Digital Communication
Digital Communication
Learning Module on
Digital Communication
Gen Ed 5 - Purposive Communication
Lesson Outline:
● Digital Communication and its Elements
● Online Etiquette: Best practices for Communicating in Digital Environments
● Social Media Communication: Effective Use of Social Media for Branding and Networking
● Email Communication: Crafting Professional and Effective Emails
Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
● Define digital communication and explain its key features and elements;
● Define online etiquette and explain its importance in maintaining a respectful and efficient
digital environment;
● Identify the 10 core rules of netiquette in various online communication scenarios;
● Explain the importance of social media in branding and networking, and outline steps for
creating an effective social media branding plan;
● Identify the benefits and drawbacks of social networking for both individuals and
businesses;
● Demonstrate the ability to craft professional and effective emails that adhere to these
principles; and
● Reflect on how digital communication skills can be utilized in both personal and
professional environments to enhance communication and collaboration.
Pre-Assessment:
● Digital communication
● Digital environment
● Digital Citizenship
● Branding
● Networking
Lesson:
Digital Communication is exchanging information, messages, and ideas using digital technologies
and platforms. It involves the transmission and reception of data through electronic devices and
networks. Digital Communication enables real-time interaction, instant messaging, video
conferencing, and multimedia content sharing across vast distances (The Knowledge Academy,
n.d.)
Key Elements of Digital Communication
1. Instantaneous interaction
One of the defining features of digital communication is its ability to enable immediate and real-
time interaction. Whether through instant messaging, video calls, or live chat, digital
communication allows individuals to connect and communicate instantly, transcending
geographical barriers.
2. Multimedia integration
Unlike traditional communication methods that primarily rely on text-based messages, digital
communication seamlessly integrates various multimedia elements. Users can share and receive
photos, videos, audio recordings, and other forms of media to enhance their communication and
convey messages more effectively.
Digital communication offers the flexibility of both asynchronous and synchronous communication.
Asynchronous communication allows individuals to send messages and receive responses at their
convenience, such as through email or social media posts. On the other hand, synchronous
communication enables real-time conversations through platforms like video conferencing, where
participants can engage in discussions without delays.
With the proliferation of smartphones and internet connectivity, people can engage in
communication anytime and anywhere. Whether sending a quick message during a commute or
participating in a virtual meeting from a remote location, digital communication provides
convenience and flexibility.
Digital communication facilitates collaboration and co-creation among individuals and teams.
Through shared documents, cloud-based platforms, and collaborative tools, people can work
together on projects, share ideas, and contribute to a collective effort, regardless of their physical
location.
Digital communication can scale and reach large audiences effortlessly. Social media platforms, for
example, enable individuals and businesses to communicate with thousands or even millions of
followers simultaneously. This scalability broadens the reach and impact of communication efforts,
making it an invaluable tool for marketing, information dissemination, and community engagement.
9. Global reach
Digital Communication provides a platform for global connectivity. People can connect with
individuals, organizations, and communities from around the world with just a few clicks. This
global reach fosters collaboration, knowledge sharing, and cultural exchange on an unprecedented
scale.
Online Etiquette or Netiquette are guidelines for courteous communication in the online
environment. It includes proper manners for sending e-mail, conversing online, and so on. Much
like traditional etiquette, which provides rules of conduct in social situations, the purpose of
netiquette is to help construct and maintain a pleasant, comfortable, and efficient environment for
online communication, as well as to avoid placing strain on the system and generating conflict
among users. (Britannica, n.d.)
Digital citizenship is how a person should act while using digital technology online and has also
been defined as "the ability to participate in society online". The term is often mentioned in relation
to Internet safety and netiquette. It highlights the continued need for policy that promotes effective
use of the internet, including literacy, skills, and regular access (Chadwick & Howard, 2009).
What constitutes good netiquette varies among the many subcultures of the Internet, and, of course,
netiquette issues change with time and technology. Nevertheless, some general principles of proper
online manners can be outlined (Britannica, n.d.)
