the change in tradition, culture and perceptions, there are possible
exclamations that should not be regarded as obstacles.

This should be instead regarded as affirmative expressions.

What is Mass Communication?

Through mass communication, messages are sent out to large numbers of
people.

It involves sending out one single message to an entire group.

While it does allow for wider reach, the messages need to be curated
keeping in mind the target group, their choice and preference, and other
contextual factors that impact the content of the message.

What is Context in Communication?

The context definition in communication refers to the factors that work together to determine
the meaning of a message. When conversations take place, context works to interpret parts of
the message. How people communicate changes according to different factors, like who they
are communicating with, where they are, and how they are feeling. To be an effective
communicator, individuals must be able to understand the context and adjust when needed.
Context in communication can change the way that communication flows, and it can also
change the message and how it is interpreted.
Why is Context Important?
Context is important because it gives meaning to the communication. From work settings to
family life, most people participate in a lot of communication every day. It is what tells the
listener how urgent or important the message is. Without good context the meaning of the
message is miscommunicated, which means that no one involved in the communication
accomplished what they needed.
For example, one would not communicate the same way when hanging out at the beach with
friends and when giving a speech in class. Context must be taken into consideration with each
form of communication to ensure that communication is effective.
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Types of Contexts in Communication

There are four main types of contexts in communication. These factors influence the way that
communication takes place, the way that communicators react, and the way that messages are
delivered and received.
Those communication types are physical, temporal, social-psychological and cultural
context.
 Physical Context in Communication
Physical context in communication refers to the actual setting in which the communication is
taking place. It includes the physical aspects like the weather, how loud the area is, the time
of day the meeting takes place, the location in which the meeting is held, and other physical
factors. The physical context can have a huge impact on the way that communication
happens.
For example, a student on the playground is free to run, play, and yell with their classmates.
Being loud and boisterous is acceptable behavior for the location. However, when the
students come back inside the school, their behavior will adjust to calm, quiet, and collected
because that is the appropriate behavior for the physical context of the school.

Temporal Context in Communication

Temporal context in communication refers to the way that individuals rely on past behaviors
to set the tone for communication.
For example, the Smith family eats dinner every night at 5 pm. They have
a tradition of taking turns to share something about their day as they eat. If Susan shows up to
dinner and refuses to share something about her day, the other family members will likely be
confused and think that something is wrong because she is not behaving as she always does.
While it is common for many people to shy away from sharing personal details of their lives, in
this context it is different because the other family members are relying on the Susan's past
behavior to meet their expectations.

Social-Psychological Context in Communication

The social-psychological context in communication deals with the relationships between
communicators and the emotions that are presented. In the social-psychological context the
personal mood and psychological state of each person and the relationship between people is
being balanced.
For example, Brad has a meeting with a new coworker. Although Brad is having a bad day, he
does not want to share this information with his coworker. He has only met him a few times and
they are not close, so Brad does not feel comfortable talking to his new coworker about his mood
that day. During the meeting he pushes his mood aside and presents himself in a professional
way. After the meeting, Brad meets up with his brother and lets his guard down. They talk about
his day and everything that has been going on with him. The relationship between Brad and his
coworker and the relationship between Brad and his brother represent different social-
psychological contexts.

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