Maybe Less is More?
Sometimes I wonder if Less is More with traffic exchanges. Keeping track of them is crazy. Check out my gmail account that only gets traffic exchange emails. This address is only given in the members area of an exchange, nowhere else. I’ve got 660 emails in my inbox, and 30 exchanges filtered (they get lables & their emails moved out of the inbox automatically).
I’ve found this way to be the best way to organize it, but it’s kinda crazy. There is no way I’ll be able to read all those emails. LOL I just saw another one pop into the inbox as I’m writing this (I have dual monitors, email one what I’m working on the other).
Anyways – if you are a power user, and you need or want to use tons of exchanges all at the same time, then I suggest you try my method for organizing the emails:
- Get a Gmail account. Yeah I know you’ve got one already right? But you use it for other stuff right? Yeah, so get one ONLY for your traffic exchanges emails. I actually used the Google Apps so I have traffic@mydomain.com (I’ll probably have safelist@domain.com, etc)
- Look in your current email account for the most recent exchange that emailed you. Login and update your account to the new email address.
- Click the confirmation email to view it, then the top right of the email click that arrow and select filter messages like this.
- It’ll auto fill the From field – I take out anything before the @ symbol.
- Check off Skip the Inbox, Apply the label (create a new label for each exchange), and Never send to spam.
- Then click the check box also apply filter to and hit create filter
That’s all to it. Then as you check your email on the normal account, anytime you get an exchange newsletter go update the email address. You can also goto Traffic Exchange List and start from the top and move your way down. (If you are a power user afterall, you’ll be joining all the exchanges anyhow..)
The key is to not get overwhelmed by it all though. One of the days I was waay unproductive and tired, I put on some movies and did it. It’s a tedious task but once it’s done you’ll find it way easier to find emails you are looking for.
Oh and the greatest part is the labels make it real easy to see which exchanges mail alot or a tiny bit. And also which ones have new emails. Gmail puts the number of unread messages next to each label.
If there’s an exchange you *really* want (like StartXchange) to read *all* the emails you can skip the “skip the inbox” checkbox. Then it’ll show them in the inbox. It’s up to you, I only have a few because it makes it easier to find emails coming in that haven’t been filtered yet.
Your right Tim, less is more – I have started to unsubscribe, only keeping around 6 of the best…
Yep – less is more!
Well good to see you posting, must mean I’m one of the 6 =P
I use the same method with outlook. And I have all my email accounts forwarded to one and filter everything into seperate folders. Then I just clear through all the emails from a certain source all at once.
Mike Haase,
http://www.haaseinfotech.com/focusednews.aspx
I use gmail for my safelists, and have set up the filters and labels for them. It makes everything so much easier to find.
I don’t belong to very many TEs yet, but when it gets to that point, I will use the filters for them, too. Right now, their emails just go to my inbox.
I like reading your blog – lots of good info.
Thanks,
Carole
Admin
Mermaids Magic
That’s a good idea as some safelists etc send so many it clogs up the inbox!!
Enjoy your blogs Tim
Sal xx
Hi Tim,
wow, do I have to same experience with a ever filling inbox.
Thnx for this tip.
Rgds.,
John
I’ve been thinking of doing the same with my TE’s. When I was first on the ‘net everything went to my yahoo email, and now all my TE’s come there, but I have to check carefully for other important emails.
I recently joined one TE which rejected my yahoo address and so that goes to one of my gmail accounts. I don’t know what the limit is but I have 4 gmail accounts, and their filtering system is good.
Thanks for the suggestion, and thanks also for your blogs
Anne
Tim,
Great post and explained very well.
I started a long time ago using a totally different gmail account for my traffic exchange accounts. “kentesurf@
I also have maybe 6 other email addresses, not all gmail, that I have come to my main account and filter as you explained. It has really helped me gain control over what to read first and so on.
This way support tickets are not mixed in with general mail and so forth. Priorities you know :)
Anyway, great post. I highly recommend taking the time to do this.
