As a first time entrepreneur (or long-time entrepreneur looking for new ways to grow) your time is incredibly valuable. So, if there was a way for you to increase productivity and conduct needed research, surely you would jump on that opportunity!
Let us introduce you to Google task-specific email addressing. This free feature gives you the ability to receive emails at an unlimited number of email addresses – all in your single Gmail or GSuite account. If you add a “plus” sign after your email name, followed by anything, it will still get delivered to your inbox.
For entrepreneurs looking for a way to vet their platform, this tool is very helpful. Not only does it let you test multiple user types, but also lets you target specific audiences.
While this tool is currently only available through the Gmail and GSuite, it’s in the works for Office 365/Outlook. Adding your vote in this forum may help encourage Microsoft to add the feature sooner.
What are task-specific email addresses and how do they work?
For all of our examples, our email address will be [email protected]
If you wanted to let your company’s prospective clients contact you and make sure that you don’t accidentally disregard their email, you could give them: johndoe+questions@example.com. You could then create a filter so that all “+questions” emails are directed to a specific folder.
5 GSuite Gmail Tips to Test Digital Products and Save Time
- Creating an Email Filter
Before you even begin to use task-specific addressing, you will want to create specific folders for your emails to be delivered to. Emails filtered to specific folders will help your company stay organized. Your inbox will stay clean and can even break each folder up into specific clients so that you won’t get confused about projects you are working on as your company grows.
Follow the next set of instructions to learn how to create specific email filters in your Gmail account.
- Log into your Gmail account.
- Click the gear icon, “See All Settings,” and then “Filters.”
- Click “Create a New Filter” and enter the modified email address in the “To” field.
- Click “Create Filter.”
- Check the appropriate action (Delete It, Forward It, Label It, etc.) and then click “Create Filter.”
- Your filter is now active!
The possibilities for task-specific addressing are endless, but there are a few ways you can maximize the feature to help your company grow!
2. Product Testing
Most new products require a signup process to begin using and can have multiple user types.
For example, works with a company whose product helps municipalities manage major outsourced repairs on their city vehicles (fire engines, police cars, etc). The product allows for drivers to submit an accident report or needed repairs and a local body shop then has the ability to submit a bid for the job. For this particular product, multiple user types were needed and they all required different email addresses to use the app.
User types:
- Body shop
- Driver
- Fleet manager
- Fleet foreman
- Risk manager
Before the app was launched, the client needed the ability to test each specific user type. Creating new email addresses for each user type would be an added, time-consuming task. With task-specific addressing, they were able to simplify the process and seamlessly perform a product test.
3. Block Spam
How often are we asked to give our email address when we visit a website or even when we check out at a physical store. These emails constantly come to our inbox and can take extra time to unsubscribe from. For many businesses, a one time content upgrade or needed tool for your website normally requires an email address before they will let you download, but you might not want to continue to receive their emails in your primary inbox. With the Google tool, you can easily filter unwanted emails to a specific folder or even immediately delete.
When asked for your email, enter something similar to “johndoe+promotions@example.com” Create a new filter and you’re all set! Now your inbox will be free of unnecessary emails, but you will still have the opportunity to access them when needed.
4. Receive Urgent Emails
For new entrepreneurs, it is important to quickly resolve any issues your product may have that a client or team member brings to your attention. With task-specific addressing, you can filter emails to an “urgent” folder simply by adding +urgent to the end and creating the appropriate folder. You can even adjust the filter to always mark the emails sent to it as important. Advise clients and team members to only use the email address when it is truly an urgent situation so that you can tackle their issues immediately
5. Track Email Origins
One thing about email addresses is that they can easily be sold without your knowledge. As a new company, if you notice your inbox is constantly filling up with spam from places you haven’t visited, chances are your email address has been sold.
Where are companies getting your email address from? Chances are you have signed up for a content upgrade, newsletter, or even purchased a product from a company that has decided to sell your email. Each of these deliverables requires you to submit an email and then that company gets to decide what to do with it: use it for their personal use or sell it.
If you want to track exactly who is selling your email, task-specific addressing is a great way to do that. For each new signup simply use your name + a number. For example, if you are purchasing an item online and need to provide an email, enter johndoe+1@example.com. When you receive emails sent to that address in your inbox, from another company, you will know your email address has been sold. While you can’t exactly ask for your email back, it is good to know which companies are protecting your personal information.
Note: It is important to remember that the order does matter in task-specific addressing. The + sign must always come after your email name. If you flip the order, promotions+[email protected], the email will not be sent to your account and could go to the owner of promotions@example.com.
Google task-specific addressing has many benefits, even more than we have listed in this article! It is a great tool for your business or for your personal use. Check it out and share this tool with your team members and friends – they will thank you for it!