Most modern advertising and marketing strategies are trite, because theyโve been used hundredsโif not thousandsโof times before. Consumers have seen the same ads so many times that theyโve now grown accustomed to them. These days, vanilla marketing by itself just isnโt enough; you need to be innovative and think outside the box. Thatโs exactly where guerrilla marketing comes into play.
Guerrilla marketing is a term used to describe any strategy that is a stretch from the ordinary. A guerrilla strategy generally involves unorthodox methods, which means they are pretty much untested. In todayโs world however, you have to be ready to do something fresh and somewhat risky in order to promote your business or brand. But it works. Thatโs why guerrilla marketing has become so popular.
Problem is, most advice columns that discuss guerrilla marketing are tailored specifically for business, they donโt mention how to revamp the strategies to generate traffic for a blog. ย So, how do you use guerrilla marketing tactics to promote your blog?
Contests or Giveaways with a Twist
Everybody loves free stuff! Contests and giveaways seem to be the go-to marketing technique that brands always use. Thatโs not to say you wonโt see results if you hold a similar campaign for your blog, on the contrary.
If you do in fact decide to use this technique, you should offer something different to the masses. Donโt just encourage visitors to like a Facebook page, retweet a post or share content. Instead, engage users in an active event. Start a scavenger hunt for elements all over your blog. Hold a photo contest that calls for some pretty zany (read: silly, not illegal) entries. You can really go crazy with contests; in fact, the crazier, the more press youโll probably get. Encourage readers to whip up a guest blog, and publish the best one on your site. There are so many fresh opportunities out there that you only need to take a moment to brainstorm to come up with a few.
Physical Brand Awareness
Just because you run a blog with online content, doesnโt mean you canโt market yourself like a business or brand. Personally, I would argue that your website name and tagline are highly indicative of brand logos. Print your site logo and URL on some stickers, flyers or even apparel and get them out there into the wild. QR codes can work great for this, too.
Take the stickers and place them everywhere you possibly can, and then do the same with the flyers. If you have t-shirts, hand them out to random folks in your local area. Print up business cards specifically for your site and then leave them on restaurant tables, gas pumps, or magazine racks.
The main idea here is to get physical representations of your site out into the wild. The more people encounter these elements, the more likely they are to pay your site a visit. Who knows, you may even be able to turn some of those visitors into loyal readers.
Sponsor Local Events
This technique is actually used quite often by businesses and brands. As always, you should add a bit of flair to your strategy instead of doing something plain or simple like offering money to the local baseball team. Sponsor the open mic night at a local cafรฉ, or better yet have someone read your content live. Put together a vlog at one of the events you sponsor and interact with the locals. Host a car wash and give back to the community, while promoting your site at the same time.
Like I already said above, there are so many possibilities. All it takes is a little ingenuity to come up with something fresh yet effective.
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Create a Meme
A blog is hosted on the internet, so it makes sense to take advantage of some digital marketing techniques. One viral strategy involves using common memes, or even creating one in order to identify with your audience. Like a blog, a meme requires a lot of invested time and effort to really become successful. They generally end up popular, if only because they are used so repetitively and thatโs what you want to encourage.
Come up with something truly creative that relates to your blog or site, and then plaster it all over the internet. Create a Facebook page, Twitter profile or even Google Plus account specifically for your meme. Dedicate a majority of your posts to freshly created meme photos and sayings. The point Iโm really trying to drive home is that you should live and breathe your new creation.
Remember: No Technique is a Suitable Replacement for Good Content
Itโs very easy to get caught up in marketing. You must remember above all else, that no matter how much traffic you garner through unique strategies or techniques, you will always need to provide engaging and regular content.
To put it bluntly, you need to give readers a reason to visit your site on a continual basis. If visitors do not see quality content, they have no reason to return. If you want traffic to stay steady, then you need to keep your content production just as steady, if not more so. Donโt ever slack because youโre focused heavily on marketing.
Photos: Musicosphere|Michael Kappel | Hubspot
Adrienne Erin is a blogger and freelance writer who has written about everything from advertising her blog to groundhog traps and back again. Follow her on Twitter to see more of her work.ย
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