The marketing field is awash with fantastic brand-building possibilities. The explosion of digital space has made things even better. With the right strategy, a company can elevate its market visibility.
Guerrilla marketing and influencer marketing are examples of techniques to use. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Our article will explore the two in a little more detail. In the end, we will hazard an opinion on which is the better strategy. Let's dive into the discussion.
Guerilla vs. Influencer Marketing; Which Is the Better Option
A startup marketing agency may recommend guerrilla or influencer marketing to clients. But what are they?
Guerilla Marketing
When you hear the word guerilla, you may think of conflict or aggressive moves. But, the marketing aspect is not violent at all. What it does is maximize unconventional practices, imagination, and high-energy tactics. The aim is to surprise and leave an impression that lasts for a very long time.
It does, in a way make sense to liken guerrilla marketing to warfare. You combine the elements of ambush and surprise to reach audiences. If you do it well, you can generate a lot of buzz for your brand. You have a lot of leeway with creativity.
Guerrilla marketing is the brainchild of Jay Conrad Levinson, an American business writer. It has been around since 1984, and astute marketers have seen the value of the tactics.
Examples of guerrilla marketing include graffiti and flash mobs. Others are product placement, stickers, and even viral videos.
When coming up with a guerrilla marketing strategy, the ideas should be:
- Clever because you want the audiences to think and interpret you're messaging
- Compelling enough to capture the audience attention
- Memorable and capable of evoking emotional responses
- Interactive allowing for better recall
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing found its footing in social media. It employs the use of an individual who has a large social media following to endorse products. At first, brands would go for celebrities who already have fans.
But, over time, there has been an evolution in the influencer marketing field. Micro-influencers are gaining more popularity. The definition of such is an individual who has a larger-than-usual following. Yet, the numbers could be less than those that celebrities have.
Micro-influencers can be anyone. Your next-door neighbor, bloggers, and media. Brands use the trust followers have in the influencer for third-party product endorsement.
Statistics indicate that nine out of ten marketers find influencer marketing very useful. It could be because they can generate high engagement. This is due to positioning themselves as experts. Return on investment (ROI) could be as high as $18 for every $1 you spend.
When coming up with an influencer marketing strategy:
- Research your audiences well to know what kind of influences they are likely to listen to
- Do your due diligence on the influencer you want to partner with. The wrong influencer could damage your brand
- If possible, go for those who have a good knowledge of the industry. It means the people they are talking to are likely to use your products or services.
Comparing Guerrilla and Influencer Marketing
● Cost Implication
One of the most vital points of guerrilla marketing is that it is cost-effective. You have the option of using unconventional methods to reach audiences.
Influencer marketing can be costly depending on who you partner with. Celebrities can be expensive and out of reach for many entrepreneurs.
Micro-influencers can be relatively inexpensive. Some do not even ask for monetary compensation. They may only ask for products.
● Creativity
You have a lot of leeway with guerrilla marketing. The more creative you are, the more memorable the campaign will be.
Influencer marketing depends a lot on who you are working with. While you can share your ideas, the final delivery relies on the influencer.
● Reach
The main advantage of influencer marketing is you get an existing audience base. Depending on how convincing the influencer is, the audiences can share content. By liking and commenting, you increase the level of engagement.
The online space can make your guerrilla marketing tactics go viral. Social media platforms can give you access to millions of audiences. Chances of likes, shares, and comments are also quite high. You may even land in the local media because of how clever and creative you were.
● Ability to Communicate
Guerrilla marketing depends a lot on the audiences to interpret the messaging. If you are too smart, your audience may not get what you are trying to communicate.
Influencer marketing depends on the expertise and communication abilities of the influencer. With a proper brief and training, you can package the message exactly as you want the audience to receive it.
● Disruption
Some guerrilla marketing techniques have gone wrong. You may find yourself on the wrong side of the law. In some cases, there could be a backlash to some of the activities from the audiences.
Influencer marketing has also had its share of fails. The Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad was a good example of ‘too soon perhaps.' Trying to take advantage of the Black Lives Matter campaign when there were so many sore wounds was a bad idea.
Guerrilla and Influencer Marketing; Which Is the Better Option?
It would be difficult to pick one over the other. With the right strategy in place, both can have fantastic ROI for a brand. Startups can use guerrilla marketing because it can be low-cost.
Yet, the same applies to influencers. You don't have to go for high-cost influences. You can achieve a lot of traction with micro-influencers.
Here is what we would recommend for the modern marketer. Take advantage of both tactics for a stronger marketing strategy. Product placement is an example of guerrilla marketing. The influencer doesn't have to directly endorse your product. They can instead have it on prominent display in their videos.
Provide products for the influencer and some fans. You can also make them the first to try a product you're about to launch into the market.
Always have it at the back of your mind that marketing is not only about spending power. You can achieve a lot on a very tight budget.