Marketing on a Shoestring: Guerilla Marketing, PR & Social Media

April 2, 2009

Definition of marketing

Everything you do to promote your business on a regular basis in order to create a desire for your product or service.

Three secrets of marketing

Know your messageKnow your audienceKnow how to reach your audience

with your message

Six Strategic Questions

1. What is the goal?

2. Who is the target?

3. What do they think?

4. What do you need them to think?

5. What is most motivational to your customers?

6. Why should they believe?

Know your message

People make decisions emotionally, justify with logic

Awareness is good – motivation is better

Motivate people to agree with you, reinforce

beliefs and behavior – and cause action

See through your audience’s eyes

Make it meaningful, believable and unique

Cut through the clutter

Create emotional response

Keep it fresh and different

Use simple, direct wording

Use common language

One message, one thought per communication

Enthusiasm counts

Ask for the order – close the deal

Know your prospective customers

Define your target audience By demographics: age, gender,

occupation, income level, marital status, education, interests, hobbies

By familiarity By current attitude

Know your current customers

Talk to them! Use questionnaires Use a market research firm Use focus groups

Coffee and cookies after hours

Find out what the hot button is for your customers

Reach your audience

Determine current market position Who are your customers? Where do they come from? How do they find out about you? What do they think of your product? What do you want them to think?

Now apply it … on the cheap

Guerilla marketingPublic relationsSocial media

Definition of Guerrilla Marketing

Recognize and use everyday marketing opportunities to create a desire for your product or service. Get creative!

Guerrilla Tactics

Stamped envelopes - lick stamps for mailing rather than using postage meter

Give samples of product/service – pretzels in the mall, vacuum demo

Offer gifts for responsesTelephone – quick, personal and

cheap

Guerrilla Tactics

Membership club – greeting card clubs, coffee clubs, etc

Signs on public bulletin boards – in grocery stores, business offices, daycares

One good graphic -- for letterhead, business card, ads, etc.

Personal letters

Guerrilla Tactics

Classified ads – inexpensive marketing to a large audience

Flyers – use as signs, mailers, brochuresCanvass prospective buyers – contact

them, do your presentation, close the sale

Solve a problem – show how what you offer solves customers’ problems

Guerrilla Tactics

Customer service! Follow up – call customers to see if they are

satisfied Customer recourse – have a plan for turning

unhappy customers into happy ones Phone manners – Be cordial, helpful, polite,

sunny Enthusiasm – Get it and give it away, it’s

contagious Get warm – Smile, be positive, use customer’s

names

Guerrilla Tactics

Newsletters/Facebook groups – make it personal and about the audience

The power of PR

PR is a bank account of goodwill and positive perceptions for your business.

It pays off long-termIt’s a guerilla tactic all its own

PR is…

Relationships with local mediaA column or LTE in the local paper BloggingFacebook groups!

Steep Me a Cup of TeaTeam sponsorshipsPublic speaking gigs

Know your local media

Read your local paper and family publications

Watch local news broadcastsListen to local radio to learn more

about the style and interests of local journalists.

Get to know the reporters and editors and which topics they cover.

Media relations

Be the source for your specialtyThe media wants information, help

them get it Relationships with writers, editors Speaking engagements with partner

organizations Sponsoring the team

Social media is…

Not scary!An old fashioned conversation in a

new-fangled location: online.

Listen and learn!

People are sharing what they loveAnd what they hateTalk to them and learn from them

Social media

Vehicles like Facebook bring people with a passion for something together.

Mr. Delicious 345 people in the know

Steep Me a Cup of Tea 71 people connected over tea

Social marketing

Don’t panic, you know how to do this Think real-life analogies

Community A group that shares common characteristics

or interests

Neighborhood/neighborly You can borrow a cup of sugar from your

neighbor or ask her to bring in your mail.

A potluck with a purpose Getting to know people. Networking!

Social marketing dos

Make it relevant and actionable Introduce intriguing topics that

drive action and sharingMake it fun Make it real Make it friendlyBE FLEXIBLE

Social marketing don’ts Don’t be the sales guy in the room

Be cool -- don’t push your product Don’t crash the wrong party

Know the neighborhood and its power Don’t separate business and personal Don’t wait for approval Don’t be so uptight Don’t try to do everything.

Pick the best, get good, expand. Facebook, Flickr & YouTube

Marketing Bridge

Remember! It takes a while to re-educate people: Unawareness Awareness Comprehension Conviction Action

Your to do list

Find a friend, and explore Facebook (and ignore the other social media talk for now) Create a profile Join a group/become a fan to learn how that works

Travel North Dakota Steep Me a Cup of TeaND Ambassadors

Help a reporter out with a story idea that will benefit you

Call Kim Schmidt at ND Tourism – 701.328.2532

Resources

Books Publish & Prosper: Blogging for your

Business How to Win Customers and Keep Them

for Life Guerilla Marketing Wizard of Ad

Discussion & Questions

Marketing on a Shoestring: Guerilla Marketing, PR & Social Media

Marnie Piehl, Odneympiehl@odney.com

701.222.8721