Digital communication changing the way businesses communicate with…

The idea

Digital communication covers tools such as email, video calls, instant messaging, social media, websites and apps. These change how a business communicates with stakeholders, including customers, employees, suppliers, investors and the local community. For example, a manager may brief staff by video call, answer a customer complaint on social media, send purchase orders by email and update investors through a website. Messages can be faster, cheaper and reach many people at once, and some tools allow two-way replies. However, digital communication can cause problems: not all stakeholders have reliable access, messages can be misunderstood without tone, and poor use of social media can damage reputation. Businesses therefore choose the channel that suits the stakeholder and the message.

What earns the marks

• Identifies relevant digital communication examples, such as email, video conferencing, instant messaging, social media, websites or apps.
• Names specific stakeholder groups, for example customers, employees, suppliers, investors or the local community.
• Explains how a digital channel changes communication, for example by increasing speed, lowering cost or allowing messages to reach many people at once.
• Uses a concrete business example, such as a supermarket using social media to reply to customer complaints or a firm using video calls to meet overseas suppliers.
• Recognises limitations, such as unequal access, reduced personal contact, misinterpretation or reputational risk.
• Links the choice of channel to the needs of the stakeholder and the purpose of the message.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Listing digital tools without linking them to a stakeholder.

  Put it right: State who is being communicated with and why the chosen channel suits them.

• Claiming digital communication is always better.

  Put it right: It has drawbacks such as lack of access, technical faults and loss of tone, so a balanced answer is stronger.

• Confusing internal and external stakeholders.

  Put it right: Employees are internal, while customers, suppliers and investors are external, and the channel may differ for each.

Exam tips

• Use a named stakeholder and a named digital tool in the same sentence to show the link clearly.
• Develop each point with a consequence, for example faster replies may improve customer satisfaction and repeat sales.
• For a higher-tariff question, include both an advantage and a disadvantage before reaching a judgement.