In our ‘what is guerrilla marketing’ post we defined guerrilla marketing as techniques and a strategy used by small businesses who have time, energy and imagination as resources rather than large marketing budgets. A small company is flexible, adaptive and able to take a few risks in their communications, whereas large businesses have spent maybe millions and years to build up their brand so they stick to traditional high cost advertising like print and TV ads. Below are 10 inexpensive and effective guerrilla marketing ideas for small businesses.

Guerrilla Marketing Idea #1: Eco-Graffiti

Reverse graffiti

Eco graffiti uses organic means to display a message or a graphic. Some examples include using a stencil and a high pressure hose that washes dirt to create an image, growing moss into shapes and letters, using ecological waste such as leaves and twigs to create an image (hanging them on a fence), or using a fine layer of mud and stencils.

Stefan Sagmeister is a graphic designer who employs a lot of eco design techniques to display messages within communities:

Guerrilla Marketing Idea #2: Using Long Lines

In our guerrilla marketing examples post we highlighted a number of startups and small businesses taking advantage of long lines outside of stores. For example during the iPhone 4GS launch, one iPhone game developer brought 2 cows, gave out fresh milk, and handed out flyers with QR codes that people could easily use to login and buy the cow milking game app.

So if you are selling anything that Apple fans would want, target those long lines outside their stores. Long lines also form outside: stores during Black Friday, highly anticipated movies, concerts, etc. It really depends on your product and service and finding the right target audience in those lines. The great thing about these lines is that the people waiting in line can be easily engaged: they have nothing to do!

Guerrilla Marketing Idea #3: Hijack/Tag Along

Other guerrilla marketing techniques include finding out what is going on today that a lot of people are talking about? For example a clothing store can host a local guerrilla marketing event by putting on their own “fashion week” (a mini fashion show in their store, holding special “runway” promotions) during the New York Fashion Week. A bakery can make special football or soccer cupcakes during the Super Bowl or the World cup. To avoid legal issues avoid using brand names like “World Cup”, instead just make it generic (show soccer balls) – people will easily make the connection.

Why does this work? Because it stands out – seeing a large thing locally engages people.

Guerrilla Marketing Idea #4: Experiential Marketing

Experiential marketing is getting people to experience your product, service or brand in a unique way. This can be a showing off your company in a unique place or during a unique time. One of the spa marketing ideas we wrote about was to make spa drinks (herb and fruit infused water, or fruit smoothies) and hand them out to people walking around outside the store. Another spa idea was to host an open day when the spa would offer free mini services (hand and chair massages, etc.) to get people into and experience what the spa has to offer.

In our post on veterinary marketing ideas, one of the ideas was to show that they really cared about animals by giving out health related giveaways like Frisbees, chew toys that clean teeth, and organic food to pet owners in parks – all of which have the veterinarians contact details on them.

Guerrilla Marketing Idea #5: Social Cause

Integrating a social cause into your marketing campaign, or better yet your business model, provides great word of mouth value. For example, if you own a pet store, November can be a ‘one for one’ month, where the store gives away a toy to a local shelter for every  toy bought in the store. For more ideas visit our posts: social entrepreneurship ideas, what is social entrepreneurship.

Guerrilla Marketing Idea #6: Be The Guerrilla

Take a lesson from Silicon Valley founders such as Mark Zuckerberg, Dennis Corwley, Kevin Rose, or over in Malaysia AirAsia’s CEO Tony Fernandes who wear their brand proudly. Any media opportunity you have, or just walking in the street, wearing your own brand is a quick and simple way of getting more eyeballs on your company.

CEOs and founders wearing their brand

You can get your whole company involved by designing cool, well fitting t-shirts. Hire a trendy graphic designer and design a range of t-shirts with your brand on it – include pop cultural messages, and images to boost the likelihood of people wearing them.

The same can be done with stickers

Guerrilla Marketing Idea #7: Sticker Campaign

If your company has a benefit or cause attach to it then look to build an ‘army of thousands’ through a sticker campaign. Just like in designing the t-shirts, have stickers designed with pop culture references and hand them out.

Guerrilla Marketing Idea #8: Permission Placements

Here is an example of an exhibition using guerrilla marketing to advertise their opening. They stenciled the exhibition details onto scrap pieces and placed these makeshift billboards in bookshops, coffee shops, and other places around town. They asked each business beforehand for permission to put them up.

Guerrilla Marketing Idea #9: Projections

Back in the 1970s DJs and musicians who wanted to get their music heard would blast their stereo systems and boom boxes out of their windows at home. The music would be heard all around the block, resulting in the popular block parties. Recent guerrilla marketing tactics have been utilizing inexpensive projectors and projecting images, videos and their brands onto their store walls or other areas around town.

Guerrilla Marketing Idea #10: Digital

For digital ideas such as blog partnerships, search engine rankings, and game theory check out our post here online guerrilla marketing.

image credits: Deborah 2, Wikipedia, Anirudh, The Pulitzer,  brainflakes.org

Related posts:

The 5 Guerrilla Marketing Tactics and Principles