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New! Free Email Signatures Turns Your Email Into An Opportunity

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Install the Gmail signature generator that delivers results

A solid business email signature is more than just contact information, it is a promotion and engagement opportunity. Some email recipients will spend more time looking at our emails than our lovely faces in person. With a polished email signature, every email communication can do double-duty in a way that keeps you top of mind. Your business email signature might include:

  • An image of you or your logo
  • Social media profiles, increasing your social engagement
  • Legal disclaimers to protect your clients and your company
  • A YouTube video to describe what you do, or include a personalized video—which is especially great for new listings that realtors might want to show
  • A link to your sales page, or maybe your latest blog post or company press release
  • An engaging banner that wishes your customers happy holidays
  • A link for recipients to quickly schedule a meeting, simplifying a future interaction with them

Most of all, it should be quick and simple to set up!

We just launched a Free Email Signature Generator for Gmail that takes all the effort out of designing a unique business email signature, while giving you a suite of handy tools at your fingertips.

Here’s a quick video that explains how you can create your own email signature in just a few seconds:

 

Now that you’ve seen all the fun things you can do, let’s take a step-by-step deeper dive.

Step 1. Install Free Email Signature Generator for Gmail

You’ll need to install Free Email Signature Generator from the Google Web Store. Just click here.

Step 2. Enter Your Work Details

Once installed, an “email signature details” window will automatically pop up. You can also click the “Manage Gmail Signatures” icon located on the bottom on every email. This will always be available to you so that you can add more customization.

Fill in the contact information, your website and upload your logo or picture. Once completed, you can have a little fun designing the look and feel using the other three icons on the left. Let’s review them together.

Step 3. Introduce Email Recipients to Your Social Media Profiles

After your email signature details are complete, you can connect your signature to your social media. Just move to the next box on the left hand menu that has a sharing icon. As mentioned, this is a perfect opportunity to extend your recipient’s engagement by encouraging your them  to experience your business on other mediums like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any other social media profiles you’d like to showcase like YouTube, Instagram or Etsy, just click on the button below that says “Add Another.” This window will popup, where you can choose from a wide variety of social media platforms.

Step 4. Customize Your Email Signature With Color & Design

Next up is the design box on the left hand side, where we will get the opportunity to get more creative. cloudHQ makes it simple to be a pseudo-designer through built in layout email signature templates. This will allow you to save time on formatting, while providing the refined look that best represents your business. Begin to make your signature as unique as you are—change the size, fonts, and colors to unify your brand experience.

Step 5. Extensions For Your Extension!

We linked other great extensions to this one to make your email signature exceptional. Let’s take a look at all the options.

1. Calendar Meeting Scheduler

Directly from this signature tool, you can add in a calendar meeting scheduler that allows your email recipients to book a meeting time with you in just a click.

2. Sales Event Announcement

Or, if you’re having a special promotion or event, it is simple to add a link URL under the Sales Event field for whatever duration of time that you need. The link redirects your audience to the promotion site, reducing the steps to a sale. This is just another way that email signatures can be a powerful business driver!

3. YouTube Video

Next up in the extensions we have videos. Data shows that video is the fastest growing engagement tool online. Our own newsfeeds and websites are brimming with videos that deliver more value than thousands of words of text. Add a video introducing your business to the world or use a video to increase launch visibility of your latest product or service.

3. Holiday Banners

And, during the end of the year, how many times do you sign off your emails with “Happy Holidays” or something similar during the festive seasons? Well, the holiday template banners brings a lot of simplicity and color to wish your clients, friends and family well during holidays.

Often, manually adding media content like this to a signature can disrupt the entire format, but not with this Free Email Signature Generator. Everything stays in its place, with the flexibility to change the creative elements as frequently as you need.

4. Confidentiality Disclaimers & Green Footers

We want to be sure all your email recipients handle your content with care. However, if you are not a lawyer, you might hesitate to add the confidentiality language that you’d like. Built in email signature templates make it easy to select just the right disclaimer so that both you and your email recipients are protected.

And while we are are talking about protection, the environment could sure use our help. Digital communication saves on paper only if we do not print the emails we receive. Plus, today’s audience like knowing they are doing business with mission-driven organizations. So, take the time to remind your network to consider carefully if they need to print your emails. Every little bit helps!

5. HTML

HTML is great if you understand how to code HTML and want to include something custom like a word, or button, or something like that. For example, if you wanted to include the word “IMPORTANT” and underline it, you can enter in this code:

<h2><u>IMPORTANT</u></h2>

It’s fun to be able to create code that gives you exactly what you want.

