Viral Video Villain Got $1 Million as 750 Industries
The Viral Video Villain (www.viralvideovillain.com) just got a $1 million investment. Dan Ackerman Greenberg, who caused quite a stir with his “Secret Strategies Behind Viral Videos,” is now 750 Industries. Or as TechCrunch put it, “The Viral Video Guy Gets $1 Million.”
Greenberg explained 750 Industries to TechCrunch’s Michael Arington as, “a startup providing viral media distribution solutions that gives content owners and advertisers quick and effective access to millions of consumers.” And they say the company is already “very profitable.”
Then, with David Blaine agility, Greenberg took Arington’s watch off and pocked it. But not before hypnotizing him to write another promotional post for him. But if you don’t believe he’s profitable than click this thumbnail for a hot naked woman.
While I may not agree with Greenberg’s boasting of manipulative approaches to get video views, you have to give him three props:
- Greenberg has a killer logo. It’s modern, but very James Bond. It makes me want a martini.
- He snagged a million dollars. My guess is he’s already half way to Mexico with that money. And investor Ron Conway (Maples Investments and Baseline Ventures) is going to soon find some moldy boxes packed with counterfitted bail bonds in the empty office that was formerly Yelp’s. But he did it.
- He’s a pioneer in a burgeoning industry that could be likened to the early days of search-engine optimization. Just like firms approach Google placement with paid ads and organic strategies to rank high, companies will promote videos with a “paid” and “earned” approach. Eventually the market will transform from black hat to white hat tactics (or dare I say “from Wicked Witch to Glenda‘), and will be as reputable as the industry that focus on organic website optimization.
The original search-engine marketing (SEM) firms would promise top placements and use link farms and mirror sites to trick Google. But now many of them work ethically and responsibly to ensure that websites are built so Google search spiders can index the site appropriately, and that titles, metatags, copy and image tags are carefully chosen for relevance. The companies that try to trick Google and web searchers (like illegitimate online pharmacies and porn sites) are eventually pushed down on rankings or eliminated from Google’s results.
That’s where online video is going. Google’s technology and the wisdom of crowds will eventually render tricks (like fake headlines and autobots commenting) ineffective. And that’s when it gets interesting.
But want to know a little secret? The first companies to figure this out for clients won’t be the advertising agencies, and probably won’t even be digital agencies. It will be nimble firms that have an understanding of online video, technology and marketing. So while 750’s exit strategy may be selling to a digital agency, Greenberg does have a first-mover advantage.
Won’t videos have to be homogenized in anticipation of a wider audience (before the expense of the view-boosting trickery can be financially viable)?
Won’t the raw, unfiltered marginal stuff always be more interesting and less advertised?
Way too much verbage for me, but I did watch the David Blaine vid, that was freakin hilarious!
…and you didn’t link your Techcrunch video where noone is listening to you when you book got posted…seesh, now I have to search for it! :o)
You’re just jealous, Kevin, that he got $1 million and you didn’t.
I like to braid my back hair.
Why do I get the feeling you see yourself as being one of the good guys? When you start your company can I get a piece of the action? Anything with vice-president in the title has a nice ring to it.
but what can he do with a slice of cheese?
let’s see just how good this guy really is…
I say he gives us a few suggestions we come up with an idea, we present him with a product/outcome and he makes it go viral.
fair challenge Mr. Bond, I mean Mr. Greenberg?
are you up for it?
I looked at the post. I didn’t read it, though. But I looked. That’s the only reason you put them up, right?
Hm.
Kelley is so gross. But it’s true. She really does braid her back hair.
Somebody out there is trying to steal my online identity and change my YouTube password.
And I used to braid my hair, too.
Speaking of back hair, I just cut off all the hair on my head. Like 10 inches worth. While the color and highlights look awesome, it just occurred to me that the cut looks suspiciously similar to the way my hair looked when I was five years old and my mom cut all of our hair. I do not know how I feel about that. But I’m guessing none of you other folks have an opinion one way or the other. So I’ll shut up now.
P.S. Dan Ackerman Greenberg is a dickless asshole.
I want to see what your bald head looks like with a twinkie on it
Sukatra- send me your hair please. Locks for bald video guys. Hey, Matt. I’m the white hat guy. I will work hard for a search rating or view, but not to the point of deceipt. That’s what eventually lasts. Although I do confess that Glenda here wishes she had an army of flying monkeys. Or at least a half dozen hairy midgets that can jump kinda high. Marquis- don’t know what you said at the beginning but methinks it was really profound.
Sukatra: My hair is really short. I like it that way. I used to have long hair until I had kids and they used to pull on it all the time. Now my husband says I look like a dyke. I really don’t care.
And Nalts, what the hell does
“Although I do confess that Glenda here wishes she had an army of flying monkeys. Or at least a half dozen hairy midgets that can jump kinda high.”
mean?
I didn’t shave myself bald jan. but I do think I’d look hot that way, especially with the twinkie.
I braid my ass crack and pube hairs, but that’s just me.
:o)
Anybody want to pay me a million dollars to see a picture?
xjgx: No thank you. I shiver at the mental image. 🙂
Marilyn, for you…I’ll give you the discounted price of $.99! You’ll get the whole shebang! :o)
Cool! I’m in!
LOL, I should be paying you $1mil for the torture! ;o)