According to the Colorado State University Guidelines, here are the 10 core rules of netiquette:
Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life
While it can be argued that standards of behavior may be different in the virtual world, they
certainly should not be lower. You should do your best to act within the laws and ethical manners of
society whenever you inhabit "cyberspace." Would you behave rudely to someone face-to-face? On
most occasions, no. Neither should you behave this way in the virtual world.
Netiquette is important because it fosters a respectful and positive online environment, essential for
effective communication and interaction in the digital world. If we adhere to it, we are contributing
to a safe, inclusive, and efficient online space, where misunderstandings and conflicts are
minimized. It also ensures that digital interactions are as courteous and considerate as face-to-face
ones, reflecting well on our character and maintaining a harmonious online community. Lastly, it
helps protect privacy, supports constructive discussions, and enhances the overall quality of online
communication, making it essential for everyone to observe these guidelines.
Social Media Communication: Effective Use of Social Media for Branding and Networking
Social media communication is the process of creating, sharing, and exchanging information and
ideas in virtual communities and networks. It involves the use of social media platforms, such as
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, among others. The communication can be
text-based, image-based, video-based, or a combination of these (Nadim, 2023).
Effective use of social media involves strategically managing and utilizing various social platforms
to achieve specific goals, whether for personal branding, marketing, communication, or networking.
In a professional context and for businesses, social media is important because it boosts brand
visibility, enhances customer engagement, offers targeted marketing, provides networking
opportunities, aids in reputation management, and serves as a cost-effective marketing tool. Overall,
it plays a key role in driving business success and professional growth.
According to the University Canada West (n.d.), social media has taken over the business sphere,
the advertising sphere and additionally, the education sector. It has had a long-lasting impact on the
way people communicate and has now become an integral part of their lives. Movements,
advertisements and products are all being broadcasted on social media platforms. Businesses rely on
social media to create brand awareness as well as to promote and sell their products. It allows
organizations to reach customers, irrespective of geographical boundaries.
Social media branding is a digital marketing strategy where a brand or individual uses social
media to create a unique brand persona that differentiates them from their competition. Businesses
use social media branding to stand out and increase brand awareness across social media networks
(Adobe Express, 2024).
Here are some examples of brands with strong social media presences:
Each brand above uses social media to build a brand presence by creating informative and engaging
content in a way that leaves long-lasting impression.
Here’s how to create a social media branding plan, according to Adobe Express (2024):
Define your brand identity and how consumers see your business. Here’s how to develop that
persona:
● Identify your core values. Look at your mission statement to identify your brand’s core
values (such as “sustainability” or “inclusion”).
● Scope out the competition. How are yours different? And how are your products or
services unique? Two brands can offer essentially the same product but have completely
different values.
● Craft a visual identity. Determine what colors, fonts, and imagery support your brand’s
values. A “fun” brand might use bright colors, while a “classic” brand might use muted
tones.
● Establish your brand voice. Your visual identity will be supported by words, like taglines
and slogans. What verbiage will you use? What tone is appropriate? Will it be more formal
or more playful?
Your target audience is the ideal consumer you’re trying to serve with your products or services.
Understanding who you’re trying to reach makes it easier to determine how best to reach them.
Survey your existing customers and gather demographic information to put together your profile,
including:
● Age
● Gender
● Geographic location
● Profession
● Household income
● Hobbies
● Habits
Craft content relevant to your ideal consumer that aligns with your brand. Consider the following:
● Establish goals. Define what you hope to achieve with your social media strategy and set
key performance indicators (KPIs). For example, if you want to boost traffic to your
website, you might measure organic visitors.
● Run a competition analysis. See what your competitors are up to on social media. You can
get inspiration from what they’re doing right — like seeing which social media content
generates a lot of engagement (clicks, likes, shares). You can also use this to identify niches
to fill. For example, if they aren’t active on YouTube, now is the time to create a YouTube
channel. If they aren’t on Facebook, seize the opportunity and make a Facebook page.
● Audit your social media. If you’re active on social media, analyze your results. What
content generates the most views and engagement? What types of people engage with you?
