In this post Melissa is sharing her tips on email strategies and time management for Food Bloggers. Do you want to learn how to be more productive and don't waste time on your email? Implement email strategies to be in control of your inbox.
If only there were a few more hours in the day. Who hasn't said that at some point in time? Or, more likely, who hasn't said that at least once a week?
But here's the thing... you and I - well Beyonce has the same number of hours in her day as we do and she manages to be pretty fierce!
So what gives? How do you fit everything in and still have time to, oh, I don't know... be a human being who isn't in a constant state of exhaustion with no life?
I'd love to say I have all the answers but I don't. And that's because we all struggle with time management. Some days we feel like we're rocking it and checking off those To Do Items at rocket speed and other days it feels like those same three items have been sitting at the top of our list for the last two weeks. (you know I'm right!)
But, after 28 years of being part of the workforce, 6 and a half years of running two of my own businesses and 10+ years of blogging, I've learned a few things about managing my time. So maybe I can help by sharing some of the strategies that have worked for me! Sometimes I get sloppy and stray from them and then, well, to be blunt, all hell breaks lose until I get back on track again.
Today, we'll tackle email.
Managing Your Unruly Inbox
Email is a time suck. But it's necessary for business. And if you're a blogger working with brands you need to use email. Not Facebook messages, not twitter DMs... email.
At any given moment my inbox is bulging at the seams and I could easily spend my entire day in it and get nothing else done - except generate even more email to I have to respond to and that bums me out, man - big time. So here are my tips:
Get On An Email Schedule
95% of the email we get, does not need an immediate response. It just doesn't. We've trained ourselves and our colleagues to expect instantaneous replies. If we don't get them, we wonder if Timmy fell into a well and Lassie ran to get help.
Set aside time blocks in your day for email. Mine are first thing in the morning and again later in the afternoon. Sometimes I'll keep one eye on what's coming in if I'm expecting something that needs to be wrapped up quickly or is urgent but mostly, I leave it. When I slip up and start answering email willy-nilly, my day is always shot to pieces. Always.
Find a schedule that works for you and stick to it.
Respect the Thread
One of my biggest email pet peeves is when somebody emails you with Subject: Topic ABC and you have a nice chat back and forth about said topic that comes to a nice organic conclusion. Lovely!
And then... three weeks later RE: Topic ABC drops into your inbox only... now you're talking about the completely different Topic XYZ.
It makes searching through email mindnumbingly time consuming.
So, respect the thread. If you start talking about a completely different subject, start a new email thread with a new subject line for everyone's sanity (I have been known to change the subject line when people email me with a new subject on an old thread!)
Canned Responses
Canned responses are brilliant. If you don't know what I'm referring to they're pre-written replies that answer your 5 or 6 most commonly asked questions. You can modify them a bit to personalize them or adapt them to any twists in the question but for the most part, they're ready for you to send out at the drop of a hat.
When should you use them? Here's a few examples:
- responding to requests for media kits
- replying to opportunities that aren't of interest to you
- outlining your services or the process of working with you to a brand or PR firm
Gmail makes responding with canned responses really easy! And they don't just have to be responses. If you send out a certain type of email regularly, turn it into a canned email. Any type of email you find yourself writing over and over again - turn it into a canned email.
Pick Up The Phone!
You know that thing you use to post your instagram photos and snap away on snapchat? It's also a phone! And you can talk to people on it! And sometimes, you can cover things in 10 minutes that would take 30 emails otherwise. That's one really simple way to manage your time - find the shortcuts and sometimes, the phone is a definite shortcut!
I'm not a phone person but even I will dial a number if it means 10 fewer emails in my inbox!
Other Email Tips
I do whatever I can to ensure a business email conversation wraps up in 3-4 emails - less if possible! Before I spend a ton of time writing an email, I'll often send a short one to find out if the person is interested in talking further. If not, done! End of conversation. If yes, I try to cover off all the points in the next email to minimize the number of questions that may arise.
Email rules and folders are another great way to manage your inbox. You can set up folders for brand campaigns you're working on, food photography gigs, writing work and emails lists you subscribe to.
There are lots of apps out there that can help make your email more productive - from filing emails for you to unsubscribing you from email lists and even adding notes to Evernote. A quick google will turn up all kinds of tools to help you tame your inbox!
Don't forget to read our Blogger Resources sections with topics like productivity, planning, food photography and more!
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