Once you’ve completed all the design customization and extension additions, hit “Save Signature” to begin enjoying your new signature!

Customized business email signatures give you a business edge

As we covered, the major difference between a regular text email signature and this email signature, is the ability to create a dynamic Call-To-Action (CTA). Every business needs to find multiple ways to encourage prospective clients to take action – especially when every marketing dollar counts. In this way, email can serve as a sophisticated promotional tool, highlighting your brand with every click. Whether it’s a video, photos of your product or links to a sale and social media, use this valuable real estate to tell a story about who you are and what you offer.

Free Email Signature Generator allows you to:

  • Add a video outlining your services and images to give your brand personality
  • Share promotional links and holiday banners in tasteful, yet consistent way
  • Instantly add legal confidentiality and green footers to each email
  • Change the sizes, colors and fonts with a few simple clicks

We know that our businesses thrive and grow when our network can easily and often see exactly why we are a fit. Yet, we commonly leave that responsibility unfulfilled in one of the most obvious places – Email. No more! Now there is a solution that fits every business. So, ask yourself: How well are you being represented in your business email signature today?

 

 

How to Get More Done (With Less Effort!) in 2019

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Well, we’re a week into 2019. How are your resolutions coming?

My reading and exercise resolutions are on track.

My diet resolution…? Do we have to talk about that one?

Still, after an up and down 2018, I (like many of you) would love to be more productive in the coming months.

Here are some productivity hacks I’m going to try to get more done this year. I hope you’ll find a few you can apply to your own goals as well.

1. Stop Working More Than 50 Hours Per Week (No, Seriously)

Work Less

Did you know that research shows productivity falls sharply after 50 hours of work? Apparently, many people will get less done in 70 hours of work than we do in 50.

That’s because the quality of our work drops, as does our ability to focus. We actually create more work for ourselves.

I was stunned when a friend shared that statistic with me late last year.

We’d be better off sleeping or spending time with friends or family. It’s a point I’ll be trying to take to heart this year.

2. Make Some New Brain Cells (by Exercising)

Exercise

I know, I know. Everyone says “exercise!!!”

As if the two hours it takes to get ready, go to the gym, exercise, come home, shower, and put yourself back together isn’t crazy disruptive to our otherwise packed calendars.

I’m with you, and I feel the pain of the time crunch caused by exercising.

And yet, research shows that exercise can create new brain cells—even for people well into adulthood.

That’s a drastic change from what I learned in school—that we all had a certain set number of brain cells and, if you lose them, “They never come back!”

So this year, I’ll be trying to get myself to the gym. Because I’m a knowledge worker and every brain cell counts.

Also, because I feel better after, and I do find that I get more done in the hours after a good workout.

3. Put Mundane Tasks on AutoPilot Whenever Possible

I completely forgot I had to do that

Last week I (finally!) set up an autopay through my bank for my monthly water bill, the only utility bill I have that doesn’t offer an automatic payment option.

Until last week, I was still writing a check, sticking it in an envelope, and sending it through the mail. I can’t tell you how many months last year I paid the extra $5 fee for not having it in by the “early payment” date.

What else could you do to automate some of the time vultures in your life?

Now’s the time to do them.

4. Make a “Quit These” Resolution List

Let's not and say we did

This is not new advice, but it’s worth a reminder.

Most New Year’s Resolutions are for things you want to start doing.

Every year I try to make a “quit these” resolution list too. The great thing about a quit these list?

It’s much easier to keep!

My big “quit this” resolution is to stop staying up past midnight. I’m a night owl by nature and I still love the quiet of the late hours of the day.

But even I’m not productive at 2 a.m.

5. Try New Tools

Off my list forever

This might be the biggest productivity area I’ll be exploring to get more done.

We have so many free Gmail tools, for example. I should be doing a better job taking advantage of them to shave time off the 30-60 minutes I usually spend on email every day.

One quick hack I just set up yesterday?

I added a Gmail Snippet to respond to the quick check-in emails I often get asking for the status of a project.

You can set up as many of these as you want—for free—using Gmail Snippets.

Check out our full list of free productivity tools (there are over 50!) to see all the other ways we can help you save time and be more productive.

Gmail Productivity Tools

 

How to Break Through a Mental Block in 3 Easy Steps

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Sometimes, it feels like the more that we have on our plate, the less that we actually get done.

Being overloaded at work can create stress, which is normally a healthy thing to experience. However, when you’re faced with a much larger amount of work to plow through than usual, many people channel their instinctual responses.

