Technology is a powerful tool in many ways, especially when it comes to keeping in touch with people you aren’t physically close to. Check out some of these great tips on how you can use technology to stay connected with your family no matter where you live.

Video Chat

One of the best ways to keep up with your family through technology is by using video chat technology, such as FaceTime. Just like a standard phone call, voice chat calls can be made to people all over the world as long as you have the proper signal—which means wireless internet rather than cell service in this case. The best part is, most of these video chat services are completely free, so you don’t have to pay by the minute to spend time with your loved ones online.

Photo Gallery

Another great method of staying close to family and friends through technology is by using an online photo or video gallery to share your experiences. You can create a Facebook group or create your own website, then every member of the family can upload photos and videos to stay in touch. You can share photos of sporting events, vacations, children’s accomplishments, or just a nice family photo you took while spending a day at the beach.

If you really like a photo, you can use a service like Mixbook to bring the photo to life. Mixbook allows you to take photos you love and turn them into things like cards, calendars, prints and to make a personalized photo book. Whether you’re looking to create a photo book to store all your memories or a calendar that truly fits your family, there’s nothing easier than using Mixbook to bring your photos to life.

Write

Still, there’s no better way to keep up with your family than with the power of words. As much as you can say with a video or photo, words are the clearest form of communication. Plus, you have a lot of different options when it comes to writing your family. You could start a blog or a Facebook group if you want to simply write a post that everybody can easily read. However, you also have the option of simply texting or writing family via email, both of which are still completely viable options.

One thing to keep in mind if you’re going to put your family business on the internet is that only some services are secure. If you write a long blog post on your public website talking about the vacation you and your family took, anybody who happens to stumble upon your website will be able to read it, so only write stuff that you don’t mind other people seeing.