Do you belong to any safelists?

Newbie definition: A program that allows members to send out email messages (advertisements) to all or some of the other members without being accused of SPAM! Hence, SAFE!

Well, they might be safe, but are they useful?

I belong to about 20 safelists, and I have to tell you, I see the same ads and the same users on most of them. The trend for most of these users is to send out the exact same ad every day (or however often they are allowed to send out their messages). I see very little creativity, and little or no variety.

The effect is similar to being hit over the head with a rubber mallet. After a while (a very short while) I hit the delete key or trash button without even opening the email message.

Okay, as unique as I would like to believe that I am, I am also aware that if this is my response to most safelist messages, is everyone simply sending out ads that nobody reads?

Plus, to make matters worse - almost all of the email I get from safelists goes into a junk email box that I routinely trash all of the messages received once a week. (It's a huge mailbox!)

There are a few exceptions to this rule, and here's why - they offer credits for clicking on a URL inside the message. Not one to pass up on free credits - I have a special email box set up for the following:

Safelister - Over 14,000 members!
AdTactics - Almost 10,000 members!
OneStopTraffic - Fairly new, and very small.
Paid Link Mail - Brand New!

(Links are available at the bottom of this article)

Now, if I use the same logic I used earlier, if I am actually opening these messages, lots of other people must be doing the same thing. And even though I am really opening the message to find the link to click for free credits, I can't help but notice the message as well, and yes, once in a while something will catch my attention.

I know when I send out messages, that is all I can hope for - just a second or two of someone's precious time and attention. Needless to say, it is a difficult goal to achieve.

Here are a few tips to make your message an attention-grabber:

1) Unless you are using the safelists with credit links that get opened regardless of what your subject line says, your subject line is the most important feature. Unfortunately, because of this, many people use deceptive subject lines even though most lists forbid them. Examples include:

Your check has been received.
You must validate your address.
Membership confirmation.

You get the idea - these are the types of subject lines that program administrators must use, and that is why we open them.

However, keep in mind that getting your email message opened is only half the battle, and if someone feels like you have deceived them with an improper subject line, you can cross them off your list of potential customers or business associates.

I recommend creating a "Good Subject Line" file in Notepad. When you see a subject line you like, or one that actually makes you click on it, copy and paste it into this text file that you keep handy on your desktop.

Some of my favorites are:

Something Old ~ Something New ~ Something Borrowed ~ Something Blue

I use this to promote four progams, a new one, an old one, and two others that are relative to the topics of borrowed and blue (the color, not the feeling!).

~~~Free Report Inside!

No one can pass up looking inside to see if this is something worthwhile.

~~~Only 1 out of 10 people will read this message.

Everyone likes to consider themselves unique or special, so they almost have to read the message to confirm this.

~~~What do they know that you don't?

No one likes to think there is something out there that they don't already know, so they will look just to be sure.

2) Okay, your message has been opened, now what? Give the reader something new to read. Most of the people promoting a program use the same letter over and over. People are not stupid, and it doesn't take an Einstein IQ to recognize the same tired message you have seen hundreds of times.

An ideal message will be short, and will require the reader to take action immediately. Very few people save safelist messages to read later. So, if you don't capture the reader's attention in just a few seconds, you have wasted your time.

Rather than explaining all of the features and advantages of a particular product or program in the body of the safelist email message, you should include an autoresponder link that only requires the reader to click once and send without any additional typing.

This is a good tactic for several reasons. For one, it doesn't intrude on the reader's current time schedule. The main reason you should do this, however, is to help you build a personal opt-in list of targeted readers. A safelist is an opt-in list, but it isn't YOUR opt-in list. Remember always, the gold is in the list, and every marketing effort on your part should attempt to add people to YOUR list.

Also, if you include a link to a website, try to link to your doorway (gateway) page rather than the website everyone else uses to promote the same program. Once again, and I can't stress this often enough - uniqueness, individuality, and creativity are the best ways to keep someone's attention.

This means you should not use the promotion letter a particular program suggests to all of its members. You will just appear to be one of many with a herd mentality. Be an individual with high integrity and leadership qualities if you hope to have a following.

3) Don't insult your reader!

For example, how many times have you seen the subject line - Stop the MLM Insanity! Hundreds, maybe even thousands of times? I have. Do I need to read any further - not even. I already joined. Do I promote this program? Nope. Why? Because I firmly believe in the value of MLM. Also, I don't like to take advantage of other people's mistakes. One or two bad experiences with MLM does not mean it is a "huge mistake." I feel that the MLM Insanity approach is insulting because it makes people feel stupid for trying something to improve their lifestyle.

Another example of insulting your reader is the MLM D.U.M.M.I.E. program slogan - Don't be a Dummy! Because of this, I have decided to NOT be a D.U.M.M.I.E. I even have a free membership because I have an Executive level membership at ProMoneyMail, but I absolutely refuse to promote this program.

4) Don't use trite and overused statements in your email message.

This is probably just my own personal pet peeve, but I really get irritated when I see the sentence "What have you got to lose?" Especially when the word lose is misspelled! Other overused phrases include: Get 3 and it's Free; Limited Offer; and Hurry before the price goes up!

5) One final note- give some thought to the username you select when you join a program because it will usually become part of the URL you promote, and it normally appears on the safelist message somewhere. Why is this important? Let me give you an example:

Would you join a program like Juvio that requires a minimum monthly payment under someone with a username such as "casinokid" ???

Try something relevant instead - like a derivitive of your name! True, the internet allows us some semblance of anonymity, but why do you need to be unknown? If you are ashamed of the program or product you are promoting, perhaps you do need to hide, but if you really want to succeed in business, on or offline, you need to earn recognition, and the easiest way is to use your real name, and to use it often. Always sign your email messages and always include some form of contact method. I often include my real home business telephone number, and I haven't been inundated with crank calls yet!

Here are links to the safelists Carol recommends:

Click to Join the Safelister Safelist

Click to Visit the AdTactics Safelist

Click to Visit OneStopTraffic.net Safelist

Click to Visit Paid Link Mail Safelist

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Carol Riggles is the owner of
CCR Enterprises which includes
Carroll Creek Remedies and Chesapeake Website Designs