You’ve all heard of fight or flight, but have you heard of “freeze“? It’s the same response that your body gets when:

  1. You experience writer’s block, or
  2. You don’t know how to start that presentation you’re supposed to be working on, or
  3. Whatever it is that you’re avoiding because you just don’t know where to start.

Well- we’ve all been there. And the worst possible advice that we’ve ever heard, is: Just do it.

Because it doesn’t work that way. I’m here to tell you that Nike got it very wrong. Yes, you should do it, but there are steps to take before you can actually do anything, and here they are:

3 Steps to Get Yourself Motivated

 

Step 1. Preparation: Cover the Basics

I know you already know this, but the basics you need to cover before starting anything is completely physical. Make sure you:

  1. Sleep well, or at least rest your body for at least 6-8hours.
    • Remove the screens. Put them on airplane mode, or do whatever you can to remove external stimulation.
    • And if you’re tired in the afternoon, don’t be shy to take a 1 hour nap. Tip: You should set your alarm in case you sleep too much.
  2. Eat healthy. Most people already know what that means to them, so apply it to yourself because we all have different bodies that need different types of nourishment. Try fresh foods, unrefined fats, and clean proteins.

  3. Exercise! This could be whatever works for you- but somewhere in your day, stop to increase your heartbeat for at least 20 minutes. If you can do that out in nature, even better. It gets your creative juices flowing!

  4. Have a good workstation setup. I’m personally a fan of autonomous.ai desks, so that I can either stand or sit at my correct height. Here’s a really good image resource for you to refer back to when you’re setting up your workstation:

Step 2. Reset Your Brainwaves

Once you covered the steps in #1, it’s time to retrain your brain.

Your brain gets stuck in repetitive patterns, not because it’s good for you, but because it understands that there will be no changes it hasn’t already experienced before. Your brain understands your routine, and it’s trained not to pursue change because changes inflict stress; and therefore invokes a fight, flight, or freeze reaction.

Time to break free of that pattern that’s getting you absolutely nowhere fast.

  1. Meditate.
    I know it could sound hokey, but before you sit down (or stand) at your desk, face north and breathe a few deep, purposeful breaths. Picture yourself accomplishing your task.

  2. Create a schedule.
    Organize your time in chunks and block it off in your schedule. Don’t make to-do lists, actually block it off in your calendar and estimate the time you need to finish your job successfully.

  3. Remove external stimuli.
    Turn off your phone, remove notifications from your screens, and let everyone know you’re busy.
    • If you need to be available for only specific people like your boss, partner, or large client, then organize SMS alerts in case you get an email from them, and them alone.

    • Your browser tab is usually busy and distracting. Use this free Chrome extension to shield you from the noise and keep you in your creative zone.
  4. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
    It can be a multitude of things that inspire you, but it needs to get you started. It usually starts out as an idea that your awesome brain can connect with, and envision something bigger around it.
    Maybe it’s something simple like a subject title, or a presentation slide template.I’ve met a lot of people in my lifetime after speaking at so many events, in so many countries, and I guarantee you that the most successful ones were the ones who were resourceful. Everything is available to you, but it’s up to you to search for it. Once you find your starting point, fill the rest of it out with your enormous style and knowledge- and you’ll see how well that flows.

Step 3. Ride that Creativity Wave

Congratulations! Because once you get to this step, you’ve already begun to create new brainwave patterns, and you’re probably already producing some quality work.

The hard part is to make sure that you don’t get into that rut again, and a lot it has to do with protecting yourself from noise. Here’s a small selection of freebie Chrome extensions that can help you with your inbox distractions:

  1. Snooze that email Do not feel pressured to reply back to anyone immediately. Snooze an email for a more suitable time for you to respond.
  2. Rename your email for better search later on (like flight tickets)
  3. Block off time in your day to respond to emails. Then you can schedule them for when you want them sent.
  4. Use screenshots to make sure you communicate visually.
  5. Delegate your meeting organization times. Get your meetings organized by letting people book themselves in your calendar for you.

With those tips, that should help you get out of your funk, and help you become a productivity machine.

Because guess what? More productivity = more happiness, and usually more income, too.

Check out other cloudHQ applications that work right within Google- saving you time, and keeping you productive.


  

5 Must Know Powerful Productivity Tools

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Chrome extensions are tiny executable programs that run in your browser.

Tiny, but powerful.

From productivity to task management, Chrome extensions help you get things done.

Which extensions help you the most?

Here are five.

1. StayFocusd

Are you something of a news addict?

If we let ourselves, we’d check Google News as often as some people check Twitter or Facebook.

That’s why we use StayFocusd.

