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Guerrilla marketing: how to promote a startup using non-standard methods

When a startup doesn't have big advertising budgets, you have to be creative. Guerrilla marketing is a strategy that allows you to attract the attention of an audience at minimal cost using non–standard approaches. In this article, we'll look at how you can promote a startup without spending millions on advertising.

People love unusual events and are ready to share them. How to use it?

  • Launch a social media challenge where users complete a task related to your product.
  • Organize an unusual public event (for example, a flash mob or a branding installation).
  • Come up with an unexpected publicity stunt that you want to photograph and post on social media.

Example: Dropbox distributed bonus storage to users for inviting friends, which led to an exponential growth in the customer base.

Guerrilla marketing is often based on word of mouth. To do this, it is important to be active in niche communities.:

  • Connect to Telegram chats, Facebook groups, and forums and give expert advice.
  • Organize local meetups or free workshops that will allow people to get to know your product.
  • Support small but active blogging communities – they often provide more targeted reach than large influencers.

Use current events to your advantage:

  • Create content related to hot topics in your industry.
  • Respond to memes and trends (but only if it matches your brand).
  • Come up with information guides – for example, compare your product with a popular event.

Example: Elon Musk masterfully uses Twitter to promote Tesla and SpaceX, engaging the audience in high-profile news discussions.

Journalists and bloggers love unique cases. How do you get the media to write about your startup?

  • Tell us an unusual story about how your product came to be.
  • Share your files and lessons – people are interested in mistakes, not just successes.
  • Find the contacts of the journalists and offer them exclusive material.

Example: Airbnb started by distributing branded cereal boxes to attract media attention. The story went viral and helped attract the first investors.

Although marketing is mostly digital now, offline mechanics still work.:

  • Print out unique stickers and leave them in cafes, coworking spaces, and universities.
  • Use graffiti or unusual outdoor advertisements (permitted and ethical).
  • Create merch with humor – T-shirts, badges or posters that people will want to wear.

Guerrilla marketing is the art of attracting attention at no great cost. The main thing is to be creative, fast and flexible. Successful non-standard campaigns not only increase awareness, but also create an emotional connection with your audience. Use the ideas from this article, and your startup will start talking about itself without multi-million dollar investments!

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