I know that it can make a post visible, but it is destructive. I can't remember if some of the bots are now burning what they earn, but it sounds like a bad business to me. With the new rules they would be earning more by simply curating.

Sadly there isn't really a good system paying to promoting posts. I think the idea of the promoted system where you burn steem is very good, but the posts should be displayed in the feed of all users where the so called featured posts are now.

I am just doing it the purist way and hoping the community will see when I have made a long and work-heavy post - until there will be a promotion solution that will benefit both Steem and the users of the solution, I am not sure it is doable. But I can be wrong of course.