It’s a flexible site blocking tool, allowing you to block sites completely or set a limit on how much time you spend on them.

cloudHQ_blog_powerful_1_stayfocusd

 

2. Kill Facebook News Feed

Facebook is a blessing and a curse.

It helps you grow your network, reconnect with old friends, and stay in touch with family all over the world.

It’s also incredibly addicting, which is not good for your productivity.

Since Chrome is where most people do their work, you might like to use the Kill Facebook News Feed extension to help.

Unlike a site blocker, it doesn’t stop you from using Facebook.

You can check pages, look at friends’ profiles, research companies—all the things you sometimes need to do for work.

It just keeps you from getting pulled into the news feed.

cloudHQ_blog_powerful_2_fbfeed

 

3. Nimbus Screenshot

Nimbus Screenshot was one of the first extensions we installed in Chrome, and it remains one of the favorites.

With it, you can take a screenshot of the full-length of a website, then annotate it before saving the image to your computer.

cloudHQ_blog_powerful_3_ninbus

 

4. Meeting Scheduler

Meeting Scheduler might be our favorite cloudHQ-built extension.

Whenever you want to schedule a meeting, make it easy and save yourself the headache for both you, and your invitee’s availability.  Just send a link, and let your invitee choose what time is best for them. Saves time for everyone, and makes a great first impression.

Also, the option of including the little lighthearted gif at the end makes it very cute.

 

5. Momentum

Momentum adds beauty to your day.

When you open Chrome, instead of a homepage, you’ll get something that looks like this:

The photo and quote changes every day, and they always make you smile.

We know it’s not strictly a productivity tool, but if you believe the science, happy people are more productive people, which is good enough for us.

cloudHQ_blog_powerful_5_momentum

cloudHQ Productivity Extensions

While most of the above extensions don’t come from us, we continue to expand cloudHQ’s library of Chrome productivity extensions, including:

You can find the full list here: cloudHQ Chrome extensions.

If you use Gmail, Dropbox, or any of the major cloud storage services, I’m sure you’ll find something there to make your life easier.

 

cloudHQ Productivity Extensions
 

7 Easy Ways to Stay Productive During the Holidays

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Tis the season!

Secret Santa. Holiday parties. Shopping. Ugly sweater contests. It’s fun, but it’s also hectic.

You should have some fun at this time of year. But alas, you still have work to get done.

Here are a few tips to help you enjoy the season—without falling behind:

1. Limit Your To-Do List

 

 

cloudhq_blog_holidayproductivity_1_todolist

 

If you normally attack five big tasks a day, try to limit it to three or four.

That will give you time to finish your work—along with time to enjoy holiday gatherings and activities that happen this time of year.

2. Take Fewer Meetings

 

 

cloudhq_blog_holidayproductivity_2_meetings

 

With everyone on vacation, it’s difficult to get the right people in the room during the holidays.

Don’t worry about it.

Use the phone, email, or chat messages to communicate. You might find you get work done faster anyway.

3. Avoid Shopping at Work

 

 

cloudhq_blog_holidayproductivity_3_shopping

 

It’s so easy to jump on Amazon or eBay during work hours.

Avoid the impulse if you can. Online shopping is a perfect example of a time black hole.

If you have to do some shopping, try to use it as a reward. Finish a task, then do a few minutes of shopping. Just be sure to finish the task first.

4. Knock out a Full-Day Project

 

 

cloudhq_blog_holidayproductivity_4_onedayearly

 

Some projects require deep focus. But that’s not easy in many workplaces, which are often full of distractions and interruptions.

As people take vacation, you might find yourself with a few days of peace and quiet: a perfect time for a full-day project.

Book a conference room for yourself, move in for a day, and knock it out.

5. Come Back (A Little) Early from Break

 

 

cloudhq_blog_holidayproductivity_5_halfempty

 

If it works for your schedule, come back a day or two early from break. That way you’ll have time without people in the office.

Why?

Because you can get a lot done if no one’s bothering you.

6. Use Your Out-of-Office Message

 

 

 

Let people know when you will (and will not be) available—along with why.

If you’re going to be away for a photo shoot, for example, say so.

And don’t forget to proofread.

7. Experiment With New Tools

 

 

cloudhq_blog_holidayproductivity_7_running

 

Finally, with fewer meetings, December is the perfect time to try new ideas and new tools.

With a few hours of research, you can increase your productivity for years to come.

We’re biased of course, but we think our ever-growing list of Chrome productivity tools is a perfect place to start.

For example, we have the easiest way to save emails as PDFs (with one-click). And a tool to help you get responses from your coworkers in 3 minutes (or less!).

