Top 5 Tips for Using GMail

Last updated on June 8th, 2012How to, Small business0 comments

I started using GMail a few months ago after many years of using Outlook and I have to say that I now prefer it.  I can access my emails from any PC with an Internet connection and there are lots of features which make it really easy to use. 

So if you are thinking about switching over, here are my top tips for using GMail.

Prioritise your inbox. GMail has a feature called Priority Inbox which automatically sorts your inbox into 3 categories – Important and unread, Starred and Everything else.  Those categorised as Important and unread are usually emails only sent to you or have a certain subject line.  You can also flag emails by clicking on the star symbol at the left of each message line in the inbox. These messages then appear under the Starred category.  Once emails in the Important and unread category have been opened, they then automatically move to Everything else, unless you star them.

Filter messages. If you find that your inbox is getting overloaded, then it’s a good idea to filter messages as you receive them.  Filters apply automatic actions to messages as they arrive in your inbox. So you can set criteria so that certain messages move into a Read Later folder. To find out how to filter a message, check out the blog “How to Filter Emails in Gmail“.

Organise messages with labels. You can also organise messages by creating folders, which are referred to as labels in GMail.  To create a label, select a message(s) and then click on the Labels button, select Create new and give the label a name.  Once the label has been created, it will appear on the left hand side of the inbox. 

Add emails as tasks.  If you receive a message in GMail that you need to follow up on then you can add it to your task list.  Open the message, click on the More Actions button and then select Add to Tasks. The Tasks list will appear on the right hand side and you can edit to add a reminder date.  Go back to Calendar and hit the Refresh button and you’ll see the new task added to your list.

Personalise with a signature. It’s important to have a professional looking email signature that contains your business name and contact details.  You can set this up in GMail by going to Settings>General and then going down to the Signature option.  Type in your details in the box provided, format the text as appropriate – you can also add images and links – and then click on Save Changes.

 
I hope you have found these top tips for using Gmail useful. If you want to get more tips on how to manage your time and work effectively in your business, then download a copy of our guide “How to organise your workload so there’s more time for you“. This guide is packed full of time management tips as well as 10 online tools to help you work more productively. Click on the link to download the guide >> How to organise your workload
 

Valerie Eaton

Valerie Eaton provides virtual PA and online marketing services to self-employed professionals who are feeling overwhelmed by their workload and want more time to focus on growing their business.

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