The lowdown: Learn how to stretch your marketing budget and compete with the big dogs with this Guerrilla Marketing summary.
Have you ever looked at some of the massive marketing budgets that some startups and advertisers have and been instantly jealous? I know I have.
Not all marketing budgets are created equal. Some have tens of thousands of dollars to test until something works, while others simply don’t have the budget.
Luckily for you though, not all marketers are created equal.
Guerrilla Marketing is all about using innovative and low cost methods to attract customers.
This revised edition of the 1984 classic brings in new technologies that have blown apart the marketing world… which was needed because 30-odd years in marketing technology is pretty much an eternity.
![Guerrilla Marketing [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2007] JAY CONRAD LEVINSON](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%200%200'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- New
- Mint Condition
- Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
- Guaranteed packaging
- No quibbles returns
- Levinson, Jay (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 384 Pages – 05/03/2007 (Publication Date) – Piatkus (Publisher)
The three main lessons from the book are:
- Make sure you are positioned correctly
- The seven key decisions you’ll have to make
- Non-media marketing is cheap and effective
Lesson One: Make sure you are positioned correctly
When you’re starting with a small marketing budget, you should be focused on one thing and one thing only…. to profit. With that profit you can reinvest in marketing.
However, to get that early profit, you need to ensure that your brand is positioned correctly.
It is very Don Draper, but your positioning is far more important than the design or copy.
To position yourself accordingly, you have to niche down and make sure your messaging and your product suits your target market.
For example, in the book, they mention the ageing population and the elderly as a target market. The ageing population is also consumers of mass-market media according to a study by the University of Michigan… so there is your method of advertising.
Along with the medium of mass-market media, the book also highlights the demographics’ wants and needs like added mobility and freedom, along with extra advice like ensuring the text is large enough to read with fading eyesight.
Make sure you position your brand and your marketing efforts for maximum profit.
Lesson Two: The seven key decisions you’ll have to make
There are seven decisions you need to make to create a innovative and creative marketing plan.
- What real or physical action does your customer need to take? For example, entering a store and buying your product.
- What is your competitive advantage? What is the one thing you can do that the others don’t… you don’t have to be better, but you must be different.
- Your target market.
- What marketing tools do you need to tell your target market about your competitive advantage and complete that physical action?
- What’s the core business or niche of the people you serve?
- Does your business have an identity? Base this on what it actually is, not what you’d like it to be. For example, there are too many times I see a logo and branding that’ll scream sophistication and high-class but the business is actually fun and family friendly.
- Your budget.
By being able to make these decisions you should have a clear basis for your marketing campaign.
Lesson Three: Non-media marketing is cheap and effective
In a world where Facebook and PPC advertising is now ‘traditional’, non-media marketing is still and incredibly effective way to advertise.
That means that instead of trying to funnel-hack or some bullshit like that, get out there and start letting people know about you.
There are plenty of ways in which you can do that. For example, you can give away free products.
It could be the yoga studio giving away a free trial, or the fashion label giving away free items.
The beauty of giving away free items is four-fold
- It usually costs you little or nothing
- Spreads word-of-mouth
- People are more likely to buy once they have used your product or service
- EVERYONE LOVES FREE SHIT!
You can also look to give back to your community and take part in events to get your business starter. There is plenty of networking done in community groups and charities, and at the very least, you’re helping someone less fortunate than you.
So, getting yourself out there and giving away free products can assist in getting your name out there.
My Personal Takeaway
There are great little tidbits in this book.
For example, I wouldn’t have thought about the font size when advertising to an elderly demographic.
It is decisions like this, that I need to focus on more in my marketing.
Put it into action
Start living the Guerrilla Marketing way right now by looking at the positioning of your business.
In what ways can you further look into positioning your business to align with your target market.
For example, are you trying to make live video work when your market is time-poor parents? Well, if you’re working with people who are time-poor, odds are they can’t spend half an hour with you on a Tuesday evening. Instead find the platform they’re on an use that.
You should consider buying this book if…
Anyone with a small marketing budget, or is starting to market their business for the first time.
Or, read our other business book summaries.
Cheers, and make sure you let me know what changes you’ve made to your marketing strategy.
Vince
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a Swedish university student, marketing professional, and life-long learner. Here at BookSummaryClub I summarize my favorite non-fiction books into easily digested posts. Hope you like what you’re reading!
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