Even if you're not quite sure what guerrilla marketing is, you're probably familiar with a few examples.
This type of marketing uses surprise, emotion, and juxtaposition elements to get consumers to remember their brand, product, or service. The combination of these traits usually results in something you are familiar with: viral content.
So, let's dive into how you can use guerrilla marketing for your business with a few examples and ideas to get you started.
What's Guerrilla Marketing?
Guerilla marketing is all about shock and awe. The goal is to use affordable (often free) tactics to promote a brand, product, or service.
The best way to utilize this type of strategy is through social media. While a press article piece can do wonders, you still need to instant power of social media platforms like Tik Tok or Twitter to get audiences talking in real-time.
The critical elements of a guerrilla marketing campaign are:
Authenticity
Creativity
Tone
Delivery
Inexpensive
Guerrilla Marketing Example
Tik Tok is a great platform for gathering guerrilla marketing ideas. An excellent example of this technique comes from newbie author Jenna Rose.
Jeneva Rose hopped on the famous "Put a Finger Down" challenge to tell a surprising tale. Rose explains in one interview, "I told the story from the protagonist's perspective as if it were my real-life story. The Perfect Marriage is about a top defense attorney who faces her most challenging case when she vows to defend her husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress."
Of course, in the end, Rose reveals this story is actually a premise for her newly released book, The Perfect Marriage. Since Rose did not have a following at the time, she was able to captivate her unknowing audience into believing that this was her real-life story before revealing the twist at the end (her book).
Because some may see this tactic as misleading, tone and delivery are imperative to guerilla marketing. Try to keep it light and fun. This example, thankfully, won the hearts of thousands of readers who have purchased Rose's book since the video went viral in January 2021.
Rose has since landed numerous book deals, and her book has become an Amazon and Publisher's Weekly best-seller. She even sold film/TV rights for the book to Picture Perfect Federation.
That's the power of guerrilla marketing.
Guerrilla Marketing Idea For Small Businesses
There are plenty of ways you can use this type of marketing for your small businesses. And while the previous guerrilla marketing example uses social media, there are other ways you can use it to your advantage.
Here are some guerrilla marketing ideas you can use online or locally!
Market Your Product in an Unexpected Place: This Mr. Clean road advertisement is an excellent example of how you can get people talking about your advertising and subtly remind them to pick it up on the walk home.
Make It Interactive: Brochures and bench ads don't have to be so boring. This dentist used construction paper and their imagination to passively hand out business cards to get more patients to book appointments.
Get People Involved: Flash mobs, jumping on viral social media trends or challenges, and even confusing your audience like iHob (I mean— iHop) did in 2018 can spread the word about your business.
Do you need someone to bounce creative ideas off of? Let’s brainstorm some guerrilla marketing ideas during your first consultation.
Tom Lewis, Partner | Creative Director
With over 20 plus years of award-winning advertising and design experience, Tom has spent much of his career working with a variety of companies throughout the southeast. His client list has included: UNC Health Lenoir, Hutchens Law Firm, Equifax, Georgia Pacific, Citi Group, Weyerhaeuser, The Atlanta Hawks, Randstad Staffing, Craven County Tourism, America Knits, Guardian Repellent, and The Shizzle Jerk Marinade.
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