Guerilla marketing for the online shop

Guerilla marketing, the generic term for these extraordinary measures, is a popular strategy today to stand out from the crowd away from classic offline and online advertising. To really reach out to your customers and get into their consciousness. Find out here how you can use guerrilla marketing for your online shop, what guerrilla marketing actually is, what advantages it brings and what types there are.

What is guerrilla marketing?

Guerrilla marketing is still a fairly new marketing strategy. The first idea of guerrilla marketing was developed in the 1980s by the US management consultant Jay C. Levinson. The measures of the concept focus on creative, unusual and attention-grabbing advertising campaigns. Guerilla marketing is unconventional. With a small input of financial resources, an atypical campaign is intended to secure the full attention of the target group. Guerrilla marketing thrives on the element of surprise and entertainment value. An advertising campaign in guerrilla marketing appears where no one expects it, and at the same time creates curiosity and amazement. Guerilla marketing triggers emotions that are linked to the product or service. Through this extraordinary marketing strategy, the attention of the target group is gained in a targeted way. The advertising effect is thus many times greater and is even extended by the viral effect.

What are the advantages of guerrilla marketing?

The aim of guerrilla marketing is to build brand presence, increase visibility and reach and convey a positive image. The unusual advertising measures take the audience out of their daily routine and thus get their full attention. But not only that. With humorous, astonishing or awakening actions, guerrilla marketing appeals directly to the emotions, which inevitably intensifies the effect. Based on the original idea, the use of financial resources for guerrilla marketing should be kept comparatively low. This also offers small and medium-sized companies the chance to use guerrilla marketing. With this type of marketing, many people can be reached at the same time.

A considerable advantage of guerrilla marketing is its sustainability. Actions find their way from the offline to the online world relatively quickly and spread virally. It may well be that even months later a video or pictures of the action are still being shared, liked and commented on in the social media.

Guerrilla marketing aims to be creative, easily accessible, surprising, unusual, original, positive and sustainable.

The advantages of Guerilla Marketing at a glance:

• effective approach compared to conventional advertising measures
• Increased brand awareness and brand image
• Increased reach
• Stands out from the crowd
• appeals to the emotions
• Remains longer in the memory
• Creates a viral effect
• leads to conversation and word of mouth
• little budget input
• more traffic to website and online shops
• to attract new customers
• uncomplicated and unconventional

How does Guerrilla Marketing work? The types

In guerrilla marketing, a distinction is made between different types or strategies that can be used for the measures.

Ambient Marketing

Ambient marketing is about using a guerrilla marketing campaign to draw the target group out of everyday life at a highly frequented location. This can involve temporary installations on the footpath or a public square, unusual posters at bus stops or large-scale messages on house walls. Ambient marketing can also be implemented in indoor areas such as shopping centres, railway stations or shops.

Ambush marketing

Ambush marketing takes advantage of certain events, usually concerts or sporting events, to attract attention without being involved in the event itself. This is why this type of guerrilla marketing is also referred to as “free rider” marketing. Possibilities of ambush marketing are actions that take place directly in the vicinity of the event or advertisements that refer to it.

Sensation Marketing

Sensation marketing focuses on the wow effect. Imposing advertising campaigns are intended to create fascination right from the start. Often these are shows, small events or installations where the audience is actively involved in the event. Flash mobs are a good example of this guerrilla marketing strategy.

Mosquito Marketing

In order to assert themselves against large competitors, small and medium-sized companies in particular have the opportunity to increase their level of awareness with the mosquito strategy of guerrilla marketing. The “weaknesses” of the competitor are creatively exploited and the company’s own strengths are brought into focus. To do this, it is important to know the competitor’s situation exactly and, if necessary, to react quickly to an event.

Buzz Marketing

Buzz marketing is very close to promotion. The aim is to encourage people to talk about the experience with others by giving them product samples or a small taste of the service. The idea is to generate positive word of mouth.

Where is Guerrilla Marketing used?

The good thing about guerrilla marketing is that it can be used by any business. Online shops have the opportunity to reach their target group offline with extraordinary actions and to make use of the viral effect again online.

Guerilla marketing and the viral effect

Unusual promotions often attract so much attention that viewers want to discuss and talk about them for a long time afterwards. And where better to do that these days than in social media, on blogs or in online newspapers? Guerrilla marketing measures go online in pictures, videos or texts and are diligently shared, liked and discussed here.

This advantage ensures that a multiplier is created without further intervention and the advertising effect now comes from the target group itself through word-of-mouth. This creates additional trust. Even years later, a campaign that has gone viral can ensure increased attention and interest in the brand. As a rule, viral guerrilla advertising helps to increase traffic, generate more fans and followers on social media channels and improve the overall reach. The viral effect of guerrilla marketing requires that the measures are easy to consume, catchy, uncomplicated and shareable.