Are you reaching your target audience? Which networks show the most potential?
● Create a content calendar. Create a social media posting schedule. Determine what type of
content you’ll post on which social networks and how often. You can even plan what
hashtags you’ll use. Having a content calendar helps ensure consistency.
In summary, social media branding is a digital marketing strategy where businesses and individuals
use social platforms to create a unique brand persona that differentiates them from the competition
and increases brand awareness. This involves defining a clear brand identity, including mission,
core values, visual elements, and brand voice, to ensure consistency across all platforms. Social
media branding allows businesses to stand out, build a strong online presence, and effectively reach
and engage their audience.
Relatively, social media communication also entails networking for professional purposes and
business. Wright (2022) defines social networking as having connections in both the real and the
digital worlds. Today, this term is mainly used to reference online social communications. The
internet has made it possible for people to find and connect with others who they may never have
met otherwise.
What are social networks?
With the broad spectrum of websites, apps and services that exist online, there is no single exact
definition of a social network. Generally, though, social networks have a few common attributes
that set them apart (Wright, 2022).
● A social network will focus on user-generated content. Users primarily view and interact
with content made by other users. They are encouraged to post text, status updates or
pictures for viewing by others.
● Social networks allow the user or organization to create a profile. The profile contains
information about the person and a centralized page with the content posted by them. Their
profile may be associated with their real name.
● A social network has a way to form a lasting connection with other users. These connections
are commonly called friending or following the other user. They allow the users to find
other users and form webs of relationships. Often an algorithm will recommend other users
and organizations they may want to form a connection with.
Although often used interchangeably, social network is different than social media. A social
network focuses on the connections and relationships between individuals. Social media is more
focused on an individual sharing with a large audience. In this case, media is used in the same sense
as in mass media. Most social networks can also be used as social media sites.
Social networking can be a double-edged sword. On one end, it provides unsurpassed social
benefits, yet it can also make people more vulnerable to the spread of misinformation, as well as
privacy and security threats (Wright, 2022).
In a nutshell, social media communication, particularly for professional networking and business
purposes, involves creating connections both online and in the real world. While social networking
offers benefits like increased brand awareness, instant connectivity, and global reach, it also has
drawbacks, including the spread of misinformation, potential harm from negative reviews, and the
time-intensive nature of maintaining an active presence.
E-mail - messages transmitted and received by digital computers through a network. An e-mail
system allows computer users on a network to send text, graphics, sounds, and animated images to
other users (Britannica.com, n.d.)
Effective emails are those that convey their intended message clearly and efficiently while
prompting the desired response from the recipient. They are especially important in a professional
context because they facilitate clear and efficient communication, which is essential for productivity
and collaboration. Well-crafted emails ensure that messages are understood quickly, reducing the
likelihood of misunderstandings or errors.
Clear: When writing or speaking to someone, be clear about your goal or message. Make sure that
it's easy for your reader to understand your meaning.
Concise: Stick to the point and keep it brief. Your audience does not want to read six sentences
when you could communicate your message in three.
Concrete: When your message is concrete, your audience has a clear picture of what you're telling
them (or being specific, definite, and vivid rather than vague and general)
Correct: There are no errors both in substance and form. This includes grammar, use of words,
content, etc.
Coherent: When your communication is coherent, it's logical. All points are connected and relevant
to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent.
Complete: In a complete message, the audience has everything they need to be informed and, if
applicable, take action.
Courteous: Courteous communication is friendly, open and honest. There are no hidden insults or
passive-aggressive tones. You keep your reader's viewpoint in mind, and you are empathetic to their
needs.
2. Practice Empathy
- Think about the way your recipient may read the words you write.
- How would I interpret this sentence as someone reading it?
- How would this make me feel if I received it?
- Most people:
- Are busy: don’t have time to guess what you want, and want to read and respond to
your email quickly.
After you get used to composing emails, you’ll establish a natural structure for your emails that will
make communicating more efficient. Your structure should include the following:
Having a structure like this can help streamline the process of emailing and make it less time-
consuming.
