Managing the inbox chaos: crowdsourced tips
Last week, I tackled how I'm working on my inbox management. I'm, however, not an expert. Even though I've always dealt with emails, I felt I can learn more from others. Therefore, I've reached out to the network on Twitter (and beyond) and crowdsourced some tips on this topic.
#1 No notifications and Apple's VIP
My colleague and M&C Saatchi PR luminary, Anastasia Leberquier, suggested:
1. Deactivate email notifications! Makes it so much less distracting when you’re head down in a task and you only check your inbox when you have to rather than as soon as you get a notification
2. Rules are king in my book – I have rules set for each and every click group I’m on, which helps me prioritise emails and keeps my actual inbox free for important stuffApple’s VIP setting for emails is good – means that even if you deactivate email notifications, if you nominate 2-3 key people as your VIPs (would recommend these being your top
3. Apple’s VIP setting for emails is good – means that even if you deactivate email notifications, if you nominate 2-3 key people as your VIPs (would recommend these being your top clients, or boss) you will always receive notifications when they email you so you don’t miss it.
#2 Process them into action
A chief strategist and digital innovator, Steve Rubel, suggested:
I process them into action, deferred and review mailboxes. And respond to most things quickly that are brief. https://t.co/9GdX29F61l
— Steve Rubel (@steverubel) June 23, 2017
#3 Tools
A blogger and PR professional, Arianne Williams, shares the app up her sleeve:
Have you tried @Unrollme app? Helps to quickly unsubscribe from emails and 'roll up' ones you want to keep but don't want filling your inbox
— Arianne Williams (@ariannewills) June 23, 2017
Rossouw Nel speaks on project management tools:
I'd say use a project management tool like @dapulseLabs to communicate with your immediate colleagues and decrease emails sent and received
— Rossouw Nel (@rossouwn) June 23, 2017
Rich Leigh proposes talking your clients into using WhatsApp and other apps:
Use WhatsApp groups/Slack etc with clients where poss. I send and receive a tenth the emails I used to, and much prefer it. Clients do too.
— Rich Leigh (@RichLeighPR) June 23, 2017
Max Tatton-Brown, tech expert and PR professional, advises using Asana:
Don’t use email, use Asana.
— Max Tatton-Brown (@MaxTB) June 24, 2017
Sarah Stimson, chief executive of Taylor Bennett Foundation says:
Anything that can be answered with less than one line, do immediately. For everything else, folders and flags.
— Sarah Stimson (@GoooRooo) July 1, 2017
#4 Rules and folders
My lunch buddy, and a fellow M&C junior, Oscar Kavanagh, suggested working with folders:
"I think one of the best ways to keep on top of your inbox is to sort your messages into specific folders at the end of the day."
The experienced marcomms professional, Emma Leech, encourages ruthless unsubscribing:
File fearlessly, unsubscribe ruthless, respond quickly and remember that if it's truly important someone is likely to chase you. https://t.co/QwoQMHhxK7
— Emma Leech (@EmmaJ70) June 23, 2017
Ella Minty endorses the follow-up option in the email client:
Delete marketing emails, unsubscribe, file, reply if I have time, ⛳️ what's imp but can't reply yet
— Ella Minty (@EllaMinty) June 23, 2017
Digital account director Michael White is also a fan of folder rules:
Setting up rules on folders, unsubscribe from irrelevant marketing, favour calls and face to face over email
— Michael White (@michaelwhite1) June 23, 2017
Arianne Williams on the inbox-tidiness rule number one:
I create rules for certain emails to go directly to a folder and make time at the end of each week to have an inbox blitz and tidy!
— Arianne Williams (@ariannewills) June 23, 2017
Polish speaking Briton, Patrick Ney, says:
Effective filters. Saying no.
— Patrick Ney (@paddyney) June 23, 2017
Hannah Myers on getting rid of inbox junk:
Files! One for work, personal, important, receipts, school, etc. V useful. Also DELETE STUFF WHEN ITS OLD! And delete junkmail! https://t.co/395t08oxmn
— Hannah Myers (@MyersHannah) June 23, 2017
#5 Unsubscribe and following-up
All the way from Canada, Judy Gombita, on subscription emails and ignoring pop-ups:
If I haven't read a subscription email within a week, it gets deleted. Don't read three or four weeks in a row? Time to unsubscribe from it. https://t.co/fDo6MT0rtV
— Judy Gombita (@jgombita) June 23, 2017
another thing to do is to IGNORE all of those pop-ups trying to guilt you into subscribing to person/agency/company blog or enewsletter.....
— Judy Gombita (@jgombita) June 25, 2017
Alan Seymour, sports marketing expert, on smart follow-ups:
*Always reply with acknowledgement when open*Open on daily basis*Follow both above with responses giving required detail (or brevity?)ASAP https://t.co/bEgeGuYv3T
— alan seymour (@sportmarketing1) July 1, 2017
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Thank you to all the contributors!
If you have any suggestions, would like to guest post or give me a feedback, feel free to email me at kl.marcel [at] gmail.com, tweet me @marcelkl or connect with me on LinkedIn. Thanks for stopping by, have a splendid day!