One of the biggest work issues I face is how to quickly deal with the mountain of email I get every day. Numerous remedies have been proposed for dealing with spam - or unsolicited commercial email - including server software that blocks the bulk of it and legislation that threatens the worst offenders.
But email overload can occur without spam, through normal operating activities, especially for PR professionals whose jobs involve sending and receiving large numbers of messages.
This article will show you how to use filters to automatically process much of the email you receive. If you've never used filters, you should make an effort to set some up and see what happens. I bet they'll save you hours of work every week.
Most email software now comes with filtering capabilities. I use EudoraPro by Qualcomm <eudora-info@qualcomm. com>.
Every year, I compare it to the other programs on the market, and it still works best for me. Whether you're using Netscape Communicator, Microsoft Access, Ariel, Lotus Notes, or another email program, you probably have some filtering capabilities. It pays to buy good email software and master its features. EudoraPro has great filters that let you screen out unwanted email, file incoming email, and process routine inquiries automatically. (Your email software my require setting the parameters in a slightly different manner. But just check the documentation or help file.)
Let's look at some examples.
The Bulk E-Mail Filter: This is the biggest time-saver of all the filters I use. First, create an email folder called "Bulk Mail." Next, set a filter as follows:
If (any recipient)
Does Not Contain (myname)
Transfer To (Bulk Mail)
This tells Eudora that if the recipient in any incoming email does not contain your name, transfer that mail to the folder called "Bulk Mail."
Simply substitute the first part of your email address (the part before the @ sign) for "myname" in the above example, and your bulk mail will be filtered off to a separate email box.
What does this filter do? I only see emails personally addressed to me. That cuts about 95% of the spam I receive, but it also diverts any messages from mailing lists or newsletters I subscribe to which are usually not personally addressed. The messages aren't gone however, just filed elsewhere.
Using the bulk mail filter, the amount of email in my in-box is manageable and often includes the most important messages. Later in the day, I open the bulk mail folder, select everything, unselect the mail I want to keep, and dump the rest in the trash. This filter saves me hours of time every week, not only by quickly identifying spam so I can trash it unopened, but also by keeping newsletters from distracting me until I'm ready to read them.
Mailing List and Newsletter Filters: The Bulk Mail filter is a catchall. If you subscribe to mailing lists or online newsletters, you'll want to set-up filters to channel these into separate folders. For example, I subscribe to the Online Advertising Discussion List (http://www.o-a.com). I created a Eudora folder called "Online Ads" and a filter that works like this:
If (From:)
Contains ([email protected])
Transfer To (Online Ads)
All my issues will be in my online ads folder waiting for me. I use a similar filter for other high-traffic lists to which I subscribe. You have to run these individual filters before your bulk mail filter. Eudora allows you to use drag-and-drop methods to arrange the order in which your filters run.
Autoresponder Filters: Good email software allows you to set up a poor man's infobot. An infobot sends out a canned reply to common inquiries. Also called autoresponders, mailbots, mail reflectors and many other names, you will call them blessed time savers if you learn how to use them right.
In the old days, you needed a separate email address for each Infobot, such as ([email protected]). But now you can do this all with your personal email account using filters. For example, if you have a standard brochure with information about a product or service, you can tell people "For more information, just send e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line 'Send Brochure' and I will reply with a text file." Then you set-up a filter as follows:
If (Subject:)
Contains (Send Brochure)
And
If (Subject:)
Does Not Contain (Re:)
Reply With (Brochure)
Transfer To (Prospects)
This is one powerful filter! Anyone asking for your brochure will be sent the file "Brochure" UNLESS the subject line contains the word "Re:". This exception prevents people who are replying to your brochure from being sent the brochure again. Sometimes these filters take a little fine-tuning, but the time saved is worth the effort.
The second thing this filter does, after replying with the brochure, is to file the inquiry away into an email folder called "Prospects." Now all your prospects are gathered into one convenient folder which you can use when making follow-ups.
Autoresponders can be set up to send many common documents: contest rules, store locations, street directions, tour schedules, inventory lists, product support files, electronic coupons, order forms, giveaway files used in promotions and any other document you can think of (including graphics, video, audio, software, etc.).
I might have as many as 12 promotions going simultaneously, resulting in upwards of 300 emails a day. At one minute per email it would take five solid hours to plow through those requests. After setting up filters, those 300 requests can be processed in five minutes, leaving about 20 messages to be dealt with individually. Simply awesome! Setting-up autoresponder filters can be tricky. You don't want to accidentally send the wrong document to 300 people.
So be sure to test your filters by sending email to yourself (or to a co-worker) then observe how it's processed before unleashing your filter on the public.
Steve O'Keefe is director of Internet publicity services for The Tenagra Corporation and author of the book, "Publicity on the Internet" (John Wiley & Sons). Reach him at <[email protected]> or at 281-480-6300.