Traditional Web3 marketing formulas—posting announcements, hiring KOLs for promotion, and community discussions—are gradually losing effectiveness on the X platform. Taking Starknet’s recent promotion as an example, audiences can easily see through coordinated promotional activities, and ad signals are simply scrolled past. The new approach should turn announcements from the “starting point” into the “end point”: first create buzz, spark debate, and only then claim the top of minds. This article is based on a tweet by Stacy Muur, translated and refined by Dongqu.
(Background recap: FBI warns Iran might launch “suicide drones” from offshore to attack California—how likely is it?)
(Additional context: Crypto legislation delays again! Senate leader: Market Structure Bill could pass as early as April; CBDC ban amendment to be prioritized.)
Table of Contents
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- Analysis of Starknet’s promotion case
- Why the classic model is failing
- New marketing framework: create buzz first, then publish announcements
- Developer acquisition as a B2B model
Green Dots tracks the actual effectiveness of KOL promotions on X every month, analyzing the tactics of various Web3 marketing teams to identify which strategies and post formats truly work. However, the recent policy change in paid collaborations on X has completely reshaped the marketing ecosystem on the platform, rendering most traditional promotion strategies used by Web3 projects obsolete. Stacy Muur highlights common issues in recent Web3 promotions and uses Starknet as a case study.
Author’s note: This is not a critique of Starknet—they still have solid technical fundamentals. Despite skepticism after their airdrop and TGE, the team continues development and product iteration, which is commendable. But this article focuses solely on marketing strategies. Starknet’s recent product promotion is a perfect example.
Analysis of Starknet’s Promotion Case
Not long ago, Starknet launched strkBTC [₿], enlisting digital content creators on X for promotion using very traditional tactics.
Although the promotion started in late February, some creators still followed X’s paid collaboration guidelines and marked their posts accordingly. But the focus here isn’t on paid disclosures, but on the effectiveness of this promotional approach itself.
On February 10, after another Starknet announcement, the marketing team launched another KOL campaign. The method was the same—release a video announcement, then have KOLs amplify it. Starknet also tried other channels, such as publishing long articles and promoting within Korean communities.
It’s worth noting that the author doesn’t know who is managing this activity or if an agency is involved; this is an outsider’s perspective, based on observations from a marketing professional.
A glaring issue emerged during the process: the threshold for selecting participating creators was clearly low.
X essentially functions as a “perception layer.” Ideally, creators on X should generate exposure, discussion, and community trust. But what’s the reality? Not quite.
A simple check of popular posts mentioning Starknet in February reveals the answer. The most mentioned post was actually by Warhol. Overall, only about 100 independent posts mentioning Starknet in February received more than 10 likes. For a well-known L2 ecosystem, this is quite limited.
This roughly summarizes Starknet’s exposure on X in February. It also raises a deeper question—this isn’t just Starknet’s problem, but a sign that traditional Web3 marketing methods are gradually losing their effectiveness on X.
Why the Classic Model Is Failing
For years, the default Web3 marketing formula has been: publish an announcement → KOL promotion → community discussion.
In the past, when X’s timeline was less crowded, narratives were stronger, and most promotions weren’t obviously paid, this approach worked. But several changes have rendered this model ineffective:
Once creators start marking their posts as paid collaborations, this becomes transparent to followers. Users see an announcement, then within 24 hours, 5 to 10 similar promotional posts appear—mostly identical in content—making the coordinated effort obvious. This doesn’t spark community discussion; instead, it signals “another wave of ads.”
In the crypto Twitter ecosystem, promotional posts rarely trigger genuine conversations; most are simply scrolled past. Crypto Twitter has matured, and audiences are well aware of KOL marketing tactics.
When the same group of creators use slightly different wording to quote the same announcement, audiences quickly perceive it as a coordinated promotional campaign. Once KOL content is clearly identified as promotion, engagement drops sharply—audiences shift from curiosity to ad filtering.
X isn’t a distribution channel; it’s a narrative arena. Unless a project’s announcement sparks controversy, memes, or resonates with current trending narratives, it’s unlikely to become a hot topic.
Without these dynamic factors, dissemination only results in fleeting exposure, failing to truly occupy users’ minds. To generate buzz, Web3 projects must reverse their marketing sequence.
New Marketing Framework: Create Buzz First, Then Announce
The old model: “Announcement → KOL promotion → Community discussion,” should be flipped to: “Create buzz → Ignite creator debate → Generate community content → Finally, publish the announcement.” This way, the announcement becomes the final confirmation, not the starting point.
If a project skips narrative buildup, promotion cannot effectively unfold.
Returning to Starknet’s current situation—carrying heavy baggage. The initial airdrop phase triggered panic, uncertainty, and suspicion (FUD), which cannot be resolved simply through explanations and promotional videos. The project must actively steer the conversation, with different goals requiring distinct marketing strategies.
The right approach is to embrace controversy—don’t suppress criticism, but actively craft topics that spark debate.
Then, sponsor posts that rank high, compare Starknet with other projects, or include debate-provoking content. Perhaps half the timeline will support Starknet, while the other half criticizes it—both sides increase exposure. Creating drama isn’t bad marketing; being ignored is.
Instead of releasing lengthy PR articles (which few will read), produce visual info-graphics, ecosystem maps, competitor comparison tables, and short frameworks that KOLs can easily adapt. Giving creators flexible, re-mixable materials is far more effective than content that can only be quoted.
The goal isn’t to write a good article but to generate dozens of derivative works—this is the true way to narrative dissemination.
Developer Acquisition as a B2B Model
Remember, developer acquisition is fundamentally a B2B process. Announcements on X have limited effect in attracting developers. Projects should focus on word-of-mouth within builder communities, encouraging developers to produce tutorials and tools, and creating an environment where “everyone is using” the ecosystem.
Once this momentum builds, attracting developers becomes much easier—they will chase the hot topics too.
The traditional Web3 promotion model (announce → KOL retweets) is gradually fading on X. The new approach is: design topics → ignite creator interest → trigger discussion → let the community ferment naturally.
Announcements remain important but should no longer be the starting point of promotion—they should serve as the conclusion.