The risks of guerrilla marketing

In addition to the advantages of guerrilla marketing, one should also consider the risks it can bring. In any case, measures should be well thought out and professionally planned in advance. There is a fine line between an entertaining presentation that pleases the target group and an action that triggers a “shitstorm”. Offensive advertising in an unusual setting can quickly cause annoyance. If it then goes viral, it can hardly be controlled and can cause considerable damage to the image. The exact opposite of what one wanted to achieve with guerrilla marketing. Creating high expectations with guerrilla marketing before a product launch can also have a negative impact if these are not met later. Campaigns must therefore be well thought out and have a master plan ready for all possible scenarios in order to act quickly if necessary. Tracking and analysis of the guerrilla marketing measures are indispensable.

4 guerilla marketing ideas for the online shop

Finally, we at uptain would like to give you 4 ideas based on guerrilla marketing that you can use for your online shop.

Pop-up shop

If you have specialised in a pure online shop, you can attract more attention with a pop-up shop as a small mobile shop that you set up temporarily in cities. Here you offer your products and services on site for a short time. Your target group can thus get to know you and experience you haptically.

Extraordinary holidays

Surprise your customers with creative promotions on unusual holidays. Create offers, content, videos, images, etc. around this day. Use guerrilla marketing to encourage your customers and potential customers to participate.

Small and unexpected give-aways

Include a small gift or a thank-you card with every order. The unexpected gift triggers a positive emotion that is immediately linked to the product and your brand and thus supports customer loyalty.

Exit-intent pop-ups

You can also surprise your customers or prospects directly on your site. Exit-Intent Popups with the uptain® ALGORITHM appear at the right moment and offer the user a tailor-made incentive. This can be vouchers or services. The customer approach is personalised from the form of address to the tone of voice and the content.

Exploiting the potential of guerrilla marketing for the online shop

Guerrilla marketing works because it attracts attention and creates a lasting advertising effect that can hardly be achieved with any other marketing tool. It is important to plan large guerrilla marketing campaigns well so that they do not backfire. Likewise, the campaign should fit your company. Show yourself authentic with guerrilla marketing, but keep in mind that it is not for everyone. That’s good, because there are many other marketing strategies you can use today. Measures such as the implementation of exit-intent pop-ups, on the other hand, are suitable for every online shop.

Do you have questions about other marketing solutions? Then please feel free to contact us!

Frequently asked questions about Guerilla Marketing

Which types of guerrilla marketing are there?

Five types are commonly distinguished. Ambient marketing places installations, posters or messages at highly frequented locations. Ambush marketing rides on events such as concerts or sports without being involved. Sensation marketing relies on a wow effect, for example flash mobs. Mosquito marketing exploits a large competitor’s weaknesses. Buzz marketing hands out product samples to generate positive word of mouth.

What are the advantages of guerrilla marketing?

Guerrilla marketing builds brand presence, increases visibility and reach and conveys a positive image, all with comparatively little budget, which makes it accessible to small and medium-sized companies. Because the campaigns are surprising and emotional, they stay in the memory longer than conventional advertising, generate conversation and word of mouth, create a viral effect and bring additional traffic to the online shop.

What is guerrilla marketing?

Guerrilla marketing is a marketing strategy built on creative, unusual and attention-grabbing campaigns that appear where nobody expects them. The concept goes back to US management consultant Jay C. Levinson in the 1980s. With a small financial input, an atypical campaign secures the full attention of the target group, thrives on surprise and entertainment, and triggers emotions linked to the product or service.

Which guerrilla marketing ideas suit an online shop?

Four ideas work well for pure online retailers. A pop-up shop set up temporarily in cities lets your target group experience products in person. Creative promotions on unusual holidays surprise customers. Small, unexpected give-aways or thank-you cards in every parcel trigger positive emotions and support customer loyalty. Exit-intent popups surprise visitors on site with a tailor-made incentive.

Is guerrilla marketing suitable for every online shop?

Not every company fits guerrilla marketing, and that is fine. The campaign has to match your brand and come across as authentic. Large campaigns in particular need careful planning so they do not backfire. Measures that do suit every online shop are exit-intent popups with the uptain® ALGORITHM, which appear at the right moment with a personalised incentive.

How does guerrilla marketing create a viral effect?

Unusual campaigns give people something to talk about, and the discussion moves to social media, blogs and online newspapers as pictures, videos and texts that are shared, liked and commented on. This turns the target group itself into a multiplier and builds additional trust through word of mouth. Even years later, a viral campaign can still draw attention to the brand.

What are the risks of guerrilla marketing?

The line between entertaining and offensive is thin: a campaign that annoys the audience can trigger a shitstorm, and once it goes viral it is hard to control and can damage your image considerably. Raising high expectations before a product launch backfires if the product does not deliver. Plan campaigns thoroughly, prepare for different scenarios and track every measure.