Is safelist really a good way to promote business?

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It really bring some traffics to my affiliate site, but just traffic, nothing sold via these traffic. So, I was a little confused that safelist is really a good way in internt marketing? Besides, I must open tons of mail to get enough credits to send my own mail to the list, it is really time-comsuming. Anybody here can give me some good acvices, thanks a lot.