Guerrila Marketing

Ideeas for a chapter

[jorj]

Hi,

I have to put a chapter in my final year project about guerrila marketing. Let's make a list here of some ways of doing it.

As a definition: how to market a site (or product) having very low resources or investments.

I'd start with:
- mass email
- directory submission
- content writing with the purpose of geting visitors and SE
- PPC programs
- ..?

[hunderdown]

I wouldn't call "mass email" guerilla marketing. I'd call it spam. Ever hear of "viral marketing"? That's getting people interested through emails that aren't spammed out indiscriminately but are sent to a small list of people likely be interested, early adopters, whatever--and they forward the message to others, who then forward it, and so on.

Hard to make happen, but when it does work, very effective.

[FourDegreez]

Viral marketing can work wonders. You need some kind of "gimmick", something that people would refer their friends to. There are other interesting tactics. I know of one site who put their logo on beach balls and released them to be knocked around during concerts. I've seen some sites put stickers with their domain up on toll booths and other public property (probably not advisable). I've seen one guy cover his huge truck in a giant logo for his site, and just parked it at events. There's a lot of creativity out there.

[jorj]

Good, viral marketing. I heard about it.

What about something good for touching the competition such as releasing pages with similar look and content with theirs (I saw Amazon sellers doing it although they were affiliates not competition).

Or ad-ware intruding programs...

[hunderdown]

Fake web sites. Remember when Travelocity did that traveling gnome web site that at first came across as some individual's amateur effort? Of course, the advertising and publicity it got was a bit of a tip off, but I belong to a listserv where someone posted a link to the gnome site, not realizing that it was a promotion....

[jorj]

Thanks. You reminded about listsev. This is also a way to advertise a site by posting into the public newsgroups because thy are picked up very quick by google, although there are big chances that the links are comming with a 'nofollow' or they are simply ignored.

And google's own 'Answer' services is good for that too.

Another ideea it came in my mind is the newly yahoo sevice for a free 5-page website for their users.

[TrustNo1]

"And google's own 'Answer' services is good for that too. "

Another forum recommended doing that and Google Answers started getting spammed to death, people there even started threads about, so Google is aware of that. I guess you're talking more about online guerrilla marketing? As far as offline, there is already a well know book on that, Guerrilla Marketing my Conrad Levinson. Let's just say i have a few boxes of flyers i'm going to cake this middle of nowhere town i currently live in, during the last quarter of this year.

[sirkei]

Just curious, what major are you in for the final year project?

[txbakers]

jorj: everything you mentioned, from mass emails to spamming chat boards, to fake websites really, really reeks of the worst kind of marketing available. Unless the person is trying to unload Viagra substitutes or illegal software, I personally wouldn't advise any of those techniques.

The truck with the logo is great, beachballs are great, other giveaways are great. The infamous Google billboards with the math equation to attract applicants was great. the Yahoo Yodel was incredible.

But nothing beats word of mouth or other viral marketing. BUZZ is the catchphrase. You want to generate BUZZ for a positive, not for a negative. The Chicken used by BurgerKing was a good example.

[jorj]

Thank you all. I managed to put together 9 such techniques, part of them being inspired by your suggestion. I think one of the most important I wrote about is the point #7 of my writting. I'll write it here just for the sake of being disaproved if I'm wrong ;)

7. Classifieds
There are a number of ‘big players’ on the internet which offers classifieds services, like e-bay and they receive many visitors each day. They are also advertising themselves in many places and have a lot of incoming links from various sites which make them even more valuable. One can benefit from their marketing by posting products with links to their own site and eventually at a relatively cheap price they will be targeted by good bargain buyers and deal-hunters all over the world. As a result, with the price of a classified and probably with one product sold under its value the site itself will receive a large number of visitors and, what is most important, all these visitors are interested in the product (targeted marketing).

[shigamoto]

Viral Marketing, never heard of it until now, these forums are great :)

Offline marketing might work wonders on your website, so you might include some original inexpensive marketing tricks.

[hp11]

I know a casino site owner that constantly bombards college campuses with free mouse pads, fliers for free stuff from their site (partnered with some other sites) and coupons for free credits towards his online casino games and he says that these gimmicks have worked wonders for him.

[shigamoto]

Exactly, mouse pads is a perfect way, actually it's so perfect that I think I will try it.. Just gotta find a mouse pad supplier.. hm..