It's been over 30 years since messaging was first introduced in the form of email.
In today's day, there are dozens of forms of messaging. From social media to chat apps, the messaging channels are endless.
The reality is: conversations are happening everywhere. And every different messaging platform typically comes with its own form of an 'inbox'.
It's why many people find themselves drowning in messages.
So what's the best way to manage all of these messages and increase productivity?
Enter, Inbox Zero.
What is Inbox Zero?
Originally coined in 2006 in a blog by Merlin Mann, Inbox Zero is a term used to refer to an approach that aims to keep text, email, and chat message inboxes empty. This concept ties into your time management as a team and how you utilize your brainpower while tackling your inbox.
How is the Inbox Zero Concept Implemented into a Workflow?
The Inbox Zero Method is a seven-step process to achieve Inbox Zero.
Unsubscribe from unnecessary email, text, or chat lists.
Organize messages into views using filters tags or labels
Consolidate your emails, texts, or chats into one inbox
Only handle a message once “OHIO”
Delete, delegate, respond, defer, or do
Manage and customize your message notifications
Set a maximum number of times you check messages per day
Let's dive into our own version of the Inbox Zero Method that can be used in your MessageDesk workspace.⬇️ ⬇️
1. Prevent Unnecessary Inbox Clutter
In popular email services such as Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo, unsubscribing from unnecessary promotional emails is the primary way to prevent inbox clutter.
The same concept can be applied to your shared inbox in MessageDesk. Limit the sharing of your MessageDesk phone number to trustworthy contacts to prevent spam and other forms of clutter in your inbox.
This is one reason why having a MessageDesk account is so powerful. Having your work number separate on a platform such as ours eliminates the possibility of spam associated with your personal number.
2. Organize Messages Using Views and Conversation Assignments
Designating emails into separate folders and starring important emails is an important feature in most email inboxes.
In MessageDesk, conversations can be sorted into custom views and even assigned to other teammates. Employing these tactics will help you and your team collectively manage your shared inbox and achieve Inbox Zero.
Using Multiple Views in MessageDesk
The capability to create and assign conversations to multiple inboxes or "Views" in MessageDesk allows you to sort your conversations by different groups of contacts.
Want to know how to create and edit your inbox views? Check out our Multiple Inboxes learning center article to learn more.
Assigning Conversations to Users
Teamwork makes the dream work. Manage your inbox as a team and avoid duplicating work by assigning conversations to the appropriate team member.
Using both of these techniques will have you well on your way to the promised land: Inbox Zero✨
3. Consolidating All Messages into MessageDesk
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of using a shared inbox is the ability to have all of your team's messaging located in one central inbox.
This facilitates collaboration and team efficiency so your team can operate at maximum efficiency and create the most value from their time.
MessageDesk provides a powerful platform to consolidate all messages into one inbox and provides a variety of tools to best suit your team's needs.
Want to become an expert on how to text as a team in MessageDesk? Refer to our Text Messaging as a Team article from our Learning Center.
4. Only Handle It Once (OHIO)
When managing your conversations in MessageDesk, it's good practice to do one of the following: Reply to the conversation, Close the conversation, or Assign the conversation to the appropriate team member. Hello Inbox Zero!
Want your reply to send at a later time? Use our 'Schedule Message' feature to set your reply to send at a date, time, and frequency of your choice.
Head over to our How to Schedule a Text Message article to become a schedule-send aficionado.
5. Utilizing Custom Message Notifications
Customizing your notification preferences is vital to achieving Inbox Zero. Don't want to miss a stitch in your MessageDesk inbox? Turn on custom notifications based on your personal preferences. Want to check out for a while? Turn all notifications off.
Visit our How MessageDesk Notifications Work article to dive deeper into notification features in MessageDesk.
6. Set a Maximum Amount of Times You Check Messages Per Day
We love having you as a customer here at MessageDesk, (we really do)! But, we are more than aware that your entire day shouldn't be consumed by our messaging platform.
The final step to reach Inbox Zero is to set aside a specific time of day to view and manage your conversations.
A great example is setting aside a time window to check your messages once per morning and once per evening to prevent message overload.
