6 Productivity Tips for Gmail (Getting More Out of Your Email)

September 29, 2015 by Kayla Matthews

The technology behind email is incredibly powerful when you think about it. If you look past its more traditional uses, though, it becomes even more so. For instance, consider sending yourself personal reminders throughout your day via email. It effectively turns your email into a web-based notification or reminder platform, and it’s another, unorthodox way to use your email account.

With that in mind, it makes you wonder how many other ways you can use your email. What are some things you can do to extend your email experience?

Believe it or not, there are many things you can do to improve your email experience, some of which call for using your account in unique ways. Take a look at these ideas:

1. Add Calendar Entries from the Gmail Window

You probably often receive emails that reference dates, times or various calendar events, right? Did you know that you can easily add these entries to your calendar of choice?

In Gmail, when you get an email that mentions a date or time, you’ll notice the system adds dashes underneath the appropriate info. All you have to do is a click on that date or time, and you’ll be prompted to add the information to your calendar. If you agree, you’ll be able to edit details about the event before saving it to your calendar.

For some reason, if your date and time stamp aren’t highlighted, all you have to do is click the “more” button in the top right of the window, and choose “Create Event.” It will deliver a prompt where you can enter all the necessary information.

The nifty thing about Gmail is that when you look at your actual calendar, the event entry will also include a link to the email you added it from.

2. Convert Your Voicemails to Email

It’s so much easier to check your email and respond accordingly than it is to dial-out to your voicemail account, check your messages and then respond. If you’re the type of person that would much rather convert voicemails to emails, there are tools for that.

The beauty of it is that you can even respond through email to those who left the voicemail, provided they leave the right contact info.

These services will convert your voice messages, and then forward them to you via email so you can take action. It’s great if you’re always out in the field and busy, or even if you work somewhere with little to no mobile service.

3. Install Third-Party Apps

There are many third-party apps that can augment your email experience by adding new features and functionality.

Todoist, for example, adds a whole slew of collaboration and productivity features to your email experience. You can share and collaborate with your team, create sub-tasks and projects, use powerful labels and filters, set personal reminders and much more. Essentially, it’s a complete overhaul for your Gmail account.

It’s not the only service out there, either. Depending on what you’re looking for, you can find a ton of apps that add new features and support to Gmail.

4. Change the Subject Line for a Reply

Usually, when you reply to a message through Gmail, it retains the same subject line as the original email. In many cases, that subject line might not relate to what’s being discussed, or you may want to use something more relevant so you can easily search for that particular email later.

To do this, simply choose the down arrow — situated next to the reply icon — and select the “edit subject” menu item.

This allows you to label the reply with a more relevant description. It might seem silly at first, but once you start using it, you’ll realize how valuable it can be — especially if you find yourself searching through your archived emails on a regular basis.

5. Mute Group Conversations

Every once in a while, you might find yourself wrapped up in a group conversation or email thread that you’d rather not be a part of. If you’re tired of getting notifications, or you just don’t want to read the conversation, there is a way to mute it.

With the thread or message open, choose the “more” button, and then select the “mute” option. It’s as easy as that. You can also do this for standard emails that are between you and another contact.

6. Hashtags Work in Gmail

Hashtags, like the ones you use on social networks, can actually help you organize your Gmail account much better. By including a hashtag at the bottom of your emails, Google chat, reminders or personal updates, you can easily search for the message later.

This allows you to group a series of emails together, like if you’re working on a project and need to email a list of different collaborators. Hashtags work almost exactly like a bookmark.

Of course, this list only includes 6 tips for getting the most out of your email, but there are countless others. What kind of tips can you share that improve your experience?

One Hashtag Blunder Can Put You In A Bad Digital Neighborhood

January 29, 2015 by Alex Yong

Maybe you’re spontaneous. Hey, that’s often a good thing. But you can burn yourself by being too spontaneous on social media. Let’s look at hashtag usage as an example.

In a nutshell – Be careful about being too spontaneous with hashtags.

Let’s break down the hashtag #paytoplay to explore what it means to different people. Lots of industries have their own whirlwinds when it comes to the concept of “pay-to-play”. The issues and industries vary, but one thing’s a constant – it’s always a whirlwind.

