Nearly half of the American workforce is now working from home. If you’re part of this brand new cohort, your bosses are no doubt telling you that you need to use Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and, of course, Slack.
This messaging app lets you keep in touch with your colleagues with ease, like a more professional version of Facebook Messenger. Yet learning how to use Slack can be difficult.
In this guide, we’re going to show you how to use Slack, from the basics all the way up to nifty hints and tips.
Ready to get started and stop slacking off? Then read on!
Installing Slack
Before you can do anything else, you’ll need to install Slack. While you can use it online, it can be easier to manage it if it’s in a separate window rather than another tab.
If you’re on Windows, installing Slack is very easy. You can download it from their webpage or install it from the Microsoft Store. If you’re on Mac, we’d recommend checking out this guide by Setapp: https://setapp.com/how-to/use-slack-for-mac.
Logging Into Slack
Logging into Slack is slightly different to other logins that you’re used to. Instead of entering a username and password, you’ll need to enter your email and the workspace URL. This is the address of your work’s Slack server.
Then Slack will send you a “magic link.” If you click this, Slack will log you in to your workspace and you will join the server’s default channels.
A channel is a different room or space within Slack: you may have a general channel and one for your team.
Changing Your Slack Profile
Now that you’re on Slack, it’s a good idea to update your profile. If anyone clicks on your name in Slack, this is what they’ll see, so keep it professional.
To change your profile information, click on your icon next to the minimize button. Then hit “edit profile” on the menu.
Here, you can change your display image, list your role, contact number, time zone, and Skype details. This lets people see who you are at a glance and gives them the info they need to get in touch with you.
Start Messaging
Now it’s time to start messaging. In channels, this is easy. All that you need to do is type in the box at the bottom and hit enter!
If you want to DM someone, you’ll need to find their account. If they’ve posted in a channel recently, hit their name and you’ll get the option to message them. This will take you to a new screen: your DMs are listed under the channels in your workspace.
If you need everyone’s attention to a large channel, it’s worth typing “@channel” in your message. This will alert everyone in the channel to the message.
You can also make use of a lot of different emojis in Slack! This is a really common part of Slack culture, so don’t be afraid to pepper your messages with them. Join the cult of the party parrot today!
You can also use emojis to react to messages, which is a great way to show you’ve understood the message.
Voice Calls
If you like, you can also use Slack to make voice calls. To call someone, click on their name and hit “call.”
If you want to host a big group call, you’ll need to hit the information button next to the channel name, then call everyone.
Attach Images or Documents
If there are images or documents that you need to share with your colleagues, Slack can be much more immediate and intuitive than an email.
Attaching files to your messages is easy, too. Hit the little paperclip next to the send button and attach the files of your choice!
Depending on your company’s Slack plan, there may be a limit on storage, so be aware that they may not be available forever.
Change Your Notification Settings
Changing notification settings is a fantastic thing to do when you’re new to Slack. Doing this is easy: head to your account settings and it will bring up the page automatically.
Here, you can do a range of different things. If you need to see every message from Slack, you can make Slack notify you every time someone sends a message.
You can also set your work hours, which means that when you finish work, you won’t get any notifications. If you want to be an advanced Slacker, you can also set it so that you’re alerted whenever a certain keyword is used.
This page can help you achieve a good work-life balance, so we’d recommend that you tweak these settings.
Pin Important Messages
If there’s a message that you don’t want to lose, you can pin it. This means that you can always access it easily, which is great for getting access to what you need. All you need to do is hover over the message, hit the three dots, then pin it!
Edit Your Slack Messages
We’ve all been there: you typed something and made a typo or you have new information and need to edit your message. On Slack, this is easy.
All you need to do is click on the three dots on your message and hit edit! Then type in the new message, hit send, and it will change your message.
Learning How to Use Slack Is Easy!
We hope that you’ve enjoyed this guide on how to use Slack! It’s easy once you get started. Now log on and start learning more!
For more interesting and informative articles like this, check out the rest of our blog.
