11 creative ways to turn your emails into notes

Trying to keep track of all the information that you receive from emails every day can be a difficult task. There are so many things to remember, from important client communications to more basic things like birthdays and company names.

So how can you make sure you remember everything you need to?

A great way of keeping on top of everything is to turn your emails into digital post-it notes. This means you can simply glance at a message and know exactly what it's about.

Turning emails into notes doesn't have to be difficult - as we'll see, there are many ways of doing it, including by using Mailbutler!

Let's hear our selected experts on how they are turning emails into notes.

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Create a label named “Notes” then label your emails

A quick and simple way that I swear by when I need to turn an email into a note is through labeling. If you’re using Gmail, add or create a label and name it “notes” or “reminders.” You can also add separate labels for “work notes” and “personal notes.”

Now, whenever you receive an email that you need to save as a note or reminder, simply click on Labels and choose which label/s you want to add the email to. On the left sidebar, you’ll see a list of your labels. Click on any of them to access the emails you’ve labeled as a note. 

Beyond Gmail's labeling system, there's also the option of email tags, especially for those using platforms like Outlook and Apple Mail.

With Mailbutler's Email Tags, users can seamlessly integrate this feature into their email workflow. Tags are short descriptors that you can attach to your emails, aiding in categorization and prioritization. Think of them as keywords or hashtags for your emails. By tagging an email with relevant terms, you can swiftly identify its content and importance at a glance. For example, emails related to a specific project can be tagged with the project's name, while urgent emails can be tagged 'urgent' for immediate attention.

Kris Lippi, CEO, ISoldMyHouse

Evernote

You may use the Evernote app on your mobile device or computer to keep track of your notes, bookmarks, to-do lists, and calendar events. Different levels of storage and synchronization are available for free and premium subscriptions.

Emails may be forwarded to your unique Evernote address, where they will be saved as tasks.

When you make a to-do list, you can use due dates, flags, and reminders to keep yourself on track.

Don Evans, CEO, Crewe Foundation

I use Mailbutler to turn my emails into notes

With just a click, you can leave notes alongside the emails that you send out and receive.

These notes are directly integrated within the inbox, so you have context at your fingertips whenever you're reading a thread or looking for information.

This saves you from opening multiple tabs at once or using different software just to stay on top of your workflow.

It's all contained within one place and works across Outlook, Apple Mail, and Gmail.

Andrew Gonzales, Co-Founder and President, BusinessLoans.com

Check out our tutorial video for the Notes feature:

ActiveInbox 

You can convert emails into to-do lists with the help of a browser extension called ActiveInbox.

You are able to set deadlines for pending tasks in ActiveInbox, which will serve as a helpful reminder for you.

You have the ability to include notes and links to the first task emails in your tasks so that you may access further information. 

Kelley Van Boxmeer, CEO, Motion Invest

Drag and drop an email from your iPhone’s Mail app into Notes to appear as a hyperlink

Simply press down on the email from the list page, and don’t let go once it pops up, selected.

Now you can drag it into your Notes app and drop it into a file of your choosing.

It will appear as a hyperlink so you can access that information from that file moving forward.

Let’s say you have an email with a recipe you want to save.

You can drag and drop it into a recipes folder so you can always have that shortcut to access it. Search functions in emails can be tricky, so this method helps you stay organized.

Monte Deere, CEO, Kizik

Use email threads for storytelling

One of the most creative ways to turn your emails into notes is to use email threads for storytelling.

You can create a narrative within an email thread by adding additional context or details, and then using that thread as a reference point when you need to remember something about the conversation.

For example, let's say you are discussing a project with a colleague.

Rather than simply replying to each other's emails, you can include additional details in the thread that will help you remember more about the conversation when needed.

This could be anything from timelines and deadlines to budgeting and progress updates.

Martin Seeley, Founder & CEO, MattressNextDay

Create folders 

One method I've been using is to create a folder for each project I'm working on. Within each folder, I create subfolders for different aspects of the project.

For example, if I'm working on a blog post, I might have a folder for research, one for drafts, and one for final edits.

This system helps me to keep my thoughts organized and makes it easy to find what I'm looking for when I need it. 

Ernesto Cova, Senior Associate, nbablast.com

Send an email to yourself 

If you want to get the most out of your emails, use them as a "to-do list" and not as a messaging tool.

We take notes because our minds are always occupied and we cannot retain everything.

There are times we get ideas but we want them to be acted upon later. There are chances we might forget later, so the best way is to schedule send to yourself.

Yes, you can email yourself, by selecting a perfect date and time that you think would be the best. This way you can make the most of your ideas.

Matt Gillman, Founder & CEO, SMB Compass

Use Any.do 

Forget about the old-school copy and paste for turning your emails into notes, a more creative and efficient way to do this is by downloading the any.do add-on for Chrome.

This allows you to turn any email into a note/task by simply clicking on the extension while having opened the email you'd like to convert.

Once you do this, you'll get a preview of the email already in note format, where you'll be able to edit the title (which will always be the subject of the email by default), set a reminder, and add any additional notes you may consider necessary.

It is an extremely easy and quick process that saves you the headache of having to copy and paste every email one by one.  

Lucie Chavez, CMO, Radaris

Digital sticky notes 

One of the most effective ways to turn emails into notes is by using digital sticky notes.

Sticky notes have always been a great way to take notes and reminders of what needs to be done, but there was always the risk of losing the sticky note, not being reminded of the deadline, and other problems with tangible sticky notes.

When using a digital sticky note, you get to write it down to remind yourself, organize notes based on date, categories, etc, set reminders with alarms and even color code them based on importance.

This is a great way to make sure you see your to-do list every time you open your laptop/desktop as well as enjoy the physical features that make it effective, too.

Jenna Nye, CEO On The Strip

Use an IFTTT automation 

My go-to method for turning emails into notes is to use an IFTTT automation.

With IFTTT, you can create an automation that will automatically copy any emails into a document or note-taking app of your choice.

This allows you to quickly and easily save important emails without having to manually retype them each time.

You can also set up the automation to add tags, organize your notes into folders, or even send yourself a reminder to review the emails later. Data annotation can also be incorporated into the automation process to help categorize and label data for future use.

I find this a great way to stay organized and make sure that I never miss an important email or action.

It's also a great way to keep track of conversations and tasks without having to sift through all of your emails one by one.

Ben Tibbits, Managing Director, BroadbandDeals.co.uk 

Summary

As you can see, there are plenty of useful ways you can turn your emails into notes, saving you time and helping to make sure you remember everything you need to - including by using Mailbutler, with which you can immediately and directly create notes not just on your emails, but also on your inbox contacts!

So what are you waiting for? Start turning your emails into notes now and improve your workflow.