How To Schedule an Email in Outlook – A Step By Step Guide
One of the best features of Microsoft Outlook is that Email messages can be scheduled to be delivered at a later date.
Well, there are many reasons why you schedule an Email. But in this guide, we will learn how to schedule an email in outlook.
You may be preparing many Emails and waiting for each of them to be completed so that you can send them all at once.
Or you may not be available at a future date when the email needs to be sent. These are a few of the reasons why you schedule an Email message.
Microsoft Outlook allows you to specify the date and time to send the mail.
There is no need to worry about forgetting to send the email since it is taken care of.
Thinking deeply, we find so many benefits of email scheduling.
Saves time
This could save a considerable amount of time for you. When you have innumerable emails to be sent, it could consume a lot of your productive time. Scheduling makes it easy and saves time as well.
Send when the system is off.
You can send scheduled emails even when the system is turned off. This is a convenient feature of email scheduling.
Send when offline
Your emails can be sent even when you are not online. So, next time schedule your email and do not worry if you don’t have an active internet connection. This is very useful when you work in a different time zone than your client.
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Creating templates
When your job is to send similar emails to multiple recipients, you can add email templates for scheduling and make your job easier. Creating an email group is easier and can be used for this purpose.
Maintain productivity
In most organizations, a huge amount of time is lost in visiting and responding to bulk messages. If a fixed time is allotted for this, you could save a lot of productive time, which is called maintaining email productivity.
Improves response rate
Scheduling emails also helps to improve the response rate. The right time for receiving the mail helps in prioritizing the mail. For example, within an organization, when you expect a response from your boss, you could fix the time based on his availability to respond to emails.
Reduces mistakes
Often, emails sent in haste may not contain the right kind of words to convey the intent. You can avoid this by planning a message to be sent later. You know you are not in a hurry to send it right away, so you have time to think it over and present it better.
How To Schedule an Email in Outlook – Track the opening.
It is easier to track if the recipient has opened the email while it is scheduled. You get an alert and can be assured that the email has been read.
Keep your email message ready, as we will look at some simple steps that can make scheduling an effortless task.
Step 1: Open Microsoft Outlook from your desktop. With Office 365, you will have Outlook installed on your PC.
Step 2: Log into your account using your ID and Email account password.
Step 3: Click on the New Email on the top left of your Outlook account to compose a mail. You can compose emails for bulk email campaigns or individual emails as well.
In the ‘TO’ field, write the email address of the recipient you wish to send the mail to. Your contacts folder will have the list of Outlook contacts already saved. You can add a single email address or deliver to multiple email users. If you are sending the message to your team, you will have the team email with all the team members’ names.
If the people you want to include are on the contacts folders, you could use the Mail merge option in Outlook.
In the subject dialogue box, write a few words on the purpose of the email. Write the message in the email body to the intended recipient.
Step 4: Here comes the scheduling step. Go to the Options tab in the Outlook window. Choose the “Delay Delivery” option here. If you do not see the option, click on More options, where you can find the Delay delivery option from the pop-up window.
Choose the time and date from the delivery options besides the ‘Do not deliver before’ section.
Check the box containing Do not deliver before. You have to select the time from the drop-down menu. Make sure you select the correct time of the day by choosing AM or PM. This also depends on the time set up on your system.
Once you are done, close the box to save your settings.
In case there is any change, and you wish to alter the scheduled time, you can do so without any hassles. You just have to follow this additional step. Open the message from the Outbox. Again, from the Options tab, follow the same procedure and fix the new time with the help of the drop-down list. Save the settings to have your email delivered at the appointed delivery time. You can also change the original message if you want to, before the scheduled time.
Step 5: Finish composing the message at this step. You may attach a file in case you want to through the Insert tab. Once you are through with composing the message, you can click the send button, and Outlook will keep the message in the Outbox and deliver it at the time you have fixed it.
- Other ways to schedule
The step-by-step process that we saw above forms part of the traditional method that is commonly followed. You may choose to follow the professional method too for email scheduling. The professional method involves using the services of an email promotion platform/agencies where sales teams help to augment the outreach of emails.
- Sign up with the platform and download their Outlook plugin. There are many such services available online. Research and find out the best before you sign up.
- Create a new account here through Microsoft sign-up tab. This is a simple process where you assign a username and password to log in.
- For the basic authentication, enter the Microsoft ID and password. This is required to allow the platform to your Outlook account.
- Allow access to the agency, after which you will be directed to their dashboard.
- You can reset your password here and start creating a new mail. Composing an email is similar to the way you otherwise do when using Outlook.Once you are done drafting the message, you can delay the delivery to a date you want.
- With the help of the ‘Schedule email’ button, select the date and time for sending the email and then press ‘send later.
- The email will be sent to the recipient at the time and date mentioned and, till then, will be saved in the Outbox. This way, even when you are logged out of Outlook or do not have an internet connection, the agency will still send your email.
Using Outlook has many advantages associated with it. The main benefit is the email scheduling feature that we have seen above. Let us also explore some other unique benefits associated with Outlook emails.
- An email is a powerful tool for communicating, and Outlook helps in integrating emails. This makes it easier for people to use it for business and personalized messages. Setting up meetings, finding information about contacts, and dialing a conference call are all made simple with Outlook. It gives a consistent experience in the inbox, thus attracting more people to use it.
- Compared to other email providers, Outlook has a distinguishing feature making it a sought-after platform. The offline use of emails is what we are talking about. Even in the absence of a live internet connection, like while travelling on a flight, Outlook users can read and respond to emails, and they will be sent once a connection is established. Other email services allow access only to past emails, which is a deterrent for business communication.
- Outlook gives users multiple ways to track down any past email. They can be grouped based on date, size, folders, sender, etc. This feature is not available in other email services. Whenever there is a search for a long-lost email, this feature is like a blessing. Users can find the email effortlessly.
- Outlook offers mail tips which save many errors that might otherwise be committed. Even while you are composing an email, the pop-up alerts you about the recipient you are about to send, whether the recipient is on vacation, etc. Sometimes you send an urgent email only to get an out-of-office response from the receiver. To avoid this situation, you come to know before sending the email in Outlook so you can plan better.
- Outlook helps in flagging emails to attract attention. While composing an email, you can set a flag so that the receiver comes to know the importance when they see the email. They can set aside others and react to the one which is more important.
Wrapping up
You now know the detailed instructions for scheduling emails and also its benefits. No more worrying about delaying the delivery of mails.
No, you don’t have to be awake at odd times just to send emails.
Go ahead and use these tips to keep your business running stress-free.