For example, in the public relations world, people in that industry can talk for days about how pay-to-play has no place in PR. But if you speak with a publisher, he or she will tell you pay-to-play refers to native ads, etc. In politics and lobbying, pay-to-play is the bane of that world, and always referred to in a highly negative context.

If you fail to remember that pay-to-play ruffles feathers and gets folks hot under the collar, you could easily think using the hashtag #paytoplay (click to see) is a good idea if you’re trying to get a point across, or tie it to a concept. Well, I picked a great example, because #paytoplay is quite a cesspool, and it’s not a grouping where you would want to be seen. It’s got lots of suspicion-inducing political tweets, escort tweets, etc. Overall, it’s just icky and negative – Think of it as a “bad neighborhood,” but a neighborhood on social media. Just like in real life, you avoid some neighborhoods; the same goes for social media.

Just so you know, I was tempted to use #paytoplay in a tweet about something related to PR. Glad I didn’t. And when I see a hashtag in a tweet, I immediately think the person tweeting is doing me a favor by giving me access to other tweets & tweeps discussing the issue. So, naturally, I click the hashtag because I like to be in the know. But if a hashtag lands me in a bad digital neighborhood, it irks me because it makes me conclude that the person tweeting was too spontaneous and did zero research. The advice here is – Don’t do that to your followers. Yes, be spontaneous, but take a few seconds to look at a hashtag’s “digital neighborhood” before using it. And do you really want your tweet seen in a bad neighborhood? One misstep and you’ll send your followers somewhere they don’t necessarily want to be.

The Power of Unique – Building Your Brand

January 28, 2015 by Phil Turner

The Internet is full. Full of the same old, same old. But there IS room for unique. There always will be room for unique.

Over 99% of pages and people online are like poor quality home recordings of the original. The original was unique once, that’s what made it stand out.

The original still stands out like a Deutsche Gromophon vinyl LP played on a Linn LP12 Sondek turntable surrounded by cheap and tacky CDs and MP3 recordings.

If you are building your brand, online or offline, you must be unique. You must have personality.

Establishing Your Uniqueness

You, as an individual are unique. So am I. Each one of us is unique because no two people have had the same set of life experiences or has the same set of genes. The first step is to acknowledge that you are like no other person who has ever lived. The second is to celebrate that.

If you are building your brand and want to stand out then make sure that you are part of your brand. Let people see the real you. Let people know what makes you different. Let everyone know your unique thoughts on important issues.

You will often see media celebrities wearing peculiar clothes and hats in a bid to establish themselves as unique. That can be part of your unique character, but there needs to be MUCH more to it than that. No brand can be successful unless it stands out as different.

How Do You Talk about Yourself?

The first step is to acknowledge that you are like no other person who has ever lived. The second is to celebrate that. – Phil Turner

Blog. Blog. And then blog some more.

On a blog you can say almost anything you like. If you have a brand and a website make sure that there is a blog and that you are the person who writes the blog posts.

You cannot outsource your uniqueness. No matter how much you pay someone to write your blog posts they will never be the authentic and unique YOU unless you write them yourself. You can hire an editor to tidy them up, but every post needs to be from your heart and your thinking.

Remember

Remember why you are doing the blog posts. You are passing on your unique knowledge, your unique perspective on life. You are showing people how you are different and establishing that what you have to say is worth listening to.

There is a symbiotic relationship between you and your brand. You are part of your brand and your brand is a part of you.

And You?

What are you doing to set yourself apart from the imitators, from the herd? Are you part of your brand? Please share your thoughts in the comment box below.

5 Clever Ways to Connect with Influencers on Twitter

January 27, 2015 by Alicia Lawrence

Influencers are everywhere on Twitter. They’re witty, they’re insightful, they’re powerful… and they’re bombarded every day by people like you who want to tag along on their coattails towards stardom.

Here’s the problem, though: They don’t know you yet, and you have to stand out from among all the voices striving to gain their eyes and ears. So what are you going to do to make sure you’re the shiny piece of gold amidst the iron scraps?

If you really want to connect with influences using Twitter, you have to get downright creative. You also have to be willing to be totally real. Act like you’re both human beings, and stop telling yourself that the influencers will never respond to you! After all, they’re made of flesh and blood, too, and they are obviously open to learning.

The trick is to stop force-feeding your messages and pitches. No one likes to feel like they’re being manipulated, and that includes all those influencers. Instead, try one or more of these techniques to cleverly and properly get noticed.

