The best communication tools for marketing teams in 2022

Communication Tools for Marketing Teams

Marketing teams have to be in constant communication to collaborate effectively. This means sending messages, requesting feedback and updates, sharing and approving files and managing stakeholders. 

Having the right team communication tools is vital, and this article will highlight the best, modern business communication tools that all marketing teams can benefit from. 

What are communication tools?

Before we jump straight into the best marketing communication tools on the market, let’s quickly take a moment to define these tools and to explain the main categories you’ll want to explore.

Essentially, a communication tool means any piece of software or platform that is used to facilitate external and internal communication.

Basic communication tools offer a unique set of features and functionality that enhance and improve communication in specific areas or domains. For example, think about knowledge base software that lets marketing professionals communicate over time and track edits.

We’ve defined eleven categories of communication tools that you’ll want to explore, as a marketer. Let’s have a look at them, before we go on to reveal the 31 best communication tools.

The 30 best business communication tools 

Are you ready to explore the best communication tools for marketing teams? Let’s look at the best tools in each of the categories we’ve outlined above.

Content review and proofing tools

Content review and approval tools can help marketing teams to accelerate the overall review process, boost transparency, and collect actionable feedback. They bring order to chaos by helping them master the otherwise complex content review process. Here are some of the best tools on the market. 

Filestage

Filestage website marketing teams

Filestage is an online proofing platform that makes the review and approval process for marketing and creative teams easy, fast and stress-free. Using this tool, marketing teams can share, review, and discuss their content in real time, increase transparency, and meet all project deadlines.

Key features

  • Add comments/ annotations directly on files
  • Manage all your files in one central location
  • Reviewers can use the tool without having to log in 
  • Collaborate with ease and in real time 
  • Secure time-stamped and documented approvals

Filestage is the best tool for busy marketing teams that need to collaborate on their work with internal and external stakeholders. This intuitive and easy-to-use platform makes it a breeze for creative marketers to collect actionable feedback and helps move projects forward.

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Share, review, and approve all your content in one place with Filestage.

Approval Studio

approval studio design approval team collaboration

Approval Studio is a piece of online proofing software that lets marketing teams collaborate on their designs. This review tool removes the complexity of the approval process and makes marketing teams more productive.

Key features

  • Track all activities in real time
  • Generate comprehensive proofing reports that summarize approval activity
  • Join multiple teams, using a single profile

Approval Studio is used by marketing teams that need to expedite the review and approval process of their various designs, track the activity of their team members, and boost transparency across the project.

ReviewStudio

ReviewStudio - Ziflow Alternatives

ReviewStudio is a piece of online proofing software that gives marketing teams control of the review and approval process. The tool offers a host of features that keep content at the center of the discussion so that the review process is faster and easier to manage.

Key features

  • Centralize your review and approval discussions
  • Track your revisions and perform task management
  • Markup and comment on a range of file types
  • Perform independent and live review sessions on content

Approval Studio is aimed at agencies, marketing teams, and production studios that need a space to coordinate the review and approval of their content.

Document collaboration tools 

The rise of remote working has increased the need for quality document collaboration tools for easier work management. These internal collaboration tools help remote teams view and edit work documents without having to send several emails or make multiple phone calls on one subject. 

Team members can brainstorm ideas, solve problems faster, increase their productivity and have a real sense of community when using document collaboration tools. 

Filestage 

Filestage - Document review and approval software

Filestage makes it easy for marketing teams to share, review, and leave comments on PDFs and other document types. Since all your documents are shared in one place, reviewers can discuss changes with each other. This speeds up review rounds and helps you hit your deadlines.  

Reviewers leave their comments directly on the document with full context, this avoids misunderstandings and makes revisions easier for the editor. 

Key features 

  • Side by side version comparison
  • Leave comments and annotations in the document
  • Automated version control 
  • Set up a clear approval process
  • Collaborate on files in real time
  • Automated updates and reminders

Since Filestage is very intuitive and easy to use, users and reviewers can get started in minutes without needing any training. 

Google Workspace 

Google Workplace - communication tools

Google Workspace encompasses several communication tools, with Google Docs being the option for document collaboration. 

It is an all-in-one document collaboration tool that lets you access, review, edit, comment, and give feedback on documents. Reviewers can track changes and even make notes on documents, which speeds up the approval process. 

