While we’re huge advocates of inbound marketing, just because you’re a small business with a limited budget doesn’t mean you can’t play the offline advertising game.
In fact, some of the best inbound strategies have started from offline grassroots campaigns. There’s no limit to the number of guerrilla marketing ideas for small businesses that you can try.
But why go guerrilla?
When you pay for traditional media advertising, your customers have a 33% chance of remembering what they saw (assuming they actually saw your ad amongst the noise), but with guerrilla marketing they recall almost 100% of what they saw. This is why we’re huge fans of guerrilla marketing for small businesses.
So, here are the 5 pillars you need to create a wildfire campaign.
1. Be Visible
Photo Source: Ads Of The World
The goal is to create something that’s remarkable enough to catch people’s attention, so they not only remember it but feel compelled to share it.
Amnesty International did a great job of this. They were trying to promote their efforts to end human trafficking, and instead of doing another rally or “insert advertising status quo here,” they put a woman in a clear suitcase on luggage carousals around airports in Germany.
How often have you picked up your bags and seen someone inside a suitcase?
Exactly.
The press swarmed to capture the moment and Amnesty’s message spread.
The key to being remarkable is to be visible. They put the suitcase on numerous platforms to get noticed, especially as the campaign was picking up buzz. And according to Amnesty International, it was one of the most successful promotions they’ve had in recent years.
See more photos of the women in the crystal suitcase.
2. Include Influencers
Photo Credit: The Bloggess
Who you share your stunt with can be just as important as what you do.
The director of the film ParaNorman perfected this concept.
He sent a 30 pound crate to The Bloggess, an active blogger with an online reach of over 340,000 followers. Inside the box was a shovel and dirt, and once The Bloggess started digging she uncovered a coffin! Inside was a creepy handmade doll with a note explaining that she’d been sent this box…
In commemoration of the opening of the movie, ParaNorman, which the creators thought celebrated the joy of weirdness just as much as my blog and book do. – The Bloggess
The goal of blending your offline efforts with your online reach is key. And by pairing the grassroots promotion with her personality, ParaNorman’s campaign took off.
3. Contrast Trends
Photo Credit: Shaun Crawford
What is everyone talking about today, and how can you leverage that to do something different?
Let’s put that into context.
Graffiti can be thought of in a negative light because it’s destructive to public property. But a few years ago English artist Paul Curtis (aka “Moose”) wanted to do something different in the tunnels of San Francisco. He leveraged the typical polluted image of graffiti and contrasted it with the eco-friendly movement to create a new form of street art, now referred to as reverse graffiti, clean graffiti or clean advertising.
The concept is simple – instead of adding something to the environment, you clean or remove something.
It took off.
Since then everyone from Microsoft, BMW and Smirnoff to small businesses around the world have garnered attention using clean advertising. And even though some city bylaws are not sure how to classify it (it’s technically graffiti but it’s not defacing public property), it’s an economically and environmentally positive way to share your message, and one of my favourite guerrilla marketing ideas for small businesses.
Environmental Graffiti showcases their favourite 35 reverse graffiti examples – what do you think?
4. Be Creative
Photo Source: Daily Mail UK
If you like having fun, then chances are you can imagine some great guerilla marketing ideas for your small business.
Just like Ikea did.
Ikea wanted to celebrate the 30th birthday of one of their most popular book shelves, so they took the shelves where books usually end up in the summer – the beach. They set up bright red shelves on Bondi Beach in Australia stocked with the classics and favourite summer stories. People could browse and read the books, and even take a book if they exchanged it for one they brought.
The guerrilla marketing campaign created a lot of positive press for Ikea, who become known as creating the world’s longest outdoor bookshelf.
5. Be Resourceful
Photo Source: Bored Panda
If you’re like the typical small business owner, you spend roughly $2,500 a year on marketing. The best part about guerrilla campaigns is that they don’t need to cost a lot of money.
So, why not hire an artist to do something for you outside of your shop or on the street? Street art is a great way to support local artists and help your message spread in your community.
Check out this collection of 20 of the coolest street ads for inspiration. While some of these ideas are more extensive and may require city permission, I believe chalk drawings are still the most impressionable – considering of all of the technology at our disposal, I’m amazed at the masterpieces people can create with a piece of chalk.
Guerrilla marketing is perfectly suited for small businesses that usually thrive on the local customer base. – Neil Patel, Serial Entrepreneur
Conclusion: Guerrilla Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses
Guerrilla marketing can be one of the most fun campaigns you’ll create for your business this year.
But don’t worry if your first idea doesn’t make the waves you imagined.
Just like with all marketing activities, one setback doesn’t mean you should pack up shop. Make sure your guerrilla marketing ideas fit with your marketing strategy and business concept (for example – Ikea becoming known for creating the longest outdoor bookshelf is 100% on brand), and improve what you do going forward.
So, what are some of your favourite guerrilla marketing ideas for small business?