Guerilla Marketing For Startups

You turned your innovative idea into a startup and launched it. But now what? In order to become successful, people need to learn more about your idea, become interested and eventually a customer. Since most startups have a rather small or non existent budget (don‘t worry, it will come soon enough!) they tend to focus on social media to get their product out on the market. As Andrew Nicolson (co-founder of Whiskey Blender) states:

“Spreading the word on a zero budget is difficult. You find yourself spending all night on twitter following people, using Facebook to leave messages on various club walls, commenting on YouTube clips and blog posts, giving interviews online and taking photos of bottles to send to websites in the hope that they feature you.”

Twitter, facebook and YouTube are certainly effective tools for marketing, but why not take it a step further and get out in ,the real world‘? You will have to find a cost friendly way to approach people which is also high in effectivity. One option, which fulfills these requirements is Guerilla Marketing for startups – it is a fun, affordable and unique way to introduce your company to a broader audience.

What is Guerilla Marketing?

Developing in the mid 1980s Guerilla Marketing differs from usual and overused advertising strategies. It is a method in which low-cost, unconventional means are used in a generally localized fashion to draw attention to an idea, product or service.

A little money spent on this interest stimulating strategy can go a long way: It creates buzz, a brand and a customer base. The simple reason why it works is that this tactic is surprising, memorable and addresses people. The point of Guerilla Marketing is to take the one special thing, that your startup offers to potential clients and show it to them in a fun way.

The fact that only a small budget is used does not mean that Guerilla Marketing is inferior to other advertising methods, it actually has a great advantage: Creativity. You can use resources that are already there (also literally physical resources e.g. dead inventory) and create a campaign that will

• Brand your company
• Focus on what the customer needs and wants from your startup
• Capitalize on marketing tactics that have already worked for you OR give you the chance to come up with a unique new strategy to promote your company.

How is it done?

First of all: Throw out the rules. When you start thinking about regular marketing methods you will limit your creativity. There is no patent for successful Guerilla Marketing, you have to find the one thing that is characteristically for your startup and that sets you apart from competitors. Do not be afraid of using new, untried methods – maybe those same methods will help you achieve your goals.

You can also consider cooperating with other companies to realise marketing campaigns. Behind Guerilla Marketing are team players who build synergies in order to create something new and effectual.

Another way how it can be used is to concentrate on advertising spaces which not have been used yet but which are in sight of customers, e.g. mirrors in fitting rooms, cars or even on the street. These unusual spaces attract attention hence people will remember and become involved with it.

 Here are some strategies:

• Reverse Graffiti: „paint“ your logo (or message) on a surface that is covered in graffiti using paint remover.
• Public Artwork: Make it attention grabbing and memorable but keep in mind that you have to relate it to the message you want to send.
• Your Product: It has various different functions and can be turned into something fun but still functional? Great! Set it up where people are able to see and cherish it.
• Local Events: Use them for your own purpose and cooperate with its organisers.

All in all Guerilla Marketing for startups is a fun and inexpensive method which lets your creativity flow. It ensures that you can present your startup the way you want customers to see it and also give them an insight into your company.

The best feature it has is, that there are no rules – you will be able to stand out in the noisy world of advertising and create campaigns that will actually reach people.

Watch this short video to get inspired by other campaigns and start your own today!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ4uCOJjDF8

 

__________________

Sharing is caring, so please share this post. Thank you!