Top Email Productivity Tricks - Mailbird

Let's start with #1….get Mailbird! Yes we are quickly approaching the public beta release and soon Mailbird will be available to all our eager Windows users. We cannot wait for you to try it so you can enjoy the email experience again. Once you have Mailbird in your hands we thought it would be wonderful to share some great inbox management tips to get you ready for the best email app ever. April 2nd, 2024. Mark your calendars.

Inbox management. It is a royal pain that we all struggle with in one way or another. How do we handle all that junk that comes through our inboxes? How do we avoid getting lost in the big black hole, the abyss that is our email inbox? Here is a great list of tips for 2013, from others just like you who share the same inbox pain of email backlog, distraction, and stress.

Get Mailbird! Available April 2nd, but you can get it sooner when you Like and comment on our Facebook post here.
Stop email notifications. Seriously, you don't need them and majority of the time it's just another email to delete to clear your inbox. Eliminate that extra step when managing your inbox.
Unsubscribe. How often do you really read those newsletters. Now how much time do you spend deleting newsletters.
Don't start your day with checking emails. We know this might make you a little nervous. Set a limited time aside for checking emails so it does not hinder productivity.
Clear out emails in 5 minutes or less. This especially goes for emails that don't need additional response from your end. This becomes easier when you take care of #2 and #3 first. Again this should take a max of 5 minutes to do. Once you eliminate the unnecessary emails you already have less clutter and a more manageable inbox to work with.
Respond, archive, delete. Get emails out of your inbox. Respond in 2 minutes or less, then archive. You can always search for an email archived or deleted with great email search tools.
Avoid unnecessary CC & BCC's. Unless it is an absolute must.
Consolidate. Received a ton of emails from the same sender? Don't reply to each one. Consolidate it all into one simple email.
Keep emails short Good rule of thumb is 3 sentences or less, and be clear so you don't have another series of emails demanding clarification, and more importantly your precious time and attention.
It's not your job. It's not your To Do list. Remember, email is a tool to help you efficiently communicate and that is it.
Use your calendar! Have emails with important dates to remember? A really great email habit is to add those important dates to your calendar immediately, archive then move on. Don't leave it in your inbox.
Use keyboard shortcuts. Once you get used to them, it becomes second nature and you'll love how efficiently you can power speed through your inbox.
Shut it down. Give yourself a max 30 minutes or less to plow through your inbox, and do it right before lunch not first thing in the morning. When you are done, shut it down and get back to work.

"It's not email itself that decides, it's how you use it." - Leo Babauta (Zen Habits)

We would like to give a big round of applause to our private beta testers, some of which have been with us since September of 2012. The Mailbird team would like to publicly thank our private beta groups for continuing to report bugs and for providing excellent feedback. It is because of our supporters, that when the Mailbird beta goes public, future users will have the most awesome email app come April 2nd. You've set the bar high for our future developments of the best Windows email app the world has ever seen, and that simply rocks.

Keep an eye out on our blog. We are now going to designate a special section here for Mailbird Tips & Tricks moving forward. Want to get the best out of Mailbird? Just visit our blog here and click on the Tips & Tricks category on the right hand side.

Remember to send Andrea and the Mailbird Support team some love! Let us know what you think about Mailbird. We may highlight your comments on our website. We are eagerly waiting to hear from you and seeing your beautiful face every time we receive your emails in Mailbird. We are making online communication less robotic and more personal again.

Don't miss an update or your invite to the private beta! Be sure to check your spam folder and add support@getmailbird.com to your contacts. We hope some of the inbox management tips serve you well as you grab your email by the reins in 2013. It is all about managing your email time better and effectively organizing your email.

"The onus is on intelligently managing the influx, and employing strict self discipline as regards how emails are dealt with." - Shahab Kaviani & James Gaskin (From Email Bankruptcy to Business Productivity)

Tell us how you take control of your inbox in the comments below!