There are many more to explore, so start today!

 

New Productivity Tools
 

5 Tiny Gmail Tweaks That Make an Enormous Difference

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It’s the little things.

Gmail is full of little tweaks that change how the service works.

We’ve been experimenting with Gmail lately, trying out its configurations, experimental features, and add-ons.

We found a lot of changes that helped. Below are our top five.

All are 100% free. We think you’ll find them helpful too:

1. Preview Pane

Love Outlook’s preview pane? Did you know Gmail has a similar feature?

To enable it, go to Settings (the gear icon), then “Labs” and look for “Preview Pane.”

cloudhq_tinyhacks_2_preview_pane_annotated
 

Once enabled, you’ll see a toggle switch in the upper right of your inbox. Click it to use the preview-pane.

cloudhq_tinyhacks_3_preview_pane_toggle_annotated
 

Note: preview pane is a Google Labs feature, which means (technically) it could go away at any time. But it’s been available for awhile. We don’t think it’s going anywhere.

2. Show Only Unread Emails

By default, Gmail shows your 50 most recent emails. It displays them in the order received, whether you’ve read them or not. If you get a lot of email, it’s easy to lose unread messages to the second or third page this way.

To keep your unread emails front and center, go to Settings (the gear icon), then click “Inbox.”

In the first drop-down, select “Unread first” to tell Gmail you want unread messages at the top.

cloudhq_tinyhacks_4_unreadfirst
 

3. Auto-Advance After Archive

Working toward inbox zero? Auto-advance is a configuration change you should make ASAP.

By default, open an email, then archive or delete it, Gmail bounces you back to the full list of messages in your inbox.

Auto-advance changes the sequence.

Once enabled, when you click the archive button, Gmail immediately opens the next message in your inbox.

This little tweak lets you process your inbox with half the clicks it takes with Gmail’s normal configuration.

You can enable auto-archive under Settings > Labs > Auto-Archive.

4. Canned Responses

“Email for the truly lazy” says the description within Gmail labs.

Canned responses are a bit like form letters. Write them, save them, then use them for common responses. Once enabled, you can find canned responses in the composition box:

cloudhq_tinyhacks_5_canned_annotated

5. Slack-Style Chat

We’re biased, but this one is our favorite.

Slack is a fantastic chat tool. But it’s annoying.

We all use email. By adding Slack, you fragment your communications.

Did you send the document in email? In a Slack message?

cloudHQ’s free Gmail Label and Email Sharing Chrome extension puts all your communications in one place inside Gmail—instead of in separate applications. This way, you and your team can privately discuss an email before any reply is sent out.

cloudhq_tinyhacks_6_chat
 

Once installed, you’ll have a simple, Slack-style chat window in Gmail, ready for you to use any time you need it.

 

Install Gmail Label and Email Sharing
 

Stop Wasting 20 Hours With Dropbox File Sharing

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How long does it take to email a file from Dropbox (or any other cloud storage account)?

We were curious. We did five tests, then calculated the average time to build and share a link.

Our results?

We averaged 37.4 seconds to:

  1. Find a file in Dropbox
  2. Create a share link
  3. Copy the link
  4. Paste the link in an email.

37.4 seconds may not sound like much. But if your job requires you to send a lot of files back and forth via email, the time adds up quickly.

If you send 10 attachments a day this way, 5 days a week, for 50 weeks this year, you’ll spend 20.8 hours this year doing nothing but creating and sharing links to files in Dropbox.

There’s a better (and faster) way.

Share and Attach Files in Gmail

Instead of going into Dropbox, the new Share and Attach Files in Gmail Chrome extension lets you find and attach files directly within Gmail.

The extension is free. It works for anyone with an “@gmail.com” account or whose email is hosted by Google through Google Apps.

To use it, simply click the button inside Gmail, choose your cloud storage account, then navigate to the file you want to attach.


 

No copy and paste required. And no long, ugly-looking links to send to your boss, coworkers, or customers.

See the difference?

 

 

cloudhq_sharefiles_linkdifference


 

 

It’s not just Dropbox.

Share and Attach Files in Gmail lets you grab files from:

  • Dropbox
  • Google Drive
  • OneDrive
  • Box
  • Evernote
  • Egnyte

Whatever service you use, you’ll be able to attach files with just a few clicks.

 

 

cloudhq_sharefiles_cloud


 

 

How Much Time Could You Save?

For fun, we timed the process of attaching a file from Dropbox using the new Chrome extension.

After five tests, the process took an average of 17.8 seconds to find and attach the same file. That’s over 50% faster, and it looks much better.