So what are you going to do to make sure you’re the shiny piece of gold amidst the iron scraps? -Ali Lawrence

#1: Storify Your Releases

When you have to make your next pitch, turn it into a story and add tweets by relevant influencers. Make sure you only use items that are pertinent to your story. When you publish on the Storify board, you’ll get the option to notify those who you mention in the Storify board. Those influencers will see that you’ve used their quotes, and might even be willing to talk about your client’s piece. This is a boon, especially if your influencers are big in media, as in the case of journalists or radio personalities with large followings.

#2: Add Your Influencers to a Twitter List

“Duh” you might say, but you might be surprised the amount of people who don’t put their influencers in a list. If you haven’t already, create a list revolving around the topic your influencers like, such as “awesome foodies,” and add those you want to connect with, to it. The influencer will be notified that they made it to your list. Then, follow them like crazy and make sure you re-tweet or favorite anything they say that’s relevant to your list. Who knows? They might even decide to follow you back if you keep up with the Twitter list and make it interesting and fun.

Don’t forget to join #SocialCafe every Tuesday 6p PST / 9p EST!

#3: Join Twitter Chats

Does your influencer get involved with Twitter chats? If so, you can partake in those chats, too. Bring up thought-provoking ideas revolving around the topic being discussed. Ask questions and make a special effort to favorite or retweet what the influencer tweets.

#4: Stroke Their Egos… A Little

Influencers like to be stroked, but only subtly. For example, you could publish a Top Ten list with the best gardening blogs and include those you want to connect with on Twitter. When the list goes live, send them a tweet to let them know they were included. Who knows? A “thank you” or follow might be your reward.

5 Clever Ways to Connect with Influencers on Twitter

#5: Be Interesting, for Glob’s Sake

Okay – this might be tough for all the folks who are by-the-book and not accustomed to tapping their right brains, but it’s essential. Start… Being… INTERESTING. When was the last time you retweeted a boring tweet? Never? That’s probably why your tweets aren’t getting retweeted or seen by influencers! Harness your goofier or creative side once in a while; you might even attract enough attention on the Twitterverse to be asked to speak at a convention, host a Twitter chat or add your two cents to an article.

You’re on Twitter anyway, so be a little bold this year and start working on your influencer communications. You might just discover that those influencers aren’t as untouchable as you thought.

Canva Tutorials: Images, Social Selling Ads and Headers; How-to Stand Out on Twitter

January 5, 2015 by Gail Gardner

Images will be more critical in 2015 than they have to date – particularly on Twitter – because not everyone is currently using them effectively. There is a great advantage to using them now that will not exist when most tweets and other social media shares include an image. Today, any image gets more attention; in the future only the most compelling images will.

Because Canva makes it so much easier to create custom images than any other tool available for free, we have done several #SocialCafe Google Hangouts with tutorials on how to create images for various social networks using Canva. I’ve included the videos and video highlights below.

Images, Social Selling Ads and Headers: How-to Stand Out on Twitter using Canva.

Tips for Using Images on Twitter

The optimum size for images on Twitter is twice as wide as they are tall. If your images are square, the top and bottom will be cut off and only the center section will be visible. Note that you can sometimes expand images on Twitter to see the entire image (by clicking a link that says ‘expand’), but you can’t expand all images. That is why it is best to use images that are the appropriate proportion.

Tip for working with images: always start large and reduce. Making small images larger will cause them to get fuzzy.

Choosing ‘Twitter post’ in Canva creates an image 1024x512px which is way larger than necessary. A better way to size the top image for your post is to make it as wide as looks good in your blog and half that tall. For example, on GrowMap I use images that are 560 wide x 280 tall. If your blog is wider you might use 600 x 300. If it is narrower you could use 450 x 225. The average blog is between 560 and 640 wide.

I save my Canva images as .png to use to upload manually to Twitter and other social networks and resize them to 72 dpi saved as .jpg with the same name. This allows me to quickly find the two options and know which one is in my blog.

If you don’t understand .png .jpg and dpi or want to know how to resize images you’ve made in Canva refer to my post How to Reduce Images Using GIMP. (GIMP is a free program that works in Windows, Mac and Linux.)

