| What is a safelist? | | | | because many people now use huge mailboxes |
| | | | that can automatically delete all messages. |
| A safelist is a website that provides a way | | | | In that way, people don't have to go through |
| for people who join to send out ads and | | | | their mailboxes and actually look at any of |
| information to each other. Many of the ads | | | | the mail, which means they aren't really |
| found on safelists concern ways to make money | | | | reading any of the messages. |
| online. Safelists were created mainly in | | | | |
| response to the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, which | | | | What does work? |
| placed serious restrictions on spamming and | | | | |
| which allows for prosecution of those | | | | With a very catchy or striking subject line, |
| individuals and companies who transgress | | | | you can still get a few people here and there |
| these restrictions. Safelists are "safe" | | | | to open your email, provided you send out |
| because they provide a place for people to | | | | enough of them to the safelists and at the |
| advertise without being accused of spamming, | | | | right time of the week and day. The correct |
| which can get you into all sorts of trouble | | | | time and date are usually considered to be |
| if enough people complain. No one who is | | | | "secrets," but they are common sense. |
| really trying to create a business online | | | | Weekends are usually not a good time, as |
| wants to be accused of spamming. | | | | people are interested not in work but in play |
| | | | at that time. Many people work in offices and |
| Safelists come in all sizes, as they can be | | | | don't want to read emails after they get |
| owned or started by anyone who wants one, | | | | home, if they even have a home computer, so |
| Some of them have thousands of members, while | | | | there are many people reading (and deleting) |
| others have just a few. There are also | | | | their messages during lunch hour. Now, "lunch |
| services called "safelist submitters," which | | | | hour" varies around the world, as does the |
| allow you to join and send to hundreds or | | | | "weekend," so you will have to account for |
| thousands of safelists at once. If you are | | | | when that will occur most appropriately for |
| submitting to thousands of safelists, you are | | | | your business enterprise. If you join a |
| sending your emails to hundreds of thousands | | | | safelist submitter that mails to at least 1 |
| or millions of people, which sounds very | | | | million people, if you have a catchy subject |
| exciting. Safelists have been considered for | | | | line and a compelling body copy, and if you |
| several years now to be the best place for | | | | send out these messages – rotating your |
| new marketers or "newbies" to start their | | | | ads – at the appropriate times of day |
| business. But, do they really work? For the | | | | and week, you may see a satisfying amount of |
| most part, safelist marketing has become | | | | traffic going to your website. In this sense, |
| obsolete and outdated. It used to work much | | | | it can be said that safelists do work, but |
| better, but since everyone's doing it, it | | | | that "iffy" success is only one part of the |
| doesn't work very well anymore, especially | | | | net-marketing battle! |