When you type in the words "Guerrilla Marketing" at dictionary.com here is the definition you receive:
"Any of a number of unconventional methods of marketing with minimal resources for maximum results; any marketing campaign that use non-mainstream tactics and locations."
That pretty much sums it up. This is the answer to the small business owners continuing dilemma of a small advertising budget. A lot of creativity can outweigh the problem of not enough cash.
You don't have to pay for expensive newspaper or television ads to get noticed.
Here are 10 unconventional marketing ideas to get you started:
- Give your product away. When Mrs. Fields couldn't sell any cookies, she loaded up trays of the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and walked through the mall giving them away. Once people tried one, they had to go back for more.
- Create your own competition. Start a friendly rivalry with another business. Harry Houdini a stunt performer did this with his own brother. He got tired of competitors making money with his ideas, so he set his own brother up with a competing act, Hardeen, and they had a publicity fed rivalry for years.
- Host an event for a local charity. Have a car show or a chili-cook-off. It will show you're community minded and care about people as well as business.
- Print flyers that tell about a great offer. Put them in every restaurant, coffee shop, grocery store, bar, and beauty shop in town. Don't just tell about your business, though.Make sure you're offering a valuable discount or grand opening special.
- Write a column for your local newspaper offering tips and advice regarding your industry. This will brand you as the local "expert".
- Give presentations to local schools, service clubs, libraries, and churches. Always have your name and webpage address on the worksheets you hand out. Have plenty of business cards, also.
- Write press releases for every thing you do that's community minded and gives back to the local economy. Host a blood drive or toy give-a-way for children at Christmas time. Donate books to the local library. Let your name and your business name be synonymous with community spirit.
- Have your employees dress up for occasions. Host children parties. They can sign up to win a Eur50 gift card at a local toy store. Holidays are an excellent time to do news worthy things and spread some goodwill.
- Use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to make business announcements. Let everyone know when you publish a new article, make a new blog post, or launch a new product.
- Post video's on YouTube. Be passionate about your business and let it show in your videos. They don't have to professionally done, but they do need to offer concise information and have decent sound quality.
Marketing your business doesn't have to be expensive. Block out some time when you can sit and plan your marketing attack for the next period- be it a month, three month or a year. Some creativity and a lot of brainstorming will build your business even without a big budget.
Let us know what other Guerilla Marketing you have done for your business or always thought they were a good idea but never got around doing them!
