Hey guys, as part of my continued efforts to distribute free cryptocurrency content, here is my third weekly article featured on Reddit.  To view it in all of its properly formatted glory go here:  https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/comments/77iqbv/satirical_mainstream_media_guide_to_writing_about/?st=j8z6nsiw&sh=261acd32

Or, read it below!

In the coming weeks, we can be sure to know that many poorly equipped mainstream writers will need to write articles about the inevitable “crash” of bitcoin when the money goes back into alts.  Are you one of those writers?  Well, pull out your keyboard pads, because this is your unofficial guide to writing a generic bitcoin falls article!

Today, we’re going to cover the only part of your article that truly matters:

* The Title

Without a clickbait title your writing is completely worthless.  Luckily, writing your bitcoin article’s title can be summed up in three simple steps.

* * Step One: Establishing that Bitcoin is Dying

Since your readers didn’t invest in bitcoin years ago and largely don’t understand it, you need to establish that bitcoin is really dead this time.  A simple two or three word phrase at the beginning of your article will hook them.

The first word is ‘Bitcoin’.

The next word or words should mean something horrible and suggest downward movement.  Some reasonable choices include:  crashes, plummets, finally dies, screeches to a halt, bubble bursts.  These took zero creativity on my part to come up with, so they should be safe choices.  Your article should show as little thought as possible and stick to tired tropes, your viewers will feel unchallenged that way.

* * Step Two:  The Insane “Facts”

Your audience knows more about forks than you think.  They’re better than chopsticks, for example.  Advanced users even know that you don’t have to hold them with your fist, and can - in fact - utilize a pencil-like grip for maximum dexterity and grace.  Bitcoin forks, however, are too hard for them.  Instead, use insane semi-factual information to create a reason.  Remember, your audience probably wants bitcoin to die, or will be worried sick about it dying.  These people click. 

Russians are very popular right now, as well as the Chinese.  Could Russian investors be to blame?  The Chinese government?  Of course they could!  Work for CNN or Fox?  Blame Trump in the title, or the ‘Deep State’ and “freeloading liberals”.  Or, say it looks just like the tulip or orchid or whatever market from way back when.  The best part about this is that it way over-simplifies the forces at play, meaning you don’t have to actually have any in-depth discussion of forks, dot-com bubbles, or technicalities of digital securities.  Instead, you can pass off plants as cryptocurrency.  And, you know, reiterate how they’re both going to the ground where they belong.

* *  Step Three:  The Picture

The picture shows your audience just how crazy bitcoin is!  You have two options here.  Use a highly generic picture of physical coins with the bitcoin symbol on them (Note: many of your readers will think that bitcoins are both physical coins and digital coins simultaneously, so this will play to your advantage!) or take a picture of a millennial hipster-type with bitcoin symbols nearby doing something CRAZY!!  Running with a cape, the (in my opinion) now classic bottlecaps in the eyes pose, etc.  It is common knowledge that the world of finance is predominated by young people and especially millennials! 

Which reminds me:  They killed napkins, why can’t they kill bitcoin?  Great article idea, now go write it!

[ Upvotes all around to people that can find the EXACT thing I’m describing in this article!  Link your favorites in the comments and be sure to tune in next week to Part 2!]

Hello BTC'ers, this is my second article in a series of free direct-to-reddit articles about cryptocurrency and the communities surrounding them.

Access the article here:  https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/comments/761727/cryptogrinder_5_myths_about_airdrops/

Or, read it in a slightly less perfectly formatted version below:

Hello again!

This is my second weekly article, airdropped to you for free!  All you need to do qualify is read on...

That's right, this week's topic is...

# 5 Myths about Airdrops

With airdrops becoming an increasingly popular way to distribute a coin early in development, partially due to the latest SEC rulings on ICOs and maybe just maybe due to the popularity of some really popular airdrops*, it becomes a good time to start looking at some common myths that are associated with the phenomenon of the airdrop.

(*Full Disclosure, I am participating in the DeepOnion airdrop.)

##Since airdrops are giving away free money, it isn’t worth anything.

An easy to fall into trap is that, as an airdrop is a free gimme, then what is being given away is of no value.  I’d disagree immensely with this.  Many industries have, in fact, profited greatly from the giveaway or pay-what-you-want strategy.  Looking at books, for example, and would you believe that ‘The Martian’ and ‘John Dies at the End’ were both originally posted for free on the internet?  Now they both have Hollywood adaptations.  A coin distribution doesn’t have to be all that different.  With great tech, a free initial giveaway can greatly increase value of a project!

##Airdrops are giving away free money

Now, despite the first myth I just talked about, there is a second myth that even goes so far at to make refuting the first one pointless.  Airdrops aren’t free!  They have rules, they take time, and are a part of the advertising.  Those people that spin signs are sort of like airdrop participants.  They have rules about when and how often they need to spin their signs, it takes time to spin the sign, and they advertise a business.  The great thing about an airdrop participant is, instead of being paid in cash, the airdrop participant becomes a part of the project with ownership of the coin.  The airdrop participant then actually cares about the future of the project and will incorporate that care into the rest of their lives, while the sign spinner will very well likely trash talk the company to any willing to lend an ear.

##Participants Deserve the airdrop money

“Where are my XXX?”  You’ll hear that a lot in any forum from people that make mistakes.  Mistakes such as being annoying, instead of helpful, posters.  Mistakes such as not even using a clear signature.  Really really dumb mistakes.  Now, this is more towards people that are thinking about joining airdrops than the dev team, but… yeah, you don’t deserve this money, you earn it.  You earn it bey following rules, being courteous, etc.  You don’t earn it by making pictures nobody asked for (though that is nice) or the Steemit article you wrote (nice also).  You earn it  by following rules set up by the dev team.  If the dev team wants Steemit articles or pictures, they’ll hold contests, or you know… you could be happy to be supporting a coin you’re invested in because you like it.