Use it regularly, and you could gain 12-13 hours a year in productivity, simply by using a free Chrome extension when you share documents.

 

 

withandwithout_extension_realdeal


 

 

 

Get Started
 

10 Google Drive Hacks That’ll Make You Look Like a Genius

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Lots of you use Google Drive for your business.

We do too. It’s simple, easy-to-use, and packed with features that make work easier.

It’s so powerful—and yet, you probably don’t realize all of Google Drive can actually do… especially with the help of a few Google Chrome extensions.

Let’s change that, shall we?

Here’s a top 10 list of our favorite Google Drive productivity features for business:

10. Translate on the Fly

Sometimes you need to translate a document—and fast.

In Google Docs, this just takes a few clicks.

Under “Tools”, select “Translate Document”.

Choose a language, click the “Translate” button. Google will create a new, translated document and save it in Google Drive automatically.

 

cloudhqblog_1_Translate_original
 

9. Save Any File Type

Google Docs, Forms, Sheets, and Slides are all easy to save in Google Drive. But you can also save any type of file in Google Drive.

That means for everything you need on a single project, you can create a folder and upload all your files to keep everything together all in once place.

You can also create shareable links to any of these files, just like you can with a Google Doc or a Sheet.

 

cloudhqblog_2_filetypes

 

 

8. Research in a Single Window

If you’re working in a Google Docs, you might not have time to open a new tab or window to research.

In the drop-down menu under “Tools”, select “Research.”

A handy research area will open on the right side of the tab.

 

cloudhqblog_3_Research

 

 

7. Search in the Link Box

Ever realize that you need to link to a source, but you haven’t looked up the source yet?

You could open a new tab or window and go hunting.

Or—because this is Google—you can select the text you want to hyperlink, then search directly within the link box:

 

cloudhqblog_4_SearchinLink_original

 

 

6. Desktop Sync

Need to work offline? No worries. It’s easy to sync your Google Drive files to your hard drive.

You can sync all your data, or just selected folders. This gives you full access to your files, whether you’re online or not.

As soon as you reconnect to the internet, your updated files will be synced to the cloud.

 

cloudhqblog_5_desktop

 

 

5. Keyboard Shortcuts

Google Drive is already simple to use.

But if you want to be a true productivity ninja, there are keyboard shortcuts galore that can get you there.

To see frequently used Google Drive keyboard shortcuts, click “Ctrl + /” on Windows or “Command + /” on Mac.

 

cloudhqblog_6_keyboardshortcuts_original

 

 

4. Make a Fancy Email Draft in Docs, then Send it as a Gmail Message

Google Docs has a huge number of formatting tools, including charts, images, tables, graphs, fonts, etc.

Few of those features are available in Gmail’s editor, however. That means it can be a challenge to create a nice-looking email using only the Gmail platform.

That’s where the Chrome extension Convert Google Docs to Gmail Drafts comes in.

You can create an email message or newsletter—including all its beautiful formatting—in a Google Doc, and then click a button to convert the Doc into a Gmail draft.

 

cloudhq_gmaildocs_1_Open-In-Gmail-Button

cloudhq_gmaildocs_2_draftemail

 

 

Pro tip: If you regularly send a newsletter, this is one of the easiest ways to make it look professional.

3. Use the Web Clipboard

Google Drive has a powerful clipboard.

Instead of using “Control + C” or “Command + C”, use the “Edit” drop-down menu, then choose “Clipboard.”

From there you’ll be able to copy, save, and paste multiple items on the clipboard.

It’s a great little feature for storing multiple ideas in one place.

 

cloudhqblog_8_Web Clipboard

 

 

2. Save Gmail Messages and Attachments Directly into Google Drive

You’ll need the free Save Emails to Google Drive Chrome extension for this one.

Once you have it installed, with a single click you’ll be able to save any email (plus attachments) into a Google Drive folder.

 

cloudhqblog_9_email to Google Drive_original

 

 

1. Tag Anyone

Need a friend or coworker to answer a question about a project?

Just type “+yourfriend@theircompany.com” in a comment.

Google drive will notify them of the comment and send them a link giving them access to the document.

It’s one of the easiest ways to ask questions, collaborate with coworkers, or send something to your boss for approval.

 

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More Productivity Tools

If you love hacks and tools, check out our full list of Google Chrome extensions.

Each one is designed to make your life easier—and your days more productive.

 

See Chrome Extensions
 

16 Free Chrome Extensions to Boost Your Productivity

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We’ve recently released a host of free Chrome productivity extensions for Gmail.

