How to choose a safelist and how to use them for email marketing
The other day I read an article by Philippe Moisan about his experience with safelists. Well, I just wanted to add a small comment to his article, but what came out was a short guide about how to use safelists.
Now I guess, some other people might like to get some info on how to use safelists. So I decided to copy my comment and publish it over here.
Before I go on, let me tell you what this article is not about: All safelist have a referral program. Some have crosslinks with other safelists or traffic exchanges. Most have some sort of bonus program. I'm not going to talk about those. In this article I will stick to email marketing.
Like most Internet Marketers I use safelists. I personaly use them mainly for promotion of new programs I joined. First because I can't expect all members of my list to join with me each and every program and second It helps me in building a larger list.
I think it doesn't matter so much which safelist you join. But before joining a safelist you should consider a few point and do some research.
First find out how many members this safelist has. Personally my best experiences were with safelist having between 5'000 to 15'000 members. I guess this has to do with the fact, that the more members a safelist has, the more emails you will get. And nobody will go through a few hundred emails from one safelist alone. So there is a big chance your email will not be read before being deleted.
Nexr you should check out on Alexa what the safelists ranking is One with a worldwide ranking below 50000 I would say is good. one below 20000 is excellent.
Also check what you can do with your credits. Can you just email the members with it or can you e.g. convert them to banner ads or text ads? Don't forget to check how many members can you reach with a Credit mail. And how often can you mail.
Now every safelist will offer you some kind of Solo ad. Here the price vary.Some safelists will offer you Solo ads for a few dollars,. Others will ask for up or even over $100 for just one ad. Personally I set the limit at $25.
If you want to use credit mails only or purchase some Solo ads is up to you. In both cases you have to make your email stand out, if you want it to be read. So spend some time finding a catchy subject line. If you are promoting some program, never use the subject line they provide you! Create you own one. Let all the others use the same subject line.
Don't spend time writing long emails where people have to scroll down for ever to find the link to click. Make it short!
Just as important as a catchy subject line is your splash or landing page. If you have the possibility to get or create your own splash page, don't think twice! Use it! Make your product stand out! It's not so important how good your landing page is looking. Important is that it's unique. More people will stop and check it out and your convertion will definately increase. Try it out. Use the same email ones with the landing page supplied by the product you promote and ones with a landing page created by you. When using the later one your conversion will increase at least 10 fold!
This are the points I'm taking care when joining a new safelist and when mailing to the members.
What is your experience with email marketing through safelists? Would be pleased to hear from you.
Or you want to share your experience with others? How about joining the Safelists and Mailers Group?
Comments (41)
Pierre Fricker
7
Web Illiterate
Philippe I'm just giving you here some of my offline business wisdom collected over roughly 30 years. If I marked and sell a $450 Mio wafer fab cleanroom offline or a $27 ebook online, the basics are the same! because in the end in both cases the buyer is a human being. The only difference: To sell a $450 Mio wafer fab cleanroom takes sometimes 2 years. Hopefully it will not take you 2 years to sell an ebook :)
Philippe Moisan
16
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
I like your view on things, Eric. You should, well, write an article :)
I'm serious. Or, even better, write a subject in the "IM for offline business" group.
Pierre Fricker
7
Web Illiterate
Yes, but maybe this is just what makes the live of comitted online marketers so much more difficult. If it would cost a bit more, many would think twice before starting.
I'm sure quite some business is taken by "one day Marketers". Sure you can say:"Well, they won't last long". Right, but a business done by somebody else is a business gone for ever! Another similarity between online and offline business! :)
Philippe Moisan
16
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
one important difference is, online, the costs of starting up are a lot less ( not zero, whatever some want to believe )
Pierre Fricker
7
Web Illiterate
Thanks Philippe for calling me experienced. My experience comes mainly from offline business. And guess what? It's definately not so much different as some people (had another word in mind) want to make you believe. Actually marketing is marketing. Online you partly use different tools to reach the same: SALES!
Philippe Moisan
16
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
Frank, don't just read the articles mentioned by Eric, the comments are much more important, cause many are written by experienced people like Eric, Mohann and Al Hamilton.
Actually, these articles are group subjects, found in the groups "safelists and mailers" and "Traffic Exchanges: Which ones Work for you?" respectively.
Pierre Fricker
7
Web Illiterate
@Frank: With what I wrote here I don't want to say, that you should avoid the big safelists with 50000 members or more. Actually I want to make obvious, that we shouldn't neglegt the smaller safelists.
I also suggest you have a look the articles "Relaxed efficiency on safelists and Text Ad Exchanges" and "Relaxed efficiency on TEs" by Philippe Moisan. There you can read how to make the best out of all the safelist mails you receive.
Mohann Krish
6
I tweet this with the words "Networking Champs" (without the quotes) before the tweet line. Let's see the reaction.
Frank TopehnibaNyene...
3
Spiritual Advisor
Good advice, I am a newbie and have been swamped with emails from a safe list I joined. (1000 today 6-21-11)
Philippe Moisan
16
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
I wouldn't mind that Alanis Morrissette scratches her name on my back :)
Pierre Fricker
7
Web Illiterate
Alanis Morissette "I'm a bitch I'm a lover. I'm a child I'm a mother. I'm a sinner I'm a saint."
I'm a sinner, I'm a winner is I think from the Steve Miller Band, But I'm not sure.
Philippe Moisan
16
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
Man, what is the song with those lyrics ?
Pierre Fricker
7
Web Illiterate
How the saying goes: I'm a sinner, I'm a winner or I'm a sinner, I'm a saint?
Philippe Moisan
16
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
LOL
Jesus says we are commiting sin even just thinking of it, Eric :)
Pierre Fricker
7
Web Illiterate
Well, I've to admit that when writting my comment above I had the same thought as Philippe. But because of my poor English I didn't dare writting it!
Philippe Moisan
16
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
LOL
I had written "professional", it wouldn't have been quality writing to say "profession" in the same sentence. I'm a maniac. :)
Mohann Krish
6
OMG, Phil did you really mean it? Did you by mistake use the word 'job' for 'profession'? How could my Guru utter like that! LOL
Philippe Moisan
16
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
That's what the professionals who practice the oldest job in the world keep saying :)
Pierre Fricker
7
Web Illiterate
Warren, no need to plead guilty. What is nicer than to get paid for having fun?
Philippe Moisan
16
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
To greedy, to millionaire, or all of the above? :)
You don't have to answer that, my friend, it's none of my business. I know you are very generous about your experience and knowledge