7 E-mail Subject Line Best Practices to Avoid the Spam and Trash Folders

5. Keep it short and simple
People are time-crunched, and they don't want to waste their time trying to decipher messages — especially online. Let them know what your e-mail is about up front. Give them a clue as to why they should open your e-mail. Use colons to keep it short and get the message across right away — for example, "African Drought: How You Can Help" or "Philadelphia's Food Pantry: In Need Now."