They are all free.

If you have Gmail or host your company’s email through Google Apps, you can use any of all of them.

Each one is designed to help you do more, faster, and better.

Here’s the complete list:

1. Gmail Label Sharing

This is our most popular Chrome extension. You can use it to:

  1. Share a bunch of emails all at once with an unlimited amount of people who have an email address.
    • How? Just create and share a Gmail label. You can put as many emails into your labels as you like. Anyone you’ve invited to share your label will have instant access to see it as a Gmail label in their Gmail too (or if they don’t use Gmail, in their email folder regardless of what email provider they use). This eliminates the need to send or forward any emails one at a time, which usually just gets confusing.
  2. Chat about specific emails in your Gmail label with anyone that you’ve shared your Gmail Label with.
    • Small caveat: Sorry non-Gmail users, to use this feature, you need to be using Gmail.

Install Gmail Label Sharing.

 

2. Slick Email Templates

Create beautiful emails using free, pre-designed templates. Great for:

  • Private announcements
  • Party invitations
  • Congratulations
  • Newsletters

Once you’ve chosen a template and personalized your message, you’ll be able to send it just like any other email you send with Gmail. New templates are added all the time.

Install Gmail Email Templates.

 

3. Gmail Shared Todo

Create a shared to-do list for you and whoever you’re writing an email to. Keep track of accountability and watch your productivity rise!

Install Gmail Shared Todo.

 

4. Edit Emails in Google Docs

Save a Gmail message to Google Docs with one click.

This is great for creating an email collaboratively with your team. Before sending off that important email, you can save it to Google Docs and collaboratively work on it with your assistant, boss, or your entire team.

When it’s really important, team feedback is a good idea.

Install Edit Emails in Google Docs.

 

5. Convert Google Docs to Gmail Drafts

This is kind of like a continuation of #4 above, but it works the other way around: convert a Google Doc into a Gmail draft with one click.

All the formatting from your Google Doc will automatically carry through to your Gmail draft. Just don’t forget to take advantage of Google Drawings, Google doc templates, charts, tables, and images! Really, the possibilities are quite endless.

Install Convert Google Docs to Gmail Drafts and keep your perfect formatting.

 

6. Save Emails to PDF

Easily save Gmail messages as PDF documents to your computer. Simply click the “Save to PDF” button. Your email will be converted to a PDF and immediately downloaded to your computer.

Install Save Emails to PDF.

 

7. Save Emails to Google Drive

Save your Gmail message (and attachments) to Google Drive with a single click. SO helpful.

Install Save Emails to Google Drive.

 

8. Save Emails to Dropbox

Save any Gmail message (and attachments) to Dropbox with one click.

Install Save Emails to Dropbox.

 

9. Save Emails to Slack

Save any Gmail message to Slack with one click. This gives you one complete record of a conversation around a topic, instead of having to search between Gmail and Slack to find who said what about a project.

Install Save Emails to Slack.

 

10. Save Emails to OneDrive

Save any Gmail message (and attachments) to OneDrive with one click.

Install Save Emails to OneDrive.

 

11. Save Emails to OneDrive Business

Save any Gmail message (and attachments) to OneDrive Business with one click.

Install Save Emails to OneDrive Business.

 

12. Save Emails to Box

Save any Gmail message (and attachments) to Box with one click.

Install Save Emails to Box.

 

13. Save Emails to Salesforce

Save any Gmail message (and attachments) to Salesforce with one click.

Install Save Emails to Salesforce.

 

14. Save Emails to SharePoint

Save any Gmail message (and attachments) to Sharepoint with one click.

Install Save Emails to SharePoint.

 

15. Save Emails to OneNote

Save any Gmail message (and attachments) to OneNote with one click.

Install Save Emails to OneNote.

 

16. Save Emails to Egnyte

Save any Gmail message (and attachments) to Egnyte with one click.

Install Save Emails to Egnyte.

 

More Free Productivity Tools Coming Soon!

We’re hard at work on more free productivity tools for you and your team.

To see our full list of Chrome extensions, visit cloudHQ’s page on the Chrome Web Store.

 

See Chrome Extensions
 

The 50-20-50 Productivity Hack that Will Add Hours to Your Week

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You need time to build great things. Specifically, you need blocks of “focus” time, especially if you’re creating something new.

Unfortunately, many of us aren’t good at carving out this kind of time in our daily schedules.

Consider: one study showed the average office worker changes tasks every three minutes. After an interruption, it took people an average of 25 minutes to fully regain their focus.

