Groups in Google: Take Gmail Collaboration to the Next Level

Gmail has seen many enhancements over the years. Once a platform for individual use, Gmail now offers a natural space for collaboration with Google Groups. While many email solutions are available, creating groups in Google provides a place for efficient communication and relationship-building. But is it enough to foster the collaborative efforts your team needs? 

What Are Google Groups? 

A Google Group is an email solution that lets users email specific people within your organization at once. The primary concept eliminates the need to enter individual email addresses manually.

Google Groups allow users to:

• email several specific members with a single email address
• interact with people with similar interests or backgrounds
• participate in topics and discussions
• organize meetings, conferences, or events
• create a Gmail collaborative inbox for teams

If you receive mass emails from management or colleagues, you may already be a part of a Google Group without realizing it. Groups in Google function as distribution lists—enabling admins to communicate company announcements, events, or day-to-day messages with the right people in one fell swoop.

How Does a Google Group Work?

After creating a Google Group, users can add specific email addresses to a group of their choice to send relevant emails to a single department instead of many. Group creators can personalize the name of their group in Google, for example, “Sales Team.” Privacy settings enable creators to control who can view conversations, create posts, or moderate content. 

In addition to sending group emails efficiently, users can create groups in Google to interact with other colleagues and share interests or hobbies through forums. This feature is primarily used with the individual version; however, business users can also benefit from this feature to help build relationships among team members. 

Emailing employees with information that doesn’t pertain to them is inefficient. Using Google Groups to communicate establishes efficient habits and increases productivity. 

If the features of a Google Group don’t offer enough assistance for your team’s collaboration efforts, users can turn a Google Group into a collaborative inbox. A collaborative inbox is a single email account that multiple people can access.

Here is how to convert a Google Group into a collaborative inbox. 

1. Go to your Groups in Google
2. Select the name of the group you want to use
3. Select “Group Settings” on the left
4. Under “Enable additional Google Groups features” > select “Collaborative Inbox” 

A collaborative inbox is best suited for creating a single entry point for emails where multiple users can see and address the same messages. For example, suppose a customer support team could see all the incoming support messages together. In that case, all team members can send replies instead of letting the full responsibility for messages fall to one employee. On top of that, users can assign incoming emails to specific team members and establish procedures to improve accountability. 

Where Groups in Google Fall Short

Creating a Google Group offers a simple, convenient way to send information to multiple people efficiently. However, the ability to collaborate is limited. Email collaboration requires more than sending a single message: it requires back-and-forth communication and, often, further coordination for meetings and instant chats. As a result, your team needs more than just a distribution list if you want to put your heads together. 

Here are some key drawbacks of Google Groups.

Users cannot access Google Groups from their Gmail accounts. Groups are only accessible from groups.google.com, requiring users to switch tabs between accounts.

The Google Groups interface differs significantly from Gmail, forcing employees to learn how to navigate a new platform.

While the ability to transform a Google Group into a collaborative inbox creates accountability, it still leaves questions regarding whether an email has been addressed. This oversight can result in duplicate responses.

Google Groups are not designed as a truly collaborative space that facilitates the exchange of multiple ideas and messages. The limitations present many barriers to teams looking for ways to work together on emails.

Email users may feel that using Google Groups gives them limited choices for collaboration. But there are other options to help your team improve efficiency within Gmail and create a productive and collaborative workflow. 

Gmail Collaboration: The Only Email Solution You Need 

Whether your organization consists of five employees or 500, the ability to collaborate via email is essential. Simple email management tactics such as cc’ing a message or building an email list can quickly become disorganized. And, as a result, daily communication becomes a task your team members dread.

Gmelius offers a truly shared collaborative inbox from right inside Gmail. There is no need to manage your company email through multiple platforms or share passwords. Users can access Gmelius through their personal Gmail accounts, where they will see all of the shared company inboxes to which they’ve been invited and every email assigned to them, pending or closed. 

Managers can still assign emails for clear accountability, but unlike Groups in Google, team members can also update statuses, add tags, and leave email notes for added context. These additional features keep every team member updated on which emails have been addressed and which ones need extra support. 

Furthermore, Gmelius offers bidirectional integrations that allow teams to work from their most frequently used apps, like Slack and Trello. There is no need for additional tab-switching. Each user can work from their preferred platform and still address emails collaboratively with other team members. Managers can streamline the management of group emails by using powerful automation rules to limit the grunt work many larger organizations are tasked with. Less “busy” work opens up more opportunities to focus on critical responsibilities. 

A collaborative shared inbox: 

• results in faster replies
• limits unwanted inbox clutter 
• builds efficient communication
• increases productivity  
• saves company time 
• leads to improved relationships 

If your team already uses Google Groups for email, Gmelius can convert your Google Group into a Gmail shared inbox. 

Gmail collaboration is essential for remote and hybrid teams navigating a continuous digital workflow. With Gmelius, teams can collaborate easily and strengthen team communication, all from inside their Gmail accounts.

Convert your Groups in Google into a powerful shared workspace with Gmelius. Check out our features and integrations and learn how Gmelius is built to improve team communication and collaboration. Ready to get started? Sign up today!