Best 10 Safelists and Mailers for 2018

Among the thousands of quality safelists and mailers available online, the ones below are my top 10 safelists that I am using in 2018. I recommend everyone who is email marketing using safelists and mailers to consider these.

We are told the "money is in the list." But until you have created your own list, safelists, mailers, and solo ads are a great way to promote your business and products. 

Email marketing is just one of a number of ways to promote your business and products online. Methods include:

  • Search engine marketing – includes SEO
  • Display advertising – includes pay-per-click
  • Online classified advertising – eBay for example
  • Social media marketing – includes content marketing
  • Mobile advertising – text message ads, webpages
  • Email advertising
  •  

    Introduction

    I am a member of 200 safelists and mailers. But I don't use many of them very often if at all. I use Viral Mail Profits to manage my safelists and schedule mailings. My top 10 safelist rankings are based on data collected while using VMP.

    I considered the following factors in determining my top 10 safelists:

    • Number of email recipients
    • Volume of clicks
    • Click Through Rate (CTR)
    • Angle Double Right
      Age of Safelist
    • Angle Double Right
      Highly ranked by independent testing sites

    My Top 10 Recommended Safelists and Mailers

    Longevity is the one characteristic the following mailers have in common (with several exceptions). They have proven track records for providing quality results.

    Without further ado, this is my top 10 list.

    1. State-of-the-Art Mailer System


       PRO

    • Highest number of clicks among my top 10
    • Rated #1 by Hoopla
    • Well established, proven track record among safelists over the last 8 years

       CON

    • Top level upgrade has a 3 day waiting period between sending emails.
    • Premium pricing for different membership levels. 

    Summary

    SOTAM is a premium safelist with over 37,000 members. As the membership base expanded, SOTAM has increased the number of email recipients for the top-level upgrade. Click here to join SOTAM

    2. Guaranteed Solo Mails


       PRO

    • 2nd highest number of clicks among my top 10
    • Guarantees a minimum of 300+ unique clicks
    • Can use credits to increase number of guaranteed views

       CON

    • Free members do not receive free solo ads with guaranteed views
    • Small membership base of 1,100 members
    • Upgraded members can opt out of receiving emails leaving free members to view emails

    Summary

    Guaranteed Solo Mails guarantees results. And the results are shown by IP address and country. To meet the guaranteed numbers, the GSM owner sends your solo ads are sent to the owner's other subscriber lists. So the actual size of the GSM membership is not critical. Click here to join Guaranteed Solo Mails

    3. Free Advertising for You

    Free Advertising for You safelist


       PRO

    • Highly responsive membership. My highest CTR at 16.7%
    • Free members can earn free upgrade to Pro level
    • Jason Wise is a very innovative, active owner

       CON

    • New mailer/ad site without proven track record
    • Small membership base of 2,100 members
    • Email ads are text only, no HTML

    Summary

    FAFY is a great results oriented site that is more than just a safelist. Available advertising includes banner ads, surf exchange, feature ads, solo ads, and more. Active members earn more advertising opportunities. New members currently receive 6 solo ads and 50,000 ad credits. Click here to join Free Advertising for You

    4. Email-Hog


       PRO

    • Get a 2% CTR on your email ad or get your mail credits returned
    • 6 membership levels to meet all budgets
    • Frequent contests to earn extra credits and cash

       CON

    • Smallish membership base of 3,500 members
    • Upgraded members can opt out of receiving emails leaving free members to view emails

    Summary

    Email-Hog has been one of my favorite safelists for years.  My CTR is 4.73%. Members earn money by reading emails. It is not a lot, but every bit helps. Upgraded members receive 50% commissions on upgrades and ad purchases. Click here to join Email-Hog

    5. European Safelist

    European Safelist


       PRO

    • Low-cost upgrades are available, except top level which is $45 per month
    • Ranked #2 by Hoopla
    • Paid memberships receive lots of credits upon joining and monthly

       CON

    • 2nd lowest CTR among my top 10
    • Affiliate promotional material is skimpy
    • Low commission rates for referrals

    Summary

    Highly ranked European Safelist has been around since 2007. the 17,000+ members get lots of value for their low-cost upgrades (Silver upgrade is $3 per month and Pro is $7 per month. Did I mention that upgraded members get an autoresponder with their membership? They do plus many other benefits. Click here to join European Safelist