Key features

  • Cloud storage
  • File sharing
  • Easy access with a Google account
  • Document creation
  • Real-time editing and commenting
  • File saving in multiple formats
  • Different access settings (view, comment, editing mode)

Small businesses would benefit largely from Google Docs because it is free, easy to use and has a cloud storage capacity of 15 GB. For larger teams, sharing permissions can be tricky to manage, and you would have to upgrade to a paid version of the tool. 

Project management tools

Project management tools give marketing teams the power to coordinate complex projects, uncover dependencies, and ensure everyone is on the same page. 

They are used to craft elegant project timelines and to distribute tasks throughout your team so that nothing falls through the cracks. Here are some of the standout project management tools.

Asana

asana team work management platform

Asana is a powerful – and immensely popular – project management tool. Its work management platform empowers marketing teams around the world, keeping them focused on a diverse set of goals, projects, and daily tasks.

Key features

  • Plan and structure your projects in logical ways
  • Assign tasks, set priorities, and deadlines
  • Follow your projects and tasks to completion
  • Uncover dependencies using Gantt charts

Asana is used by marketing teams of all sizes. With a varied range of pricing options on offer, it can be adjusted and adapted as required. This popular work management platform has already been adopted by some of the world’s largest businesses.

nTask

nTask - communication tools

nTask is a robust team collaboration platform used to keep everyone in one loop on the projects. The tool offers a wide range of features to ensure smooth internal and external communication among the team on tasks and projects to get more done and meet deadlines. 

Key Features

  • Task comments and file sharing
  • Project planning, task assignment, and project tracking
  • Create dependencies using Gantt charts
  • Set status, due dates, and priorities
  • Create and manage to-do lists

nTask is used by teams of any size, over a wide range of industries. Used by more than 100,000 teams across the globe. It offers a forever-free plan for team collaboration and economical paid features. The platform is easy to use and adapt, making it a suitable option for big teams. 

Trello

Trello is a project management platform that places an emphasis on fun and flexibility. The tool offers a wide range of features, which ensure marketing teams collaborate more effectively and work more productively alongside one another.

Key features

  • Organize tasks across boards, lists, and cards
  • Prioritize projects with tags and labels
  • Integrate with a host of other marketing platforms

Trello is used by countless marketing teams around the world. Its intuitive system means that Trello is very easy to adapt and get started on. This makes it a popular choice for agile marketing teams.

Nifty

nifty project management team communications

Nifty is a communication tool that aims to make project management as simple and as fun as possible. The tool acts as a central hub, where marketers can manage projects and share timelines, deliverables, and workloads with one another effortlessly.

Key features

  • Set goals and timelines for your projects quickly
  • Collaborate on tasks with a high level of detail
  • Share knowledge and project data
  • Create collaborative documents and notes

Nifty is used by marketing teams of all sizes, to enhance project communication and delivery times. The platform places a strong emphasis on usability and clarity, as well as making it a great option for fast-moving teams.

Instant messaging tools 

In recent years, a wide range of internal communication tools have popped up to help teams chat and collaborate, wherever they are. They’re more immediate than email, but less intrusive than phone calls – and most will integrate with your project management and customer support tools.

Marketers use group chats to ask questions, share information, and to keep the lines of effective communication open. There are a number of instant messaging platforms vying for your attention – which one deserves it? 

Troop Messenger

troop messenger

Troop Messenger is a team communication tool that lets office teams collaborate by exchanging work conversations. 

It allows teams to conclude faster on all sorts of communication with the help of its instant messaging, audio and video calls, video conferencing, screen sharing, controlling, and more features.

Key Features

  • Allows teams to track all work interactions within shared spaces/groups.
  • Retrieves contacts and data faster with its advanced data filters.
  • Supports a wide range of integrations such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Mailtrim, etc.

Troop Messenger is used by project management teams of all sizes. Besides, it’s been used by different Government and Defense organizations worldwide. New subscribers can try its 7-day Enterprise trail plan to explore the features.

Chanty

chanty team chat unlimited messaging

Chanty is an AI-powered team chat tool for teams that empowers marketers to get more done together. It puts all of your shared team knowledge in one location so that all of your marketers’ important project information is just a click away.