Concise writing is key to writing good, effective emails. Using short words and sentences shows
you respect your recipient and his or her time. Writing concisely also makes you seem more
considerate, as it shows you took the time to make sure your reader understands your message.
Avoid big blocks of writing, either by breaking them into paragraphs or using bullet points.
Before you send your email, trim down as much as you can. This will help you ensure that the email
you send is the best version.
Active voice focuses on the subject taking the action, usually a person. The passive voice focuses
on the object being acted upon.
- Active voice: I threw the ball.
- Passive voice: The ball was thrown (by me).
7. Proofread Email
Read your email aloud to yourself, checking for spelling and grammar mistakes.
- Is my request clear?
- Could there be any misunderstandings?
- How would this sound if I were the recipient?
Delete any unnecessary words, sentences, and paragraphs as you proofread, which will help trim
down your email.
Do NOT Use:
- Emoticons
- Slang or chat abbreviations (LOL, tbh, omg)
- Colorful fonts and backgrounds
Before sending your email, check your recipient fields to make sure you’re sending it to the right
person, people or group. You also want to make sure the email addresses are in the correct field.
Remember:
- To: The email address of the person or group whom your email will be sent
- CC: Stands for “carbon copy.” Any address in this field will receive the same email, but not
be directly addressed in the email
- BCC: The field is similar to “CC,” but only the email address(es) is hidden.
9. Remember to follow up
Finally, most people receive several emails per day, so they might miss or forget to respond to your
message. If the recipient hasn’t replied within two working days, consider reaching back out with a
friendly follow-up email.
According to Indeed.com (n.d.), the following are templates for common professional emails:
I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please let me know if you need any additional
information.
Best regards,
[Full name]
[Email]
[Phone number]
I interviewed for the [job title] position at [company] on [date] and wanted to check in with you on
the current status of this job. I'm excited about the opportunity to work with the [department] team
and help with [tasks you're experienced in, such as increasing sales or creating new marketing
campaigns].
Please let me know if there's any additional information that I can provide to assist in the hiring
process. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
[Full name]
[Email]
[Phone number]
Hello [name],
Thank you for taking the time to reach out to me about [topic]. Could you please provide me with
some additional information so I can better understand your request? I'd like to assist you as quickly
as possible. When you have the time, could you please detail the three most important points that
you need my help with?
Thank you,
[Name]
[Job title]
[Email]
[Phone number]
In conclusion, it is clear that digital communication has become an essential part of our daily lives.
Whether it is texting, video calls, or emails, these tools help us stay connected no matter where we
are. Throughout this lesson, we explored how to communicate effectively online, including
practicing good etiquette and using social media to build our personal or professional brands. This
way, we can be more thoughtful and efficient in how we engage with others digitally. Being aware
of how we present ourselves online can make a big difference. With the right approach, digital
communication not only helps us stay in touch but also creates opportunities for collaboration,
networking, and personal growth.
Sources:
Adobe Express. (2024, February 2). How to create a winning social media branding strategy.
Adobe Express Marketing. https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/social-media-branding-
strategy
Broom, G. M., Cutlip, S. M., Sha, B., & Seshadrinathan, S. (2013). Cutlip & Center's effective
public relations. 11th ed., international ed. / Harlow: Pearson Education.
Chadwick, A., & Howard, P. N. (Eds.) (2009). Routledge Handbook of Internet Politics. Routledge.
http://www.handbook-of-internet-politics.com
Colorado State University. (n.d.). Core Rules of Netiquette. Colorado State University Course
Design. https://coursedesign.colostate.edu/obj/corerulesnet.html
Digital Communication: Definition, examples and its types. The Knowledge Academy. (n.d.).
https://www.theknowledgeacademy.com/blog/digital-communication/?
fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0RI4scl55KTXZi8Ej9CMAmVUJBnNxlyJUj7A0m-
3fanrJ3Ua3eH5qr0qI_aem_JrFMRyOsw26GfEhVkZWfFQ
Herrity, J. (2023, June 30). How to write a professional email (with tips and examples).
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-a-professional-email