As a small business owner, you don’t have the time or the money to spend on aggressive marketing campaigns. Guerilla marketing is a method of advertising that costs little and has a big impact. The method works best when it catches people off guard. The more imagination you use, the more likely your campaign will be successful. Here are 10 guerilla marketing tactics that have been successfully used; feel free to steal them for yourself:
1.Image Projection
It’s fairly easy to project your logo or images on someone’s building. With a projector and clever images, you can reach thousands of people for relatively nothing in the way of money spent. Don’t forget to ask permission from the building’s owner before you use it as your backdrop.
2.Post-Its
Everyone has a pack of sticky notes sitting in a drawer. Put yours to good use. Draw funny pictures or clever sayings and post them all over town. Be sure to include your company’s website address.
3.Street Performers
Hire a college kid to do something cool in the middle of a busy area. Break-dancing, singing and even juggling will all draw attention. Once your performer draws a crowd, hand out flyers announcing a special promotion.
4.Events
Most communities host fairs, festivals and events. Find out how much it is to host a booth and spend a weekend passing out information. People love free stuff. Spend a $100 on promotional materials that you can give away.
5.Temporary Tattoos
Speaking of events, when you’re at one, decorate yourself with tattoos. Custom tattoos are fairly cheap and are a fantastic way to advertise your business. Be sure to order enough to hand out to passers-by.
6.Paint a Car
You may not want to paint your new Lexus, but if you have a used car sitting in your driveway, why not paint it in a creative way? A zoo in Copenhagen, for instance, painted a bus being squeezed by a giant snake onto a real bus. It’s as eye-catching a marketing tactic as there ever was.
7.Make a Video
YouTube is an amazing avenue for marketing. Sit down with your imaginative crew and come up with a commercial for your company. The more creative and unusual, the better. Post it on YouTube, promote it on social media and watch the hits happen.
8.Wear It
Customized T-shirts can be purchased for around $10 a shirt if you look in the right places. Create a catchy design and put it on the front or back of a tee. Hand the shirts out to your employees, friends and family, and ask them to wear them when they head out to crowded places.
9.Massages
Do you know a masseuse? Recruit her for a day. Bring a chair and your masseuse and give away free ten-minute massages at the local park or city center. Hand out a business card to each person that sits in the chair.
10.Paint Your Building
If you are able to, paint one of the exterior walls of your building in a fun, funky way. Try to design something that has at least a little bit to do with your business. Your creativity will draw people in.
No matter what you decide to do, be sure to promote your efforts on social media and your web page. Facebook and Twitter are free; use them to your advantage. 90 percent of businesses fail in their first year due, in part, to poor marketing. Use the cheap marketing ideas above and you’ll count yourself among the ten percent of businesses that succeed.
Editor’s Note: Writer Brett Harris is an avid blogger. Interested in a degree in marketing but don’t want to quit your day job? Consider an online Masters in Marketing.
