5 Clever Ways to Use Shared Channels in Slack

What is a Shared Channel in Slack?

A Slack shared channel is a space where teams from different organizations can collaborate within Slack. Powered by Slack Connect, shared channels allow you to work with external partners, clients, or vendors in real-time, just like you would with your internal team.

Instead of relying on fragmented emails, everyone in the shared channel can communicate, share files, and manage tasks together. Each organization retains control over their own members and apps, ensuring security and clarity.

There are multiple scenarios where a shared Slack channel could be used as demonstrated in the table below👇

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Shared Slack channels work like any other channel, except you can connect an external organization to them.

So, what are the different ways you can use these channels? Let’s explore them in the next section.

5 Clever Ways to Use Shared Slack Channels

1. Simplify Client Communication

Using Slack shared channels can significantly improve communication with clients, especially in B2B. Research shows that 98% of people believe effective communication from a business is crucial to their experience as customers.

Rather than getting lost in lengthy email threads, a shared channel provides a unified, organized space where both teams can collaborate efficiently and seamlessly.

Need quick feedback on a proposal? Share it in the channel and get a real-time response. Have a question about project timelines? Ask directly and avoid delays. Everyone stays in the loop, which reduces miscommunication and keeps projects on track.

A shared channel also helps maintain transparency—both your company and the client can see progress, decisions, and updates as they happen. To get started, invite your client to a shared channel and agree on simple guidelines for communication.

2. Streamline Vendor Coordination

Another smart way to use shared channels in Slack is to coordinate with vendors effortlessly. Because let’s be honest, vendor communications can be tricky too.

Imagine you run a B2B e-commerce business, and a key supplier provides your inventory.

Instead of trading dozens of emails about shipments, delays, or order changes, a shared channel gives you a central place to communicate.

Need to know if a shipment will arrive on time for a big sale? Just ask in the channel and get a quick answer. Your supplier can also let you know if something’s running late or share important files like invoices and shipping info.

This way, everyone sees the same updates, so there’s less confusion and fewer mistakes. It helps you solve problems faster, keep your business running smoothly, and build better relationships with your suppliers.

3. Manage Multi-Company Projects

Sometimes you might need to work with an external company on a shared project. And that can get messy fast if you try to use different project management and communication tools.

A Slack shared channel makes it easy for both teams to stay organized and on the same page.

​​For instance, if a tech company partners with a design agency, both teams can discuss tasks, share files, and provide updates directly in the shared channel. Project managers can pin deadlines and milestones for easy reference. Developers, designers, and QA teams can ask questions and resolve issues without endless back-and-forth.

The shared channel makes sure everyone sees the same information, reducing confusion and ensuring accountability.

4. Accelerate Marketing Campaigns

Running a marketing campaign with an external agency or partner can be tricky.

How often have you lost track of the latest design file or missed an important deadline because of buried emails?

Poor organization = poor results. One study found that organized marketers are 674% more likely to report success. And by organized, we mean marketers who follow established processes, plan their tasks meticulously, and communicate effectively.

So, having a shared Slack channel can make running marketing campaigns easier and much less stressful.

For example, designers can post mockups, writers can share drafts, and everyone can give feedback—all in one place. That means nobody loses track of files or needs to wait forever for approvals. And if you need to make a quick change, everyone sees it within the channel and can respond quickly.

What’s cool about the shared channels is that you can also pin important dates, keep assets organized, and do a bunch of other things—all within Slack. In fact, you can set up a Slack Canvas to store all your marketing materials and communications, which is even better!

5. Run Your Customer Support Operations

Last but not least, Slack shared channels can transform the way you provide customer support. Instead of handling tickets through slow, impersonal emails, B2B companies—like SaaS providers—can create shared channels with their customers for real-time, collaborative support.

If a customer runs into a technical issue, they can post directly in the shared channel and get a prompt response from your team. Need to escalate the issue or involve a specialist? It’s as simple as tagging them in the conversation. Everyone stays in the loop, and problems get resolved faster.

Beyond troubleshooting, shared channels are perfect for answering general questions, sharing tips, or offering product updates.

To make the most of your shared Slack channels with customers, we recommend trying our B2B customer support tool, Thena.

This AI-powered tool automates ticket creation, transforming customer messages into actionable tasks instantly. With features like smart notifications, AI-generated summaries, and SLA tracking, Thena keeps your team on top of every request. Everything is centralized in one hub, making your support process faster, more organized, and incredibly efficient. On top of that, you can track key customer service metrics to continually improve your support operations.

👉 Request a free demo 👈

How to Set Up a Shared Channel in Slack

Getting started with shared channels in Slack is super easy. Follow these simple steps:

1. Open the channel you want to use or create a new one.
2. Click the channel name at the top of the screen.
3. Go to the Settings section.
4. Find Slack Connect and select Add people.
5. Type in the person’s email or name, then click Add.
6. Choose An external organization and click Next.
7. Set the permissions for posting and inviting, then hit Next.
8. Add a note if you want, then click Send invitation.

💡 Note: To work with external organizations in channels together, each organization must be using a paid Slack version.

The Final Word

Great collaboration leads to happier customers and vendors and smoother workflows. With Slack shared channels, you can break down barriers and work side-by-side with external teams.

If you intend to use shared channels to provide customer support, give Thena a try and watch your support process transform.

Try Thena today.