Viral Mailers and Safelists
Safelists
Safelists are online advertising platforms that allow members to send promotional emails to one another within a closed, permission-based system. Unlike typical email marketing, where messages might be considered spam if sent without consent, safelists operate on the principle that all members have voluntarily joined the list and agreed to receive promotional emails from other members. This makes it a form of targeted advertising, as everyone in the safelist community is usually interested in internet marketing, online business, or affiliate promotions.
When you join a safelist, you typically gain the ability to send emails to other members—sometimes with limits on how many messages you can send per day, week, or month depending on your membership level (free vs. paid). In exchange, you also receive emails from other members. Some safelists are credit-based, meaning you earn credits for reading other people’s emails, and then use those credits to send your own messages to the group. This system encourages interaction and ensures that your promotions are actually being opened by real people, rather than ignored or filtered out.
For marketers, safelists can be a cost-effective way to generate website traffic, build an email list, and test out promotional offers. While the audience is often other marketers rather than general consumers, the value lies in networking with like-minded individuals, driving opt-ins, and gaining visibility without spending heavily on paid ads. Like traffic exchanges, safelists are often overlooked, but when used consistently with the right strategy—such as sending people to a squeeze page instead of directly to a sales offer—they can provide a steady stream of leads and potential subscribers.
Viral List Builders
Viral List Builders are a bit different from safelists. You can only email a certain number of random members each week, usually around 500. But if you refer people to the service, they get added under you, and you can email them on top of your usual limit.
You also earn credits by reading emails and referring new members, which you can use for more than just mailings. You can get other types of ads like banner ads, text links, or login ads, giving you more chances to get your ads noticed.
No matter which Safelists or Viral List Builders you’re using, it’s super important to track your results to see what’s working best for you. If you’re using Squeeze Pages, I’d recommend tracking with The Realtracker. It shows not only the clicks your page got and where they came from, but also the conversion rate. Even if you’re just using a simple Splash Page, The Realtracker can help you track the performance of your page.
I’ve found that List Builders can be a super effective way to drive traffic to my sites and offers, but not all of them are created equal. That’s why it’s really important to keep an eye on your results. Below are a few of the ones I use the most, and have seen great success with!
