Written communication includes memos, e-mail, and any other method that conveys written words. Written business communication today is usually conducted via letters, PowerPoint, e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, social media, apps, and blogs. Each has unique current business communication applications. Letter writing can be used to great effect in business, adding a personal touch to a communication or, alternately, creating a lasting document to signal an official communication.

PowerPoint and other slide formats like Prezi can be an excellent mode of communication because slide-generating software combines words with visual elements to engage the reader and help explain complex ideas. The use of email in business is so pervasive it’s hard to imagine life without it. There are more than 3.1 billion active e-mail accounts worldwide, and corporate employees average 105 e-mails each day. The business benefits of e-mail messages are obvious: they can be written, edited, sent, and stored quickly and cheaply.

The guidelines for the business use of texting are still evolving, but experts continually caution that business text language should be as formal as any other business communication. Nowhere has online communication been more transformed than in the rise of social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, and business is taking advantage of the opportunities these social media present. Social networking has become a tool for prospective employees, hiring managers, employees, and human resources divisions.