The Sticky Side of Guerilla Marketing

As we have discussed before, micro business owners have a marketing spend of about $500 annually to help promote their business. While marketing resources such as email marketing and direct mailing are still available at this budget, many entrepreneurs are left to different avenues to help promote their rising business. Many owners look to create buzz around their company with guerilla marketing tactics.

For those not familiar with the concept, guerrilla marketing was created as an unconventional system of promoting a business or event. As an alternative of a big marketing budget, this form of marketing relies on time, energy and imagination. The goal of guerrilla marketing is to create buzz for your company’s product and service which in hopes will turn to sales lead. The term was created by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book Guerrilla Marketing.

Image courtesy of loprestiventura.com

Stickers and magnets can be quick, easy and affordable options to create a creative guerrilla marketing campaign that helps bring attention to your micro business. Here are a few quick ideas you can implement with stickers and magnets:

• Conferences/Events: Set-up a promotion where you give away a prize to random attendees who are wearing your business sticker. As more people visit your booth to enter and get their sticker to wear, the more people without stickers will want them. As a reminder, make sure the sticker has information (name, offering, website) that can link people back to your micro business.
• Around Town: Create some eye-popping magnets that include your business name, contact information and what you sell. Unlike stickers, which are permanent and unwanted many places, a magnet can easily be removed. Even better, potential customers can take the magnet home as a reminder of your services. Some unique places to stick magnets would be bus stops, phone booths, bathroom stalls, inside buses, on other businesses (that do not compete with yours) and many other areas. The idea is to be creative about where you place them. Like your business cards, keep some magnets in your pocket at all items as you find new areas to place them.
• Your Car: Many micro business owners utilize their automobile as a moving billboard for their business. You can create large magnets or bumper stickers to place on your car. Given that real estate space on these items may be tight and you want your lettering to be visible, stick to the basic information. While other information like a website address would be great, it may be hard for potential customers to remember. You should make sure customers can remember your company name and find you online easily.

As an important reminder, your guerrilla marketing efforts should NOT break the law or cross the line of tastefulness. While magnets can be removed, stickers are more prone to leave permanent blemishes. The last thing you want is your business tied to an eyesore that turns people off to your business. Always think about the legal ramifications of your guerrilla marketing scheme.

Has your company executed a guerilla marketing campaign? What were the results?