Tools of the week: 9 communication tools we use at StoryMe for mega efficient remote working.??

This is the fifth week the whole team is working remotely. More than ever, communication and productivity hacks help us to stay focused, and they could help you too! That's why every week, you’ll see an article of our most used tools for productivity, team collaboration, video & content creation, planning, finance, etc. ??This week: some of my favourite tools for communication.

1. Hardware on point with a decent webcam and headset ????

The right video equipment for smooth communication is more important than ever. If you can afford a little extra, it is definitely worth investing in a decent webcam with 1080p or 4K resolution. Personally, Logitech’s devices made our video conferencing easier than ever, mostly used with +5 people in the same room. (link)

Apart from that, a good headset is important too. Premium or low cost, definitely go for the noise-cancelling one to stay focused during a video call and even better > eliminating background noises such as screaming children having fun in quarantine.. ???? Do you want to treat yourself? Go for the Bose QuietComfort, it works incredibly well for calls, noise-reduction, music and overall focus for example when air-traveling.

2. Google Hangouts for 1 click internal video-chats.

At StoryMe, we mainly use Google Suite, so we use Google Calendar to schedule our meetings. Every new meeting gets an automatic Google Meet link that all the participants can join easily.

But who says you have to keep it strictly business? To keep up the team spirit and stay healthy in quarantine, a different team member organizes a ‘Sporty Spice’ session every Wednesday, from Rugby training to crossfit and yoga - we’ve tried it all! Thanks again Feline and Thomas!

"Ok great features, but with Zoom you can see everyone in 1 gallery, much easier." Well, as of the 17th or April, Google announced the Zoom-style gallery is working for up to 16 people, included in Google Meet, for 6$ per month.

3. Skype or Zoom for external meetings.

Not a fan of Skype as these days a lot of people don’t have a skype account, do need to subscribe and sign in, which increases friction. Add to that the connection and sound often lagging, compared to a steady Zoom. On top of that, it’s super user-friendly, share the link and boom! You're live. The free plan includes 40 mins of group meetings, definitely worth it to invest in a Zoom license for longer or +16 people meetings. We use it every Monday Morning to kick off and with non-Google clients.

FUN FACT : Have you ever had an animal join your video call? Through SweetFarm you can have animals like Juno the goat or Paco the llama join your video call, it's about 100€ and the money goes to the animal cause.

4. Facetime group calls for quick mobile updates ??

For a quick call on-the-go between 2 or 3 people, I’ve started using FaceTime group calls. It’s simple, fast and familiar. When I’m not behind my desk, I’m more likely to grab my phone, open FaceTime, tap the names of the people I want to call and click Video Call. Everyone with an iPhone, iPad or Macbook can check in, and it's up to 32 people. Issue? Only Apple. In our team that’s usually not a problem.

5. Facebook Workplace for no-BS office communication ??

Lots of people recommend Slack, I don't. Tried it and left it for the Facebook Workplace platforms. The main one which allows you to create different group pages (innovation cell, client feedback, video inspiration, technical issues, one for sharing music,...) and the Workplace Chat app for desktop and mobile, which you can only use to chat with all your team members. Since the launch in 2016 we integrated Facebook's business app, today still convinced it's the most productive out there for us.

6. Boxy to kill those tons of open tabs ?

Mainly to have Mailing + Calendar in 1 app and synced. So if you always have a lot of tabs open in your browser, then this is an app you might want to check out. Boxy is a desktop app for Gmail and Google Calendar with a minimal design that gets rid of any distractions. It’s full of useful features such as instant account switching, powerful shortcuts, a reader mode, your to dos list, etc. It also integrates with all other Google apps. (link)

7. Google’s G Suite for new doc sharing and project colabs

G Suite is the collection of all the Google apps you already know, but with the added value of some additional business services. You get a custom business email and makes it easy to work on team projects together, thanks to Google Drive. For all our new content around crisis communication, for example, we made a quick shared drive between Strategy & Marketing to make sure everyone’s using the same communication. (link)

Tip: During your VideoCall you can open a Google Docs, make it available to all and share your screen, using it as a 'whiteboard' to visually brainstorm to get teh whole team aligned quickly.

8. Transferring big files with WeTransfer

WeTransfer allows you to send large files up to 2GB for free, something we definitely rely on for sending all our video content. The WeTransfer Pro version makes it possible to keep track of all your files, manage transfer, control access, and send up to 20GB.

Extra: Super easy drag and drop on desktop and mobile app.

9. Evernote for shared note taking ??

In times of remote working, it can be even more important to have structured meeting notes for those who weren’t able to attend or maybe even if someone’s connection wasn’t great. There are plenty of tools for notes, but one thing that’s great about Evernote is that you can have shared notes with your colleagues so everyone can collaborate! ?? Our team is also using it to keep track of the tons of free content that’s available these days - this way everyone can add the valuable things they’ve seen or learned in quarantine! ??

Hope this helps you guys rock your communication in the future!

Next week more tools. ??