At Forge Marketing, we use Slack/Teams as our primary tool for fast, collaborative communication. Channels help us organise conversations by topic, department, and project, ensuring the right people see the right information at the right time.

1. Core Channels

• #general
  • Company-wide announcements, updates, and reminders.
  • Read-only for employees; managed by leadership.
• #random / #watercooler
  • Casual chat, team bonding, sharing memes, weekend stories, or fun finds.
  • Great for building culture outside of work discussions.

2. Department Channels

• #accounts-team — For Account Managers to coordinate client communications.
• #creative-team — Brainstorming, design drafts, and feedback discussions.
• #strategy-team — Insights, research, and campaign planning.
• #digital-team — Paid media, SEO, and performance updates.
• #pmo — Project Management Office updates and resource allocation.

3. Project-Specific Channels

• #client-[clientname]
  • Dedicated to each active client or campaign.
  • Used to share briefs, updates, and deliverables across all relevant departments.
  • Archived when the project concludes.

4. Functional Channels

• #it-support — Report technical issues or request IT help.
• #hr-support — HR queries, payroll questions, or benefits assistance.
• #social-updates — Company LinkedIn/Twitter posts, content promotion, and engagement coordination.

5. Best Practices for Channels

• Use @mentions for urgent items (e.g., @JordanLee please review the report draft).
• Threads keep conversations organised — always reply in-thread.
• Don’t over-tag — use @channel or @here only for critical updates.
• Keep messages professional; remember some channels are client-facing (if invited).