One thing that many people dread is the act of catching up on emails. It could be that you run a business in which every little thing is communicated through or documented by email. Or maybe you are one of those people that doesn’t hesitate to sign up for everything — discount offers, breaking news, alerts galore — that could reach you via email.

Whether or not you like email or use it as a part of promoting your business, it is a necessary part of business life that is not going away. Email is actually the most commonly used form of communication today, beating out texting and good old fashioned phone communication hands down.

Considering that everyone uses email, another thought that comes to mind for the savvy entrepreneur is: how can I use email to improve my marketing? Can emails get me business? It depends.

The key is to use email to support communication with customers and facilitate business. Like print advertising, digital ads, online marketing, or even social media, think of email as an important spoke in the marketing wheel that keeps business rolling forward.

Make sure you observe some basics of business email.

Be Straightforward and Get to the Point

One of the most annoying things for all of us who use email for business is the subject line that doesn’t actually say anything. Megabrands like Groupon and Priceline have boomed thanks to email. But they aren’t winging it.

While you are probably experienced enough to know that subject lines like “hello” or “whoa, check this out” will get you quickly tuned out by readers, sometimes it is difficult to decide what your email subject line should say and what it shouldn’t.

According to Business Insider, the email subject line is arguably the most important part of any email. Their advice consists of a few simple but solid things. Always write a subject line; never leave the slot blank. Put the most important words at the beginning. And shoot for six to eight words max.

Also, ditch noise words and unnecessary business jargon. Be clear and specific about the topic of the email and your intentions. If you are introducing yourself or requesting a meeting, say so. Never just “check in” via email or forward news articles. Use email to connect with others in a way that truly adds value to your business and to the receiver of the email.

Be Brief: Less is More

One school of thought states that unsolicited emails — such as an email follow up with someone you met at a conference, or even a business referral — should be no more than 100 to 150 words max. Or as alternative strategy, make sure you get your point across in the first 100 words.

Depending on the nature of your email, lengths could vary. If you are responding to technical query regarding a product or service you sell, or correspondence with a new small business customer, being specific and informative matters. At the same time, remember people are busy and often, when checking email, people will spend about three seconds deciding whether they will read something or not.

According to the small business experts at Inc. Magazine “less is more” and giving customers or prospects unrequested information is at best confusing and at worst counterproductive to getting business.

Be Organized but Don’t Let Email Own You

Unless you are somehow an unlikely Zen master in the digital age, you have probably had a Saturday or weeknight at home ruined simply because you checked your work email.

Part of running a business is a balance between being ready to do business at any time, and deciding to do business not all the time but during business hours.

In “Mastering Email” AskMen.com tallied up a few ideas on how to be a task master of your business and your email without going crazy. For some professionals and SMB owners that means taking time to keep a clean inbox or appropriately use labels and other functions of your email to organize items for more effective use at a later time. For some folks, Gmail’s basic functions are good enough. For others who are into apps, there are useful tools like Sidekick and Streak. And for concerted marketing efforts, there are classic tools like Constant Contact and MailChimp that make sending meaningful, succinct and graphically pleasing emails a snap.

Apps, smartphones and technology aside, don’t forget that often not checking email is one of the best strategies to promoting a better work schedule and a better quality of life.