Key features

  • Engage in text, voice messages, and video chat
  • Share screenshots, files, links, and tasks between members
  • Connect with a number of apps
  • Organize all team activity and content in one space

Chanty makes it easy for new remote workers and teams to get started. The interface is slick and all the features are placed in a logical order, making it easy for busy marketing professionals to order their thoughts and tasks.

Slack

Slack - communication tools

Slack has emerged as perhaps the dominant instant messaging platform for companies around the world. The task management tool occupies a unique space that bridges email and instant internal communications so that marketers can work smarter and keep their conversations better organized.

Key features

  • Coordinate your integrations with countless other marketing tools
  • Effortlessly organize your communications across channels and spaces
  • Use mentions and tags to communicate with your team
  • Can be accessed on mobile phones

Slack offers a number of pricing options so that every marketing team can find a package that’s appropriate for them. The free version of Slack is also quite robust, and it lets you retain a high number of messages, before automatically deleting any older ones.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a collaborative communication tool that brings together a host of communication features that help marketers communicate more effectively, both within and outside of their department.

Key features

  • Robust workplace chat
  • Reliable video meetings
  • File storage and sharing
  • Integration with a number of other platforms and Microsoft products

Microsoft Teams is a scalable platform that is suitable for marketing teams of practically any size. It currently integrates with Microsoft Office 365 products, making it an attractive choice for businesses that have already subscribed to the service.

Social intranet and internal communication tools

Larger businesses will often need to invest in a larger intranet and internal unified communication platform. 

This communication software can be used to dispense important updates and inspire conversation on social media. Here’s a look at the best options that are loved by marketing teams.

Staffbase

staffbase workforce communications workforce engagement

Staffbase is an internal communication tool that empowers managers to reach all of their employees with instant notifications. The platform offers a native mobile app that can also be branded, creating a sense of connection between the entire team.

Key features

  • Ensure interactive global business communication using smartphones
  • Communicate anytime and anywhere
  • Integrate with a host of other platforms

Staffbase is a great tool for larger businesses that want to create a sense of culture and belonging within their teams. These team communication tools empower marketing teams to share important updates and celebrate successes.

Jostle

jostle intranet

Jostle is a cloud-based intranet solution that delivers next-generation intranet features. This great combination of advantages boosts employee engagement and harmonizes internal communication. 

This is the tool you need to clear up clutter, deliver fresh content, and to bring order to chaos.

Key features

  • Take advantage of its powerful search function to find everything you need across your organization
  • MAke voice and video calls with just a click
  • Add logos and branding to make your company shine

Jostle is an enterprise solution that is suitable for teams of all sizes. Marketing departments can also use this tool as an internal marketing channel, to celebrate internal developments.

Beekeeper

beekeeper workplace communication mobile platform

Beekeeper is a workplace team communication tool that marketers can use for internal communication within their department and with the business at large. 

Marketing managers can also use this tool to increase employee engagement and retention and manage customer support teams.

Key features

  • USe mobile messaging that gets rid of miscommunication
  • Use in-depth analytics to improve your productivity
  • Empower employees by giving them access to information and systems

Staffbase empowers businesses of all sizes, connecting departments and professionals across any location and in multiple languages. This easy-to-use mobile platform also means that marketers can communicate on the move.

Video conferencing tools

Video conferencing has become an important part of modern business, especially with more remote work. In fact, 94% of companies say that video conferencing increases productivity and eliminates the need for in-person meetings. 

This high-quality team communication tool with great collaboration features gives marketers the ability to establish visual connections with internal and external colleagues, which let them push their projects forward. 

Google Meet

Google Meet - communication tools

Google Meet is a fast and convenient online video conferencing tool that is fully integrated within the G Suite. This means that it’s a breeze for marketers to get on a video conference call, connect and schedule internal communications quickly, with internal and external colleagues even on mobile devices.

Key features

  • Create and join video conferences easily
  • Screen sharing
  • Make high-fidelity video and audio calls
  • Take advantage of this popular solution’s adoption of G Suite

Google Meet is the ideal solution for any small business and those large marketing teams that already use the G Suite. Marketers will be able to use this video conferencing option, to schedule Calendar events seamlessly and to send invitations for video calls.

