The method seems risky at first, but when you think about the risk and how they solved the problem, it is perfectly acceptable.
To catch danger from unsolicited email (from the end recipient), the mail must first be reported. A complaint must be made. If the recipient doesn't report it, there is no action taken. Most of the time, it doesn't take but a few reports and then there are people digging into the scheme trying to figure out who is abusing the end users. This is because most people sending unsolicited email are not able to directly target their market. Viagra spammers have to send out boat loads of messages just to hit their market of old men with erectile disfunction who are too embarrassed to get the pills through traditional means AND not web savvy enough to realize that giving out their credit card information to a fly by night company selling drugs isn't the smartest idea.
Simply put - if you can directly target your market AND you have something that is game changing to those people - eg a superior product / experience / service compared to their current business efforts, you won't get flagged for spam. They'll check out your site, think it's the greatest, and become your customer because you make them money.
The problem for AirBnB was that Craigslist has evolved to try and prevent unsolicited mail of all kind - because most people or companies are NOT able to hit the sweet spot where they are sure that what they have to offer is exactly what the recipient wants, but doesn't know it until the email is received.
Having interns, family, friends, or other people who are genuinely excited about your business send email recommending it to exactly who will want it, without revealing their relationship to the business, is an acceptable, if temporary solution.
But you only need to build momentum, because if your product is amazing, the recipients of the previously unsolicited email will do all the word of mouth marketing for you.
So before you go and try and repeat this alleged successful route, make sure you have all the pieces to the puzzle before giving the mission a green light.
[cite: personal past experience at an ESP watching and doing the digging in resolving spam/fraud complaints]
The method seems risky at first, but when you think about the risk and how they solved the problem, it is perfectly acceptable.
To catch danger from unsolicited email (from the end recipient), the mail must first be reported. A complaint must be made. If the recipient doesn't report it, there is no action taken. Most of the time, it doesn't take but a few reports and then there are people digging into the scheme trying to figure out who is abusing the end users. This is because most people sending unsolicited email are not able to directly target their market. Viagra spammers have to send out boat loads of messages just to hit their market of old men with erectile disfunction who are too embarrassed to get the pills through traditional means AND not web savvy enough to realize that giving out their credit card information to a fly by night company selling drugs isn't the smartest idea.
Simply put - if you can directly target your market AND you have something that is game changing to those people - eg a superior product / experience / service compared to their current business efforts, you won't get flagged for spam. They'll check out your site, think it's the greatest, and become your customer because you make them money.
The problem for AirBnB was that Craigslist has evolved to try and prevent unsolicited mail of all kind - because most people or companies are NOT able to hit the sweet spot where they are sure that what they have to offer is exactly what the recipient wants, but doesn't know it until the email is received.
Having interns, family, friends, or other people who are genuinely excited about your business send email recommending it to exactly who will want it, without revealing their relationship to the business, is an acceptable, if temporary solution.
But you only need to build momentum, because if your product is amazing, the recipients of the previously unsolicited email will do all the word of mouth marketing for you.
So before you go and try and repeat this alleged successful route, make sure you have all the pieces to the puzzle before giving the mission a green light.
[cite: personal past experience at an ESP watching and doing the digging in resolving spam/fraud complaints]