Evil marketing strategies used to promote YouTube videos

How to succeed on [tag]YouTube[/tag]? [tag]Dan Ackerman Greenberg[/tag] blew it when he posted the dirty tricks employed by The Comotion Group, his viral marketing firm.

Backpedalling furiously, Dan pleaded later that the editor done it, adding:

I have been deeply distressed by the extremely negative comments about my character and ethics. I am NOT a spammer, and I pride myself in my moral character. Anyone who knows me can attest to this.

Sure they can.
Dave Fleet summarises the evil techniques
Jason Ryan examines them from a public service perspective

As for me, I'm wondering how YouTube viewers could believe that sheer quality or brand could possibly hike videos to the top of the queue, given the unthinkable numbers posted daily. Are Greenberg-clones helping political parties as well as film companies and multinationals? Surely it's got to be so. What a sorry thought, with sorry ramifications for all [tag]social media[/tag].