Tips And Tricks For Using Outlook
If your Microsoft Outlook mailbox is unorganized and filled with messages, the chances of missing an important email are quite high. Regardless of your position, skipping a letter with important information can be a disaster, and this is exactly why you should think of organizing your email in the most effective way possible!
Microsoft Outlook features a number of unique tools that you can use to make your inbox more organized. You can not use all its functions in full, but it is always good to know about the options you have.
In this article, we are going to give you some useful tips and tricks that will change the way you use your Outlook mail forever!
Best Tips For Using Microsoft Outlook
The majority of people who use Microsoft Outlook didn’t really choose to do so. It is a standard mailing service in a corporate environment, which is why many office workers have to deal with it.
In fact, Outlook is probably the most confusing, complicated, and illogical email regarding its settings. However, there are still plenty of ways to optimize its work, and we have collected some great tips to help you in this matter.
Create To-Do Folders
While most users undeservedly ignore this opportunity in Outlook, it can be quite handy. With the help of different folders, you can archive your mail and manage your inbox and tasks in a more convenient way.
We will tell you how to use folders to organize your messy inbox by moving non-critical and complex emails into special To-Do folders. Here is one of the easiest ways to organize your messages:
- Find your Inbox folder and right-click on it.
- Choose New Folder.
- Name it To Do or however else is convenient for you.
Note that you also have a possibility to create multiple subfolders for even better organization. To do this, click the arrow to view the newly created folder. Click on it with the right mouse button and choose ‘New Folder’. Name it depending on how you want to organize your incoming messages. For example, you can name the subfolders by months, days of the week, or by priority – whichever is the most convenient.
Later on, when you receive new messages, move them to relevant folders. This way you will keep your inbox clean and structured.
Divide Contacts Into Categories
Click on the contact with the right mouse button and set the category. Further, when viewing all contacts, it is very convenient to make selections.
Task List
Another excellent tip for higher productivity is to use Outlook’s To-Do list to set reminders for the tasks that have to be completed. To add a new reminder:
- Drag an email with the task’s description to the task list.
- Choose the time and date for a reminder, set a deadline for the task, and save it.
Later, if you hover the mouse over the task list, you will see a list of current tasks organized by their deadlines. Reminders for each task will pop up at the specified date and time. Once you complete any of them, you can mark it as ‘done’ and delete from the list.
Create An Email Signature
What if we tell you that now you can share your contacts automatically with everyone who receives an email from you? This is possible with an email signature. This element is like your business card but in a digital format.
A good signature contains the following elements and information:
- Sender’s photo or logo of the company they work for;
- Full name;
- Position and name of the company;
- Links to website, blog, social media channels, and other sources you would like to share with your recipients;
- Major contact details, such as email address, phone number, and others;
- Promotional banners – this is optional, but it gives you an opportunity to tell your prospects about what’s going on in your company.
With the right design and information, your email signature can bring you lots of benefits including:
- Opportunity to attract prospects’ attention;
- Better branding and recognition;
- Possibility to share your contact details with minimum effort;
- Higher response rate and more memorable emails;
- Higher traffic on your website;
- Opportunity to share news, offers, sales, and promotions with anyone from your list of contacts;
- And much more!
With all this in mind, a professionally-designed signature can result in higher sales and profits for your company. Thus, it should be an integral part of your business identity!
Connect Outlook To Useful Apps
This feature is available for users of Enterprise or Business editions of Office 365. It allows you to link your email to over 750 apps and to automate many processes. For example, you can tie it with Slack to share information with your team in a faster and easier way.
Clean Your Inbox With Ease
It is not a secret that many email users spend too much time cleaning their inboxes. Luckily, Outlook has a great clean-up feature to make this process simpler. It automatically deletes all duplicate emails. Here is how to use it:
- Click the Clean Up button and choose Clean Up Folder.
- Confirm this action.
In a few moments, you will have fewer emails with no duplicates.
Create Templates Of the Most Common Answers
Instead of wasting your time on typing the same answers, you can create ‘Quick Parts’ to send replies faster. Here is how you can do this:
- Type a common answer;
- Highlight the text you would like to save as a template, then follow this sequence: ‘Insert’ → ‘Quick Parts’ → ‘Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery’;
- Give a relevant name to your template and press OK.
Later, whenever you need to give the same answer in your email, you can go to the ‘Insert’ tab → ‘Quick Parts’ and choose the suitable template. This trick should save you some time.
Save Search Results
Outlook has another great feature that allows you to find the needed emails faster. Search queries can be saved just below the list of folders.
