When traditional marketing strategies aren’t cutting it or when you just want to make a big impression without breaking the bank, it’s time to bring in the guerillas. Guerilla marketing can be an inexpensive and highly effective way of promoting your brand, growing awareness of a new product, or hyping up an upcoming release.
What is Guerilla Marketing?
Guerilla marketing, not to be confused with gorilla marketing, is a creative (and sometimes unorthodox) marketing tactic used to create a big buzz around a product or brand. Originally popularized by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1984 book, Guerilla Marketing, the term, and the book have been used extensively since then to great effect.
Sometimes described as the perfect bridge from online to offline, guerilla marketing is all about ditching the usual and thinking outside the box. This ain’t your regular promoting your business online type of thing. At its heart, guerilla marketing is a way of connecting with your audience in a lasting and memorable way, by creating a strong and usually unexpected impression.
#1. Occupy & Pop-Up Events
Occupy and pop-up events are key strategies in guerrilla marketing. These types of events bring the point-of-sale (POS) directly to your customers, rather than having them come to you. Although events may sound expensive, they can be done on a small budget if you’re able to negotiate free space, use an existing shop, or even build your own space as part of a tactical PR stunt.
#2. Giving Away Free Samples of a Product
Free samples are a surefire way to get your product into the hands of consumers. Depending on your product, this could be quite inexpensive, as one product could be turned into a handful of samples for potential customers.
This strategy works for two main reasons:
- People love free stuff
- People often feel obligated to do something for you when they’ve received something for free. This might mean that they’re willing to listen to a short talk about the product or even make a purchase.
One of the most famous examples of this was when Samsung decided to give away free Galaxy S9 units to the inhabitants of a small Dutch village called Appel. Using a slogan, “Appel Community Switches to Samsung,” they may have gotten under Apple’s skin, but definitely got some attention.
Free samples can be a part of your marketing strategy at a festival or event or can be incorporated into an influencer strategy: giving samples to influential people to distribute on your behalf. Either way, your samples need to be great and need to give potential customers all of the information they will need to find you later.
#3. Urban Art, Graffiti, Posters, and Street Propaganda
Let’s face it, advertising space is expensive. For small businesses and companies on a budget, getting creative with visual marketing can be a great way to get the word out to lots of eyes without spending a fortune.
One of the most successful forms of this type of advertising is called event ambushing. Even if you’re not having your own event, there’s no reason you can’t utilize the space outside the event to get your brand or promotion in front of lots of eager eyes.
Businesses can get extremely creative with visual advertising of this kind, creating street art, outdoor installations, or urban hacktivism like Dublin’s Park(ing) Day.
#4. No Deposit Codes
Online casinos of all sizes are always on the lookout for new players. One of the best ways to get new players through the “door” is offering no deposit codes. These codes usually come as part of a Welcome Bonus (or Signup Bonus) and allow new customers to try sites or games without having to make an initial deposit.
Two key elements made no deposit so successful. Firstly and most important is that it’s 100% free and has no strings attached and second, is its simplicity of use. Offering customers the option of testing out a product or service with no risk to them, while at the same time, costing the operator very little, is a great example of low-budget marketing with tangible results.
#5. Sticker Marketing
Sticker marketing goes hand-in-hand with giving away free stuff. With a great brand, an attractive design, and a nice adhesive, you can transform regular people into walking billboards for your company.
People love to put stickers on their laptops, helmets, video game consoles, and street signs — showing off the places they’ve been or the products they use. Their possessions become a canvas for advertising your brand, a freakishly effective and inexpensive marketing technique.
Cheap strategies that pay off
Finding the best ways of promoting your business online can be challenging and, quite often, expensive. The benefits of guerilla marketing are its incredible reach and virality, although usually on a smaller, localized scale.
The key to guerilla marketing is to get creative, transforming everyday spaces and things into powerful messages for your audience and brand. With the right message, a great location, and a little luck, guerilla marketing can help you to achieve the maximum exposure your business needs.