Bob Bly & Safelists

For those of you who don't know him, Bob Bly is a marketing copywriter par excellence. He has written books on copywriting that are considered as text books. Bob also occasionally writes a column for Direct Marketing News to which I subscribe. Bob's column in the latest issue was interesting. He was discussing how his webmaster took Bob's e-zine subscriber list from 2,000 subscribers to 60,000 in about 6 weeks. He did it with "safelists." Bob mentioned the fact that he didn't yet know the quality of the subscribers and that he had noticed the unsubscribe rate was higher than with "regular" sign ups.

Ordinarily, I would have ignored safelists because I've read they're not much better than FFA pages. However, when a marketer of Bob Bly's caliber mentions a technique, I figure it might be worth looking into.

So... here's my question to you folks. Have you tried safelists? If so, what was your experience, good or bad?

Rick Smith, "The Net Guerrilla"




Click Here to Get Your Free Mini-Course on Getting a Great Life in Just 10 Days

Bob
> mentioned the fact that he didn't yet know
> the quality of the subscribers and that he
> had noticed the unsubscribe rate was higher
> than with "regular" sign ups.

Rick,

This is the key point. The quality of subscribers is the real test.

I too was initially impressed with the results I got buying subscribers through a similar service. However, it soon came to my notice that most of those signing up had email addresses like [email protected] - which was most unlike my "regular" subscribers. Also, I got more complaints from people who said they'd never signed up for my list. And an inordinate number of those bought subscribers had full mailboxes so that the newsletter was undeliverable.

I would not do this again.

Instead I'm concentrating on getting people to my site. If they subscribe to my newsletter after being at my site, they are usually good subscribers!

Marcia Yudkin


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Marcia -

> This is the key point. The quality of
> subscribers is the real test.

> I would not do this again.

Well, knowing Bob's background, that's why I so surprised when I read his article. I would rather have his 2,000 regulars some of whom probably buy from him than 60,000 of the type you described.

> Instead I'm concentrating on getting people
> to my site. If they subscribe to my
> newsletter after being at my site, they are
> usually good subscribers!

That has been my experience as well. I've got to do a better job tracking the visits vs. the sign-ups but I do know we convert a little over 3% to sales of those who sign up for the mini-course. I was pretty pleased with that figure, (knowing that the average is 1% or less for most DM), until Alex Mandossian told me he was getting double that! I've recently read of some other folks that are getting the same kinds of conversions. So I've got some work to do.

Rick Smith, "The Net Guerrilla"


Click Here to Get Your Free Mini-Course on Obtaining a Great Life in 10 Days

>Hi, the hard route usually pays off in the end.

I once had about 2000 subscribers but they weren't very responsive, I asked them all to re-subscribe of which 500 did, I then got a better response rate!

If people choose to want to know you, it's better

peter


The Best Radio Show on The Net

Peter -

> I once had about 2000 subscribers but they
> weren't very responsive, I asked them all to
> re-subscribe of which 500 did, I then got a
> better response rate!

Interesting idea.

BTW, I listened to your August 1 radio show the other day. Interesting format. Keep it coming.

Rick Smith, "The Net Guerrilla"




Click Here to Your Get Your Free Mini-Course on How to Get a Great Life in 10 Days

Hi Rick,

thanks,

Peter


The Best Radio Show On The Net!