Mastering Gmail: Boosting Productivity with Google Workspace Apps
Tips and tricks that will enable you to make Gmail an efficient tool for communication.
Many times our Gmail is flooded with a lot of emails from friends, subscription plans, promotions from companies, spammers, job alerts, and blog posts. The site of many unread emails can be a headache especially when one has important conversations that require immediate if not a prompt reply. You might find that you’ve missed out on important updates or news just because it is jammed with unnecessary emails.
This however doesn't mean that you still can’t benefit from this piece of technology. Here are some tips and tricks that can help you make the most of Gmail.
Templates
Sometimes writing the same email over and over again can be tiring, let alone writing multiple emails with the same format. Most times we find ourselves writing the same kind of emails when applying for job vacancies. Gmail offers an option called templates, that will allow you to save this repetitive format for use whenever you want to compose such an email. To use templates, you need to ensure that it is activated in your Gmail settings. In the Settings option, click “See all settings” and then navigate to the “Advanced” menu item. Scroll down to Templates and enable it to start using it and then click save changes at the bottom of the menu.
Back to your Inbox, click “Compose” and start creating your template, then when you’re ready to save it, click on the three dots located at the bottom right alongside other widgets. Select “Templates” then “Save draft as template”, then choose “Save as new template”. A pop-up window will appear which will prompt you to type in the name of your template.
Labels
As mentioned earlier, some email conversations can be very important and may need more attention. Sometimes we may need to refer to certain frequently or from time to time. Gmail labels enable you to organize your emails in categories that allow you to easily locate that email. To create a label you can click the “More” option on the left sidebar until you see the “Labels” tab or just the plus sign alongside the Labels menu item.
Name your label, then click “Create”.
The other option for creating a Label is to click on the label icon in the email you intend on labeling.
You can also add a label when composing an email, thus any replies to that email will be properly organized.
Scheduling emails
There are times when we want to send an email I will ever want the recipient to get the email at a certain time. Gmail allows you to schedule an email at the desired time. To schedule a composed email, click on the “down arrow” then click “Schedule send”.
To view scheduled emails, click the “More” option on the left sidebar, then choose “Scheduled emails”.
Filters
In order to find an email easily from you are jam-packed inbox, you can use the filter option that allows you to search for your emails using simple, words, and phrases Eva depending on the time in which they were sent. Gmail filters are very powerful since they can help you reduce the amount of time and energy you spend handling incoming messages which you may not want or are not important like Spam emails. A perfect example is how Gmail filters can automatically label emails from specific senders or even forward emails to a certain recipient.
To create a filter in Gmail click the “Create filter” option on the right end of the search bar then specify your filter criteria.
You can then choose what happens to the messages that match the filter criteria.
Unsubscribing
Unsubscribing from platforms and sites that send you regular emails that end up unread in your inbox. By doing this, you’ll stop receiving similar messages from the sender. To unsubscribe from emails in your Gmail, you can use the “unsubscribe” link that is usually to the right of the sender information at the top of the email or at the bottom.
When using your phone, the unsubscribe link is located at the bottom(footer) of the email. In case none of the above options don’t work for you, then you can block the sender and all the messages they send will be directed to your Spam folder where they’ll be automatically deleted after 30 Days.
Takeaway
Gmail is filled with a lot of interesting features and better still, new ones are still being implemented. With its powerful features and smart organizational tools at your fingertips, you can reclaim control over your inbox, enhance productivity, and foster seamless communication, ultimately empowering you to stay focused on what matters most.