Zoom

zoom video meeting video conference calls

Zoom is a leading video and web conferencing team communication tool that has firmly cemented itself as a popular video calling software choice among marketers. 

This video conferencing tool has amazing collaboration features that let marketing teams communicate, internally and externally, and coordinate webinars.

Key features

  • Use a single app for voice, video conferences, voicemail, and messaging
  • Record video call
  • Screen sharing
  • Host webinars for marketing events and town hall meetings
  • File sharing and messaging across platforms

Zoom delivers a consistent enterprise experience for team communication. It’s most often used by medium and large businesses for video calls. Its affordable and straightforward pricing makes it a simple tool choice for many marketers.

Whereby

whereby video call meetings

Whereby is a flexible video communication tool that offers video meetings in the browser. The tool doesn’t require downloads or logins for guests, removing barriers to entry and layers of complexity.

Key features

  • A number of different pricing options
  • An API for additional flexibility
  • Join with a single click and create custom links

Whereby bills itself as the ideal solution for medium-sized marketing teams that need to collaborate via video calling across distances with internal and external partners. Mobile support and room for up to 50 participants make this an attractive and robust solution.

Knowledge center tools

Knowledge helps marketing teams with internal communications and provides the ability to communicate internally and externally. These communication tools make it easy to create, maintain, and share clear documentation that delivers unambiguous messaging to different groups. 

Tasks like sharing best practices and processes across departments for better task management, or communicating product information to customers. 

Helpjuice

Helpjuice - communication tools

Helpjuice is a powerful knowledge base software that’s easy for marketers to use. Marketing teams around the world already use this tool to scale their customer support offering. The tool also encourages more cohesive internal collaboration.

Key features

  • Chatbots and live chat functionality
  • Tailored onboarding and activation messages
  • Real-time support tools

Marketing teams in both public and private organizations make the most of Helpjuice, to circulate accurate and updated information to their internal and external audiences. The tool also does a great job of driving growth at every stage of the customer lifecycle.

Confluence

atlassian confluence team workspace

Confluence is a knowledge base platform, from Atlassian. Marketers around the world rely on its quality platform to document important internal and external information. The platform can easily be adjusted to make articles public or private.

Key features

  • Collaborate in workspaces, with simple permission management
  • Create, collaborate, and organize work in one place
  • Make the most of templates to drive efficiency and consistency

This knowledge base tool is generally most useful for marketing departments within SaaS companies that already use Atlassian products, such as Jira and Bitbucket. Tech-savvy marketers will be able to use this tool to their advantage.

Zendesk

zendesk customer relationship management

Zendesk deals primarily in CRM software, but the Zendesk Guide area of its product also acts as a self-service knowledge base. This is a smart tool for knowledge bases that empowers marketing teams to continuously improve their content and serve it to customers.

Key features

  • Configure a responsive and branded help center simply
  • Make the most of its WYSIWYG editor, to configure and import content
  • Ensure that your content is automatically search-engine-optimized

Zendesk Guide is used by marketing teams that want to improve their self-service offering. This tool is particularly useful for those SaaS businesses that have complex products and/or services that require client-side configuration.

File sharing tools

Very often, marketers have to share large files with one another, to move projects in the right direction. Those files might simply need to be shared internally, or they might have to be sent to external collaborators and agencies. 

Whatever your needs, here are some of the best file-sharing tools for the job.

WeTransfer

WeTransfer - communication tools

WeTransfer offers marketers the ability to send large files around the world, in a mere matter of minutes. This team communication tool makes the process as simple and as fast as possible, requiring only the basic information from marketers. The free version of this communication software also has generous file size thresholds.

Key features

  • Send and receive 20 GB per transfer
  • Create Pro pages
  • Deliver work with branded communications

WeTransfer has quickly become a very popular file transfer tool for marketers worldwide. The power of this unified communications platform lies in its simplicity, which makes it quick and easy for marketers to share their marketing collateral securely.

Dropbox

Dropbox has emerged as a leading platform when it comes to file transfers and cloud storage. The platform now bills itself as a smart workplace – a team communication tool that brings content together in one place and empowers marketers to cut through the clutter and find the content they need.

Key features

  • Organize and share traditional files, cloud content, and more, in one location
  • Remain focused, thanks to its personalized suggestions
  • Coordinate your team and push your projects forward

Dropbox is used by marketing teams, both large and small. The tool is particularly useful for larger, remote marketing teams that need to communicate updates to files and require strict version control.