    6. Land Marketing Mailer

    Land Marketing Mailer safelist


       PRO

    • Lots of member and mailing options at great prices
    • Owner is results-focused, not offering games and other distractions
    • Exceptional mailing frequencies depending on membership level

       CON

    • 3rd lowest CTR among my top 10

    Summary

    Land Marketing Mailer is part of the Land Marketing Group of safelists and traffic exchanges owned and operated by Louise Deavin and Doug Forbes. They have a long history of email marketing. As a result, LMM is a highly responsive safelist. They offer some of the best one-time-offers to new members. Click here to join Land Marketing Mailer

    7. Herculist 

    Herculist safelist


       PRO

    • Most recipients among my top 10 safelists (I sent to 80K+ members a day)
    • Large membership database of 80,787 members and growing
    • 3 levels of memberships (free, pro, and gold) with affordable annual membership plans

       CON

    • Lowest CTR among my top 10 safelists is offset by recipient volume
    • Large number of emails go to members' contact email account
    • Very limited mailing options for free members (1,000 emails a day) 

    Summary

    Herculist has been in business since 2001 and continues to grow its membership base. With a large membership, you are trading CTR for click volume. A safelist with a small membership base may give you a higher CTR, but fewer people looking at your ad. For example, a small safelist with 1,000 needs to have a CTR of 4% or better to match Herculist's 80,000+ membership if the Herculist CTR is .05%. Anecdotal  evidence indicates the average CTR for email sent via safelists and mailers is 2%. Click here to join Herculist

    8. Mister Safelist

    Mister Safelist Mailer


       PRO

    • Very responsive membership list as inactive members are purged 
    • Member emails are sent to active members only
    • Rated #4 by Hoopla

       CON

    • Saved email history should provide results data
    • Smallish membership base of 3,600+ active members

    Summary

    Mister Safelist is one of the most popular, responsive safelists in the industry. Jerry Iannucci, Mister Safelist owner, wrote the email marketing guide, "Safelist Marketing Tactics." Following the release of his highly successful safelist marketing guide, Jerry used his vast knowledge of safelist marketing to create Mister Safelist. Click here to join Mister Safelist

    9. Advertising for Success

    Advertising for Success Safelist


       PRO

    • Innovative advertising technology used in mobile phone applications
    • High CTR in excess of 10% due guaranteed clicks
    • Active members are rewarded (cash & credits) through click qualifiers

       CON

    • New advertising site with small membership base of 1,200+ members
    • Frequent cash contests may be inflating results
    • Limited membership upgrades

    Summary

    Advertising for Success launched in 2018 offering innovative advertising technology. Members have access to the AFS mobile app via the Apple Store (iphones). Smart Phone mobile app coming soon. In addition to the mobile advertising, AFS offers members the typical safelist email marketing services. But with guaranteed, unique views. As a result my current CTR is 10.25%. Click here to join Advertising for Success

    10. Traffic Hog Advertising

    Traffic Hog Advertising


       PRO

    • Guaranteed unique views of 70+ availableLi
    • CTR is double the industry average of 2%
    • Active members are rewarded (cash & credits) through click qualifiers

       CON

    • Small membership base of less than 1,000
    • Limited upgrade options available
    • New site without proven track record

    Summary

    Launched in 2017, Traffic Hog Advertising is one of Mary Petrizza's newer safelists. Unfortunately, it has been overshadowed by the 2018 launch of Advertising for Success. With guaranteed, unique clicks, THA is a responsive safelist as members earn credits and cash for reading emails and clicking on banners and text ads. Click here to join Traffic Hog Advertising

    Top 10 Safelist Conclusion

    Ranking safelists and mailers can be very subjective. But using tracking tools helps determine results in terms of views, click through rates, and conversions. 

    My top 10 list did not include email blasters like 1Goldmine because many of them require you to be members of the associated safelists. Also, they tend to be more of an automated tool to save you time by sending emails to your associated safelists simultaneously. 

    In summary, my top 10 safelists are effective, productive safelists to use in your email marketing campaigns. And safelists are one form of promotion used on the interest. I encourage everyone to find what works best for them. 

    If you have any questions or comments about my top 10 list of safelists and mailers, please fill in and submit the form below. I love feedback. 

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