Last week I did my talk on guerrilla marketing for the Global StartUp Ecosystem. Teaching the members of the world's first ALL digital accelerator - the key principals of this type of marketing. As guerrilla marketing is perfect for startups. But why is it?
When you think of guerrilla marketing you need to think about warfare. It’s where the concept comes from. So who were the guerrilla fighters in history?
Who were Guerrilla Fighters?• The ninjas vs. samurai,
• The Viet Cong vs. the Americans,
• The Freedom fighters of Cuba,
• Basically, those with no power / money vs. those with
And this quasi political feeling on the idea. Is part of the reason why we at Great Marketing Works teach GREAT marketing.
Rather just guerrilla marketing. GREAT marketing encompasses more. And doesn’t need the revolutionary freedom fighters metaphor – as one man’s freedom fighter is….
Remember history is often only written by the winners…
Back to guerrilla marketing.Guerrilla marketing is useful for startups. As guerrilla marketing doesn’t need money or power. It works not on the power of your brand but on the power of your actions. We do marketing differently when we use guerrilla marketing.
Here are the key principles.The things we do differently to normal marketing.
• We get to know our customer. More than anything.
• We use low cost (or cost effective marketing…)
• We are fully committed with our actions.
• We use simplicity.
• We have patience.
• We understand the importance of psychology.
• We make sure our work can be flexible.
• The most important thing is that we go for a highly positive personal impact.
• In essence : We win the hearts before we win the minds!
Guerrilla marketing is NOT just cheap shock tactics. It’s also NOT clever expense billboards. In fact, many of these marketing moment are the opposite of guerrilla marketing. No matter what a Google image search says!
When we go guerrilla, we don’t do mass marketing, we go for niche. We use honesty rather than advertising brand power.
• We go for one customer niche…. Not everyone.
• We go for high personal impact…. to affect them
• We get clever and use psychology… and get to them
• We use what traditional marketing people use but in better, more precise ways….
There is SO much more to guerrilla marketing.
But that’s perhaps for another time. Go and read the bible on this by Jay Conrad Levinson and get back to me. Believe you me we are now in time of guerrilla marketing.
We have the technology now to add powerful and personal emotional moments. Without it costing us anything.
It’s one of the reason why I teach social media. Specialising in the telecomms niche. As in the business to business world "social selling" IS the new guerrilla marketing.
Want an example? This blog. But why? Do answer below 😊
Funny that isn’t it? Here's a more heartwarming - visual example to finish with.
How is the following a moment of guerrilla marketing?
Answers below...