##The price will plummet after the airdrop

The logic goes that if you aren’t getting any more airdrop money you (and everyone else) will just dump the coin on the last  day of the airdrop.  This especially goes for coins that require you to hold onto X% of the airdrop reward until it is over.  However, this logic ignores a simple fact:  that  the price fluctuates the ENTIRE airdrop.  Eventually, the price will go down to nothing if the project is not a good project.  Dumpers and non-believers don’t need to wait until the end of the airdrop to dump their coins - in fact, they shouldn’t!  And so, the logic goes, people will be dumping their way out of the airdrop the ENTIRE length of the project.  You might even see a wave-like price pattern, with new highs followed by dumps.
At each juncture along the way of the project, ask yourself if the dev team is delivering.  Are they doing anything other than offering an airdrop?  If the answer is yes, hold, if the answer is no, what are you waiting for to get out? 
And so, if you find yourself at the end of the project, why dump then?  Sure, a few will dump at the end, some have every week previously… how many are really left?  If the dev team is doing a good job at knocking out dumpers each week, there really really shouldn’t be many.  The final holders, especially in a POS project, will probably just want to hold and stake… just as they’ve been doing all along.  A few might wish to take some out now that they are freely able to, but you can’t expect the dip to be too high.  Especially if the dev team has been professional, continually in touch, and remains active after the airdrop.

##There is no reason to support the project if you aren’t eligible for the airdrop

Many people find themselves not able to get into an airdrop, so they abandon any interest or developments for the project altogether.  The fact is, though, that anyone can be equally important for an airdrop project.  If you find the project interesting, it is still worthy to get involved… even if just for a token amount.  You can still have a stake in the end result by purchasing early, and perhaps the  entry rules or requirements will change for airdrop participants as the airdrop goes on.  Whining that a project is worthless just because you aren’t being given “free” money for advertising it is a waste of your talents.


[Thank you again for reading, please ask any questions and feel free to suggest a future article topic.]

(Hey guys, I'm starting  a weekly/bi-weekly article on reddit and here.  You can read the same article on reddit -properly formatted- here:  https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/comments/74gxc0/advice_to_devs_from_a_trader/?st=j8enlda8&sh=d8207f12 )

Dear Devs,

It may surprise you that I would want your coin to succeed so badly, since - on average - I hold the typical coin for only a week or two, but I am a firm believer in the symbiotic relationship of the dev and the trader and I would like to offer you the golden ticket to making us both richer.  Give me that atypical coin and I’ll hodl it to the moon.

It should be noted that my trading strategy emphasizes community sentiment above all else.  Positive community sentiment requires a good foundation, but is not given freely for reasons of tech alone.  With this in mind I would like to make a few points:

# The tech is the bare minimum.
* Your technology is often very important to you, but the tech is the bare minimum to succeed and entertain a trader.  I often don’t worry too much if the tech is bad, because 95% of the time you’ll see a tech nerd disparaging bad tech within the first 3 pages of the ANN.  We need your tech to be good, but that is just the beginning.

# Start with a graphic and an idea.
* A scam is obviously a scam even with a good graphic, but a good graphic is icing on the cake.  It isn’t that we are so much drawn to glitter, but that it shows broad development.  Similarly, leading with an idea other than “decentralized, secure, anti-government, blah blah” is advised.  What does your coin do?  An idiot should be able to figure it out… you’re the most knowledgeable person in the room about your project, teach me what it is about.

# You must babysit your community
* After your energy is up developing the coin, it can feel like a release to set up the ANN and deliver it to the public, WHEW, your job is done!  Haha, not really.  Making the coin is the bare minimum, again.  After even 7 days of no dev commentary a young community (under 3-6 months of activity) will begin to cry and whine and devolve.  INTRODUCE MULTIPLE staff members at the very beginning of a project and have them all contribute to the ANN page.  Even if one person is a dedicated writer for the community, have the work polished and published by other staff members… switching the main community organizer early in a project looks fishy even if it happens for a legit reason!

# Make a timeline for the future
* Many projects include a timeline, but not all do it properly from a trader perspective.  Include regularly scheduled things for the next period of time (even two years) at, say, bi-weekly intervals.  Have them ready to be done early and then publish them on the date given by your timeline.  Even if it is just starting a small twitter campaign.  This will show that you are reliable to your community and active.

# Emphasize getting on CoinMarketCap
* I want to catch the next big thing.  Getting on CMC DOUBLES the price in most cases, so I definitely want to get something before it hits CMC.  I really need devs that care about it too.  Use your ANN page to advertise to the community the requested factors from CMC, listed here:

 * 10,000 USD daily trading volume… you can’t really control this, but you can say how close you are.  By responsible and advertise it on your ANN page when you hit important milestones… 5k, 9k, etc.
 * Name
 * Ticker Symbol (Use a Unique one, seriously… it is important)
 * A 200X200 + logo image.
 * Website
 * Exchanges
 * URL link for total supply of coins in real time (like http://dogechain.info/chain/Dogecoin/q/totalbc)
 * How many coins are you holding?  Your honesty will be important to the community.
 * Twitter Account
 * Reddit Account
 * Chat Page
 * Source Code Repository
 * Mineable Y/N?

In future posts I’d like to go into some of these topics in a little bit more detail, but if you have any questions I’ll be coming back to this thread repeatedly.

Thanks,

/u/TheCryptoGrinder