Another suggestion….
All TEs that you are upgraded in, you may want to have a separate filter for those since you are paying, you surely want to read those ASAP.
Keep up the great posts and advise,
Ken Athas
HitsImpossible
OnlineBusinessTraffic
TrafficExchangeAlliance
Ah good point about the upgraded ones.. Those could be the ones that you dont have skip the inbox.
You can also add more than one lable,
xchange, upgraded for example.
Hip Hip Hooray for GMAIL!
I have Gmail addresses for different groups, such as Safelists, Text Ad Exchanges, Social Networks, Traffic Exchanges, etc.
It makes things a lot easier to manage especially with the filtering and labeling options.
Tim, your post may have just rescued many from email hell:-)
Jimmy Adames
Oh, I love filtering my gmail account and saves me so much time. I also do lot of ad exchanges and I have separate file for each one and have them filtered and when I need to read solo ads for credits – they are all together – this works wonderful.
Nancy Radlingers lastest blog post..The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Join
Thanks Tim, I just created a gmail account for a traffic exchange. Now I will use your advice
Is there a limit to how many gmail accounts you can have? I already have 2 accts, and I find it difficult to switch bewtween them, my last pass account tries to log me in to the first acct, so every time I try to log in to the other one it reverts to my auto log in of the main acct..the first one. And pardon my ignorance, what did you mean by you use the google apps?..I am not extremely experienced with the goole mail, but would love to find a better way to organize my traffic exchange junk mail. One thing though, if we all ended up doing this, what would be the point of even sending any mail through the xchanges? Everyone would just delete the folders without ever reading any of the mail….so how do we benefit from using this method, when we are trying to get our messages out?…Confused, Dazed, and what the Heck!….
I’m beginning to think less is more in most of the aforementioned mediums. It is cyclical for most of us I think. We go all manic on te’s, text ad exchanges, safelists, then at some point get tired of the inundation and start deleting. Rinse and repeat. LOL.
Toms lastest blog post..Is There A Rainbow At The End Of This Downpour?
As usual, I do the proverbial “Learn something new everyday” when it comes to your blog.
I have gmail accounts and some filters set up, but had not used the “filter messages like this” option before.
Thanks for the helpful info!
Cat
Yes, less is more. I cannot use nor concentrate on more than 8 or so traffic exchanges. For each new one that opens, and if it takes off, it MUST replace someone elses. One cannot keep joining and using a never ending list of traffic exchanges.
Stephen Cs lastest blog post..Top 10 Comanies That Are Hiring
Spam mails doesn’t bother me anymore. Got used to them. What bother me is that they (the owners I bought stuff from) spam my Paypal email.
I do agree with some here, also starting to cancel some exchange accounts.
Rickys lastest blog post..Steps To Succeed In Affiliate Network Marketing
I used to effectively use google labels, however I find outlook express much more convenient. Delete the gmail inbox automatically after downloading to my notebook.
I also use number tags say to differentiate between Traffic exchanges, Text ad exchenges, membership sites etc.
Cheers,
NJS
I did roughly the same thing with Yahoo, until I hit the 200 folder limit. Then I decided to put all exchange mail in one exchange folder and review it all there. That at least left some more folders for following people by name.
I use the the Yahoo account for receiving everything and siphon off what I want to more private emails, after some watching and review.
I did get a Gmail email and much more just because collaborating with people for docs and spreads and the like is really cool.
Right now I am preserving the one Gmail email I have, as very private, but let’s see how long that lasts.
Thanks Tim…Good Stuff!
Yes Tim, Less is always more.
However it depends on what the less is of.
If I like the Subject I open the mail.
if not I delete it.
God Bless You,
Caroline
fivereasons
Hi Tim, Thanks for your Tip on using my gmail to filter out all the Traffic exchange emails. I use only 5, but I get a lot of email from others.
Thanks again