Guerilla Marketing: How To Lead The Stampede!

Guerilla marketing is a term tossed around enthusiastically today. It gets a strong reaction. As the name implies, it is powerful. You won't find the definition in any old dictionary. You must go to business manuals to get the correct meaning. It means an unconventional promotion program reliant on time, energy and creativity to grow. This is very different than purchased 'old hat' advertising.

This type of marketing is founded on an 'up close and personal' approach. It is often interactive. Audiences are targeted in unexpected places. The idea is to generate a buzz that is on the lips of all who hear about your message. Jay Conrad Levinson coined the term in Guerilla Marketing. He is renowned for his novel approach to the art of promotion and his ideas found many of the techniques now in play by celebrated internet gurus.

The Levinson approach begins with offering a taste of what is to come--a tour of a sample instructional video, a free product. If the quality and content is there, your audience will want more, even if they might not have known they wanted it to begin with. Creating the need/desire and satisfying it builds credibility and furthers your relationship with your target. This can also include chatting on the web through forums or building a more personalized connection through blogging or video presentations.

This type of approach is very user friendly. Anyone can do it. In fact, large corporations are only recently taking note of how powerful it is and joining the game a bit late considering how their advertising programs are nothing new. The playing field is becoming level--the newcomer can now compete with big business.

A new business can develop a more personal connection with their target and do it more readily than the corporate big wigs. This can translate into a competitive advantage.

The relationship must be furthered by delivering quality whether in goods or by service. Poor follow through or low quality products will snap the precious connection that took concerted effort to build.

Levinson explains that approach as " In order to sell a product or service, a company must establish a relationship with the customer. It must build trust and support. It must understand the customer's needs...and (sic) deliver the promised benefits." Performance statistics are part of the process and must be regularly reviewed by every business. While the results are based upon building the psychological connections, the measurable factor is profitability.

Targeting or 'niching' your audience is another Levinson focal point. It is hard to build solid connections when your net is cast too far and too wide. Recognize that your best referral sources are those who already know you. Obtain consensus and confirm interest before proceeding with your campaign. Don't barrage an unfriendly audience with unwanted information. It is just too easy to be clicked away so do whatever it takes to keep interest and motivation keyed up.

'Viral marketing' means the usage of all of these skills through social networking. For the networking business owner online, it is their daily routine. And, it doesn't have to cost anything. For the creative internet business owner, guerilla marketing can be constantly reinvented and re-applied.

All it takes is human ingenuity to surf the internet wave to success!

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