Safelists get a bad name, and most of the time that’s because people use them in completely the wrong way.

They try to sell directly to safelist traffic. They write long emails. They hide the link halfway down the page. Then, when nothing happens, they decide safelists don’t work and move on to the next shiny object.

In reality, safelists work very well, but only when you use them for what they’re meant to do.

Safelists are NOT email marketing.

That distinction matters more than almost anything else.

When someone opens a safelist email, they are not opening it because they trust you, like you, or want to hear your story. They are opening it because they want to earn credits. That’s the motivation. Once you accept that, you stop trying to persuade and you start making things easy.

The only job of a safelist email is to get the click.

That’s it, as I explain in this video I made for EFC member Steve in response to an email about safelist email copy:

You are not trying to explain the offer. You are not trying to build a relationship. You are not trying to close a sale. You are simply giving someone a reason to click a link that is clearly visible, easy to find, and requires as little effort as possible.

Continue reading “How I Actually Use Safelists (and Why They Work When You Use Them Correctly)”