Most startup marketing advice assumes you need another channel. Sometimes you need another object - something scarce and screenshotable that makes the channel work harder. An Internet Map square is that object: coordinates, Early badge potential, a /@handle profile, and a reason for people to click without a discount code. Below is a playbook you can run in a week without hiring an agency.
Principle: pair the flex with a ship
Empty flex culture dies in replies. Every map post should attach to a real artifact: a changelog, a launch, a hiring announce, a milestone ARR screenshot (if you’re into that), or a useful thread. The square is the garnish. The ship is the meal.
Idea bank (steal these)
1. The Early claim announcement
Post your coordinates, badge, and one sentence about what you’re building. Ask a question (“who are we neighbors with?”) to invite quote-tweets. Attach a crisp crop of the map around HQ.
2. Bio dual-link strategy
Primary bio link stays your product or link-in-bio hub. Secondary line of text points to /@handle. On platforms with multiple links, give the map its own slot labeled “Map address.”
3. Product Hunt maker comment
When you launch, include the square as a curiosity link under the hunt. Hunters love novel proof of “we’re doing something different.” Don’t make it the first sentence - lead with the product.
4. Neighbor story
If a respected company sits near you on the map, celebrate it without being creepy. “Two tiles from @example” is light community energy. Mute it if they don’t engage.
5. Deck appendix slide
One slide: map screenshot, coordinates, Early badge, verified mark. Title it “Public footprint” not “Metaverse strategy.” Investors have trauma.
6. Hiring page easter egg
“We claim permanent addresses - on DNS and on Internet Map.” Filters for candidates who like craft and weird-good taste.
7. Changelog footer
Monthly changelog ends with a tiny map link. Habit compounds. Habit is distribution.
8. Coordinate guessing game
Before reveal, post a zoomed-out teaser. Let people guess. Then drop the pinpoint. Cheap engagement with on-brand aesthetics.
Channel-by-channel notes
- X/Twitter - screenshots + short lore win; threads explaining “what is Internet Map” only if your audience is cold.
- LinkedIn - slightly more earnest; emphasize permanence and brand safety via verification.
- Newsletter - P.S. link; measure click rate like any other CTA.
- Discord/Slack - pin in #shipping or #brag.
Metrics that matter
Watch map opens and profile views in the dashboard. Watch referral traffic hitting your real domain. If the square gets views but the site doesn’t, fix the profile CTA and summary. If nothing moves, your distribution post didn’t land - iterate creative, don’t blame the grid.
Anti-patterns
- Posting the square every day with no product news.
- Fighting strangers over tile proximity.
- Buying Enterprise you won’t renew just for a week of clout.
- Implying Internet Map replaces your actual GTM motion.
Ship something this week - and plant the flag beside it.
See plans