Guerrilla marketing tactics rely on quickness, ingenuity

At a time when many small-business owners are finding their resources in short supply, some are moving beyond traditional advertising campaigns as a way to generate new business.

Instead, a new generation of entrepreneurs is finding success with unconventional marketing techniques that target specific audiences and often rely heavily on social media outlets.

Lori Turner

"Guerrilla marketing is a great equalizer for small businesses because it relies more on ingenuity than finances and allows you to compete with the big guys," said Lori Turner, managing partner of of RedRover and ghostwriter for "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Guerrilla Marketing."

"There's a battle for customers today and to win them you've got to be creative and take risks. Just because you haven't tried it before is no reason not to embrace a new strategy."

Turner was the keynote speaker at a seminar last week sponsored by the Sales and Marketing Society of the Mid-South.

With the explosion of social media channels, the opportunities for low investment/high return marketing campaigns are limitless, Turner said.

In fact, optimizing networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter can help drive business traffic and get others to spread the word about a company -- often for free.

"Develop a street team that's passionate about your products or services and create a buzz about your business," Turner said. "That way you get people in the community to become brand evangelists for you and it doesn't have to cost anything."

That approach has worked for many like Jo Speak, who works in business development at BankTennessee.

"It confirms that we're on the right track because we focus on building good relationships with our customers and they pass that word around," Speak said. "We strive to establish a sense of trust and comfort that customers want to share."

In addition to social media sites, new technological avenues are opening up all the time, Turner said, offering myriad ways for companies to reach customers.

For example, geo-targeted advertising that's accessible by mobile devices is growing in popularity and is particularly effective in reaching younger consumers.

Creative signage is another nontraditional marketing ploy that often pays big dividends and may range from pricey billboard messages to inexpensively designed but unique business cards.

Above all, know the intended audience, Turner stressed. In other words, it's probably not the best idea to hire twentysomething models to pass out fliers for a business if the customer base skews solidly in the AARP range.

"It's a simple concept, but too often marketers will try to hit too broad a target," said James Hutto, managing project director for Valeo Design & Marketing and SMS president. "Especially in this economy, you really need to focus on getting the most leverage out of every campaign."

And while stunt marketing -- creating a public scene to draw attention to a time-specific event -- may hit paydirt for a big budget Hollywood film, it probably isn't appropriate for a neighborhood financial planner.

"Know your company, know your message and know your clientele," Turner said. "Then be creative in reaching them and have fun with it."

For highlights on Turner's program and information on SMS, go to sms-midsouth.org/blog

Mark your calendar

Who: Sales and Marketing Society of the Mid-South

What: Luncheon featuring keynote speaker Ed Horrell, author of "The Kindness Revolution"

When: 11:30 a.m. April 21

Where: Holiday Inn Select, 5795 Poplar

Cost: Free for members, $25 for guests and $15 for students; registration deadline is April 19

Information: Call (866) 290-4241 or sms-midsouth.org

-- James Dowd: 529-2737