Basically, businesses need the type of marketing strategy that fits the budget. Indeed, a number of marketing strategies are sometimes more exhausting and cost money in the process of implementation. Well, for those of you who don’t have an excess budget but want to carry out a marketing strategy to the max, then a guerrilla marketing strategy may be the best bet.
Guerrilla marketing is the right choice for businesses that need a low cost marketing strategy. Although it requires only a relatively small budget, this strategy can provide effective results, and even play an active role in increasing awareness and brand image.
So, how to implement this strategy and what are the benefits for the company?
What is a guerrilla marketing strategy?
Launch from Investopedia, guerrilla marketing or guerrilla marketing strategy is a marketing tactic in which a company uses surprises and unconventional interactions as a promotional strategy.
As the name suggests, this strategy takes up the concept of “guerrilla warfare,” which is a stealthy, surprising, and attention-grabbing move. This marketing technique was created by Jay Conrad Levinson in 1984.
Guerrilla marketing relies heavily on the interaction of the company and the target market, the group of promoters responsible for directly (directly) spreading product information to certain places, and spends only a minimal budget. However, this strategy is different from traditional marketing.
The reason is that this method of marketing is becoming more and more popular with technological developments and marketing trends. By using technology, companies can also maximize this strategy to reinforce the message and focus on the target market.
Usually, businesses that implement guerrilla marketing rely on promotion marketing through viral marketing or word of mouth to reach more leads. This marketing technique also tends to be very effective in promoting unconventional and unique products (having unique selling points). Thus, companies generally tend to target consumers who give a positive response to these unique or unusual products.
In practice, guerrilla marketing usually takes place in a public place with a large audience. For example in a marketing event, a bazaar or a festival, a concert, in a shopping mall, or even on the street. However, you must remember that the key to implementing this strategy is finding the right time to conduct a marketing campaign. You also need to know the target market after doing market research and market orientation so that it is perfectly targeted.
Types of Guerrilla Marketing Strategies
As explained above, this strategy requires great creativity on the part of the promoter or marketer in order to surprise consumers. The goal is to attract consumers so that it has a big enough impact on brand awareness and even sales growth and conversion rates.
However, guerrilla marketing itself consists of several types that you must adapt to the needs of the business. Some types of guerrilla marketing strategies you need to be aware of include:
1. Ambient Marketing
The first type is ambient marketing. Based on the name, this strategy of course pays attention to the mood or environment that is the place of the promotion. This strategy effectively uses specific environments and locations to get the right engagement.
Usually, marketers will use each area element as a tool to help with marketing campaign strategy.
2. Ambush Marketing
This is a type of guerrilla marketing strategy that is more often used by larger companies. Launched from Dontpaniclondon, ambush marketing is an initial strategy that can bolster guerrilla marketing.
Ambush marketing involves a marketing campaign that appears at a product launch event that has no direct affiliation with the company. What you need to emphasize from this strategy is that ambush marketing gives the impression that the products you offer work with the brands that appear at the event. Despite the fact that the two companies are not linked by cooperation or business partnerships.
3. Outdoor guerrilla marketing
Launched from Hubspot, typically outdoor guerrilla marketing will take advantage of open public spaces. Where subsequent merchants will place product advertisements in the region. For example, placing a banner on a statue or placing artwork on sidewalks and public parks.
4. Indoor Guerrilla Marketing
Unlike the previous type, indoor guerrilla marketing uses an enclosed public space. The best places to place this announcement are for example inside a shopping center, at a train station or in a university building.
5. Viral Marketing
This type of strategy is considered the most effective in guerrilla marketing. Viral marketing is one of the promotional techniques to make an advertisement go viral or trend. When an ad goes viral, it spreads easily in no time.
Usually, marketers will use subject lines and slogans that can create an explosion in the popularity of the product or service. Viral marketing will rely on the audience to make promoters. The public will be happy to pass it on to their friends, parents, family or others.
6. Astroturf
The final type is astroturfing, which is often associated with influencer marketing. Because in this strategy, marketers will focus on launching marketing campaigns through social media with multiple promoters of their choice. Obviously, the promoter is part of a marketing partnership.
But the difference is that the astroturf gives infatuation around a specific product that is marketed through paid reviews or recommendations. So, in essence, this strategy causes the company’s products to “ride” on other booming products.
Benefits of the Guerrilla Marketing Strategy
Guerrilla marketing strategy is one of the effective marketing techniques that you can apply right now. Because amid increasingly higher level of market share competition, this method is able to influence customers’ empathy, emotion, and interest in a short time.
Additionally, this guerrilla marketing technique can also provide a number of other benefits that will definitely benefit the business. Among others:
Examples of Implementing an Effective Guerrilla Marketing Strategy
The guerrilla marketing strategy itself will generally be used by companies with a minimal budget to do marketing. However, this does not mean that large companies do not apply it. Because, even if its cost is minimal, this strategy has proven to be effective in attracting leads and facilitating the lead nurturing process.
An example of implementing an effective guerrilla marketing strategy is that of 3M Security Glass. The company manufactures glass for cash storage in Canada. They made a big glass box containing $1 million at a bus stop.
Then it is explained that whoever can break the glass can take all the money inside. Lots of people are interested in trying it, even this campaign went viral in a short time due to word of mouth marketing.
But curiously, during this marketing campaign, no one was able to break the glass. This shows that indirectly 3M Security Glass succeeded in producing quality products with a high level of security. Furthermore, it shows that 3M Security Glass has successfully implemented the best examples of guerrilla marketing that effectively attract customers.
How? Are you interested in implementing this strategy? If so, you can start building a highly creative sales team to implement guerrilla marketing effectively and deliver the best results.
Additionally, you can take advantage of the services of a digital marketing agency that can help you grow your business. Some of the marketing strategies that can be implemented are growth hack marketing, inbound marketing, 360 digital marketing and data driven marketing so that the business can grow rapidly.