Pinning an image linking to any blog post you want to feature on Twitter will give it much more visibility and garner retweets and favorites. Only one tweet can be pinned at a time. Pinning a new image will replace the image that is currently pinned. You can only pin images you tweeted – not retweets. YouTube videos can also be added to tweets and pinned.

IMPORTANT: Do not leave tweets with old dates pinned because people who don’t look further down will think your account is dormant and could unfollow you. If you want to keep promoting the same image and link, create a new tweet and pin it with today’s date.

Important Canva Tips

You must choose the overall size of the image you’re creating at the start; this cannot be changed later within Canva
Images say either free or $1 each, but layouts do not. Layouts are NOT
If you rotate text banners 180 degrees the text will be upside down
Choose a layout first; clicking on a layout will cause you to lose whatever you’ve made so far; some layouts are free, but others cost $1 and they don’t tell you until you want to save your creation. If you need to know, put the layout on an image and see if you can download it before you start editing it. Layouts with a Canva watermark on them will not be free.
Using Canva is free until you download the completed image; if you use any of their images or non-free components you pay to download. Most images used in banners cost $1 and a credit card is required; Canva does NOT take PayPal.
Make sure the final image has auto-saved before you download. You must click out of the text box or resizing options before they will save. Look at the image once you’ve downloaded it to make sure it is the final version before saving and uploading it to your blog or social network.
There is no undo!

Video Highlights:

Backgrounds: selecting textures and changing their colors
Icons: many free options if you search for icons
Resizing, dragging, dropping and changing colors on sections of images
Adding text with and without banners
How to pin an image on Twitter (18 minutes in on the video above)
Retweeting the most visual interesting images will grow your Twitter account
IMPORTANT: layouts do NOT say $1 on them, but some do cost $1. The layouts with Canva watermarks on them (the word Canva visible on the image) are the ones that are not free.

Image Canva Design Tips

Here are some basic design tips that could keep you from creating ugly images:

Use no more than three colors
Use the same font throughout
Don’t crunch all your images together – leave some white space around them

Canva Ad Creation for Social Selling

In our second #SocialCafe Google Hangout about Canva we discussed the canned sizes Canva provides for creating images specifically for Facebook ads, Facebook posts, and Facebook apps. Much in this video is a repeat of what we covered in the first video, but if you aren’t a Canva expert watching it will make it easier to remember when you need it.

Video Highlights:

Using canned sizes provided by Canva
Facebook ads tip: always have one or more people’s faces in your ads
Easily edit existing images you’ve made in Canva
WARNING: do not apply backgrounds over what you’ve created or you will lose what you did; there is no undo!

Don’t miss the best tip I’ve ever heard for selling on Facebook I learned from Gary Vaynerchuk about his Seth Godin ad targeting the followers of his testimonial givers at 8:30 into the video above. This tip would also work on LinkedIn or anywhere you can use an image in your ad including on blogs and websites.

Creating Social Media Header Images in Canva

Major social networks including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Tsu now all use very large header images. Each one is a different size. Rather than keeping track of what size to make each one and where the smaller photo insets go, you can just use the options on Canva. This video shows the various options and reviews how to use Canva:

Video Highlights:

Choose a layout first; if you add it later you will lose what you’ve done so far
Layouts that do not have a watermark on them (the word Canva visible on the image) are free
You can copy images within an image or entire images to create additional images
NOTE: Facebook group headers are not the same size as Facebook business page headers.
What remarketing / remarketing are
Understanding implied endorsements
Be sure to include a clear call-to-action (CTA) in your ads

In this last video I mention an excellent post on How to Design Facebook Ads That Get Results. There is explosive growth in social media ads including LinkedIn and Facebook advertising. If you are going to pay for your images to be viewed you need to know how to get them to convert.

LinkedIn originally only allowed header images on paid accounts, but I recently noticed I can now add a header image on LinkedIn. I do not have a paid account so most likely anyone can now add a header image at LinkedIn. LinkedIn indicates their recommended size is at least 1400 x 425.

By using Canva to create your header images, you can then figure out where to click to change your social media cover images on Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Tsu.

Hopefully these Canva tutorials show you how easy it is to create your own images. Don’t forget that creating compelling images and using them on Twitter today is far more beneficial than it will be in the future because soon everyone will be doing it. Be an early adopter and you can really grow your Twitter and other social network followings.

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