In today’s ultra-competitive age, guerrilla marketing suggests cunning strategies such as flash mobs, viral campaigns and internet marketing.  The concept relies on unexpected and unconventional approaches to marketing, and banks on patience, energy, and imagination.  In fact, the term guerrilla marketing is traced to guerilla warfare, which employs “atypical tactics to achieve an objective.”

Atypical tactics to achieve an objective.  That’s worth a repeat, and sounds like a dramatic statement that requires an uber-creative marketing mind.  Well, yes.  Guerilla marketers need to be creative in devising unconventional methods of promotion, but being creative and inventive is easier than it sounds.  For starters, begin building your guerilla marketing arsenal with your business card.

Yes, your business card!

When most people think of business cards, they think its purpose is to simply list contact information and to be handed out when face-to-face with a prospect.  This thought, however, is in stark contrast to the reality that your business card is your number one weapon in getting the word out.  The business card is designed for longevity.  It should not only find a home in wallets and purses, but it should be stuck on refrigerators, pinned to bulletin boards, and tossed in fish bowls. Does anyone use a rolodex anymore? It should be there, too.

Great business cards begin with great design and copy. After that, the success of your business card as a marketing tool comes down to distribution, aka, guerilla warfare.

A couple of basic guerilla marketing trends that are seen today are “Street” or “Tissue Pack” marketing, also known as hand-to-hand marketing, and “Wait” marketing, which means you present your business card when and where consumers are waiting (medical and dental offices, gas pumps, restaurant patios on a busy Friday night…). However, if you are ready to get creative and unique, read on.

Guerrilla Marketing:

Think Creatively.  Brand Strategically

Here are some ingenious, and not so ingenious, suggestions on how to get the word out about your business:

• Put your business card in public access phone books and in the yellow pages where your industry is listed
• Place your business cards in relevant books and magazines at the library or local bookstore
• Send a card in the envelope with your bill payments (electric bills, credit cards, mortgage payments, etc.)
• Put them on bulletin boards at local supermarkets and coffee houses
• Leave a card on the table after dining out
• Throw your card in the fishbowl at the local deli – who knows, you may score a new client and a free pastrami on rye

Do not think of guerilla marketing as a moment in time or an insane street stunt.  Think of it as a creative and flexible way to get your business noticed, and as a tactic that will set you apart from your competition.  Moreover, do not think of your business card as just a 3.5” x 2” phone number.  Think of it as a guerilla weapon to arm your marketing war chest.

Everyone has a story about how their business card helped define or grow their company.  We would love to hear yours.  Leave your comments or questions below and inform the masses!  Is there a topic you’d like to see covered?  Tell us what’s on your creative mind and our experts will heed the call.