Note-taking tools

Marketing teams often have to share great ideas with one another. Whether it’s a great new content idea or an outline for a new campaign, they’ll need to rely on good note-taking tools. 

These team communication tools are great for internal communications as they make it easy for marketers to share their notes among your team and to get their ideas heard.

Evernote

Evernote is a leader in the note-taking space. Forward-thinking marketers use this tool for seamless internal communications to keep notes and share ideas easily. The tool places an emphasis on clarity and usability so that no great idea falls through the cracks.

Key features

  • Take voice notes, snap pictures, and scribble ideas
  • Use reminders to keep track of tasks and deadlines
  • Manage all types of ideas, from big projects to personal moments

Evernote is used by busy marketers who need to keep track of many different ideas at any one time. The tool’s excellent cloud functionality is also appreciated by those marketers who are always on the move, between one platform and another.

Notion

Notion bills itself as an all-in-one workspace, where marketers can write, plan, collaborate, and organize their content in one single location. The tool rolls four ambitious tools into one so that marketers can take notes, share knowledge, create tasks, and maintain spreadsheets.

Key features

  • Create and share notes quickly
  • Build a strong knowledge base and organize it into workspaces
  • Share tasks and projects quickly with your team

The tool has a huge scope, and it’s used just as much by individual marketers as it is by teams. Used to its full potential, the tool can go a long way toward helping marketers organize their thoughts, and communicate their ideas internally.

Slite

slite company documentation project documentation

Slite is a note-taking app, blended with a knowledge base tool. The platform bills itself as the simplest way for teams to structure their documentation. Indeed, this tool assists marketing teams to organize knowledge, documentation, notes, and onboarding content clearly.

Key features

  • Organize and share notes quickly, within a clean structure
  • Save time when creating content with templates
  • Integrate the app with your current tech stack

Slite is a great tool for fast-growing marketing teams and any growing small business that need a centralized space to store, organize, and share their various pieces of internal content. Its logical content structure also inspires clear communication.

Survey tools

Marketers use survey tools to encourage customers and prospects to communicate their preferences and feelings. These popular business tools provide useful data-driven insights for marketing teams. Here are some of the best survey tools on the market.

SurveyMonkey

survey monkey survey software questionnaire feedback

SurveyMonkey is a powerful and intuitive survey tool that gets marketers the answers they need. The tool is secure and easy to control, giving marketers the power to collect actionable data from survey respondents worldwide.

Key features

  • Create attractive and branded surveys quickly
  • Share those surveys rapidly and easily with a single link
  • Collect and export responses, in order to guide decisions

SurveyMonkey has quickly established itself as a global leader in survey tools. The unified communication platform is used by Fortune 500 companies and smaller businesses alike and offers a number of pricing options.

Typeform

typeform information exchange surveys

Typeform bills itself as the future of forms and surveys, as it places a strong focus on creating more human interactions. The platform makes it simple to create beautiful and conversational forms, which invite more answers, quickly.

Key features

  • Create forms, surveys, quizzes, and more
  • Incorporate different types of media
  • Integrate with key platforms, to collect and collate data

Typeform is used by conversational marketers and small businesses that want to create survey experiences that share their personalities. This survey tool is renowned for its beautiful forms, meaning that design-focused marketers will use it frequently.

Google Forms

google forms feedback communication tool

Google Forms is a simple online survey tool that is integrated within the G Suite. The application makes it easy for marketers to collect surveys, in style, by adding their own branding and choosing from a set of curated themes.

Key features

  • Choose from a large set of curated themes
  • Incorporate your own branding
  • Collect and sort through data in an intuitive way

Given that Google Forms is a part of the G Suite, it’s generally a great choice for those marketing teams that are already integrated within the ecosystem. The tool is often used by marketers and any small business that needs to spin-up new surveys in a short amount of time.

Closing thoughts

As you can see, there are lots of useful communication tools out there that can make your team’s life easier. Before you commit to any tool, you should be clear about your current bottlenecks and missing workflows. 

This will help you identify the mandatory features which your next communication tool should have. Now you can start creating a list of tools that offer these features and start testing them with a free trial or getting a demo.