 


 

In other words, that 60-second “check Facebook” break doesn’t just cost you one minute. It costs you 26.

The 50-20-50 Productivity Method

If you struggle with distractions or procrastination, 50-20-50 might be the cure, especially if you do work that demands blocks of “focused” creative time.

If you build software, for example, you need blocks of time to work through the challenges inherent in programming. We could say the same for writers, designers, UX professionals, or anyone whose job it is to create new things and bring them into the world.

How 50-20-50 Works

The numbers in 50-20-50 stand for three sequential blocks of time:

  • 50-minute work session
  • 20-minute break
  • 50-minute work session

Together, these form a two-hour block of time. This is your focus time, your chance to ignore the little urgent stuff for a while so you can do the big, important things instead.

The Rules

50-20-50 isn’t just about time. There are a few other rules to follow to get the maximum benefit.

1. Eliminate ALL Distractions.

The first thing that needs to go is your phone. If at all possible, turn it off and put it out of reach.

Then turn off all notifications on your computer. Turn off your email application. Close all social media accounts, and especially disable TweetDeck or any other program that might interrupt your focus during the next 50 minutes.

If you’re on a Mac, turn on “Do Not Disturb”, found under your system preference, and then under “notifications” as an added layer of disruption protection.

 

Notifications


 

2. Set a Timer for 50 Minutes (DON’T Use Your Phone)

Use an egg timer if you have one. A standard stopwatch will work.

If you’ll be online, you can use a simple countdown timer. Or if you’re a fan of productivity music, Focus@Will has a built-in timer that’s perfect for this application.

 

3. DON’T Respond to Phone Calls, Texts, or Any Inbound Notification

If your phone rings, don’t answer it. If your phone buzzes from across the room, ignore it.

This is your time to do the important work. Resist the temptation to get pulled back into the world of urgent (but less important) tasks and communications.

 

4. Keep a “Remember This” Notepad Within Reach

Your brain is sometimes your worst enemy. You’ll be 15 minutes into a focus session and you’ll think, “I forgot to call Chris.”

When this happens, write it down on a “remember this” notepad you have near your workstation.

Don’t stop to do the task. Just write it down on the pad, then get back to your focus session. Your brain will be content with the knowledge the random “to-do” item won’t be forgotten.

 

5. Take a 20-Minute Break (Away from the Computer)

When the timer goes off after 50 minutes, get up and do something completely different.

Reset the timer for 20 minutes. Then take a short walk. Or make a phone call. Or do anything that’s NOT on the computer.

This gives your brain a chance to rest and reset. You’ll find by doing this, you’ll be much more productive in the second 50-minute focus session.

 

6. Reset the Timer for 50 Minutes

When your 20-minute break is up, reset the timer for 50 minutes and go straight into another focus session.

Same rules as before. No distractions. No stopping. Write down random “to-do” items that pop into your head along the way.

 

7. Collaborate

Depending on the study you read, the average office worker receives somewhere between 80 and 150 emails per day. Assuming an 8-hour work day, that’s one email every 3-to-7 minutes.

While focus is a perfect way to keep your eye on the prize, there’s really only so much you can do even once you enforce the 50-20-20 rule. Don’t discount the power of a team.

Instead of worrying about whether or not you are answering your incoming emails on time, share your email load with your team. You can share a Gmail label folder with all incoming emails that are filtered for things like: sales, support, a specific project, etc.

cloudHQ offers a *FREE* Gmail Label share and Chat tool, specifically designed to make your team effort work fluidly.

When an email is answered, your teammate can comment in the email to mark it as closed:

 

_Marketing__-_naomi_assaraf_cloudhq_net_-_cloudHQ_Mail


 

The Payoff: More Focus Time Than Many People Get in a Week

Do these 50-20-50 sessions twice a day and you’ll create four dedicated “deep-focus” work sessions for yourself, far more focus time than most professionals get in a week.

And don’t hesitate to delegate. If you manage a team of any kind or participate within one, try cloudHQ’s free team Gmail label sharing and chat tool so that all the incoming emails are not entirely on your plate. More often than not, a great way to focus on what you need to get done, requires a structured team effort.

 

Get Started
 

 

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cloudHQ
Specializing in email organization and team workflows, cloudHQ is an easy cloud app synchronization service used for backup, app integrations, and implementation of team workflows. To date, we sync over 5 million files a day, and service clients like HP, Gartner, and Uber.
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Gmail Label Share & Chat
A free tool designed to help incoming emails get answered by teams. It is the only effective way to write comments about emails before any team member replies to the email sender. This is an excellent tool for sales, customer service, or project management.
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