Since most business areas have moved from the offline sphere to operating on the Internet, guerilla promotion has received novel characteristics, introducing new information dissemination channels and techniques. The list of classic low-cost advertising methods includes hidden advertising, as well as viral and outrageous marketing.
The main task is a hidden struggle for attention, during which one needs to surprise, entertain, and inspire their client. This type of marketing is often referred to as “guerilla” due to its hidden nature. Without the funds for “heavy artillery,” it uses a non-standard approach that aims to hit at just the right spot to achieve its goals.
The tool is intended for small and medium-sized businesses as well as firms with a modest budget, but is also used by large corporations, such as Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, and Volvo. It allows them to reach customers unattracted by ordinary advertising by:
- informing users about new products and benefits;
- increasing brand loyalty and generating interest;
- creating a positive image of the company;
- stimulating stable demand.
An element of promotion within this marketing strategy typically only works once. To maintain the method’s effectiveness, one must be creative and constantly try new atypical solutions.
Guerilla marketing is sometimes also referred to as stealth marketing, since its messages often do not directly advertise the product. Hidden marketing is promotion through recommendations that influence consumer decision to purchase certain products. For example, an influencer may tell a story about excellent cosmetics or other products in a particular store. Hidden marketing does not use blatant advertising but talks about the product in an unobtrusive manner. Consumers often remain unaware that they are watching an advertising message.
Speaking of increasing brand loyalty and generating interest ? for this purpose one can also resort to SERM (Search Engine Reputation Management), which is a form of reputation management via search engines (Google, Yahoo, Yandex, and others). It is a set of measures aimed at creating a positive image of the company/brand/personality/product among the top search results, which includes increasing the volume of positive content and pushing any harmful content out of the first search result positions (usually outside the TOP 20, i.e. banishing them to the third page of search results).
SERM involves controlling company mentions with an emphasis on websites display on the first few pages of related search results. As a rule, controlled platforms are moved to the first positions, as they are favorable for moderated discussions and allow setting the desired tone and direction.
SERM Pros
Searching Engine Reputation Management pros include:
- Formation of a favorable company image in the first search result positions, i.e. the first links a potential client sees when searching for your company online;
- Neutralization of negative content displayed among the first search results positions;
- Identification of problems with the service/product.
Another advantage of SERM is that it aimed at users at the last stage of the sales funnel, i.e. people specifically interested in you and your product. If you have an impeccable reputation on the first few pages of Google search results, the client is as good as yours.
SERM Cons
- SERM is most effective when replacing a bad brand background with a good one. It is possible to encourage real customers to write positive reviews, but this is a long process, while custom reviews can repel potential patrons;
- SERM is not a panacea and is only effective in combination with ORM. Working out top search results while ignoring other aspects of online reputation management is a road that leads nowhere. Therefore, SERM should only be considered as one of the necessary elements for redrawing a company’s image within ORM framework;
- The first search result pages are dynamic ? once you have worked through today’s top 20, after a while, harmful websites can once again seep into the leading positions. SERM requires constant analysis of SEReputation and is not a one-time event like ORM.
Who is SERM for?
Just like with ORM, maintaining and managing a positive search engine reputation is relevant for businesses of all stripes (corporations and private entrepreneurs alike) as well as celebrities (politicians, sports stars, and business personalities). SERM will also be useful to:
- companies launching a new product or service;
- enterprises experiencing a demand crisis;
- brands engaged in an information war with their competitors.
For SERM to drive sales growth and help create the right image, you cannot allow your reputation to develop on its own. Even a promising business idea can fail without proper search engine reputation management: if no one has heard about you or if your product was slandered by unscrupulous competition, the chances of success will take a significant hit.
How does it all function? I work for Data40 company, which provides guerilla marketing services Data Driven Marketing | Data40, and, as someone experienced in the field, I can advise that there are two ways of going about implementing SERM:
- You can do it yourself;
- Alternatively, you can reach out to someone else.
Both points are viable and relatively equal in the results that they bring, but not in the amount of required effort.
You can implement SERM yourself, but it is a complex and challenging process that requires a lot of knowledge and research. You will have to:
- study all essential competitors, their social media, and other platforms;
- monitor public reaction;
- locate and audit social media where your potential clients hang out;
- keep track of all relevant trends;
- survey consumer demand;
- analyze user responses;
- compare and cross-examine collected data;
- always keep track of the bigger picture.
Once you have the complete vision, you will know what you need to do, what resources are required, where the demand is high or low, what ground was already covered and which areas require further expansion. These are not just closed niches that you can fill and forget about them, however, but while the entire process might sound complicated and unreasonably stretched out, it is also quite logical. So, when it comes to implementing SERM yourself:
Cons: requires a lot of investment and effort.
Pros: you have nothing to waste but your own time.
You can always contact specialized agencies or companies already engaged in the field and order SERM research for a fee.
Cons: it costs money.
Pros: you get immediate access to the required expertise and qualified specialists who already know all the ins and outs as well as where to look, so the service is rendered much faster and with better results.
All companies are different, of course, and the market provides a lot of opportunities, so take time to research your options.
Before making a choice, I advise you to estimate the time you will need to spend on implementing SERM yourself and how much time the same work would take with help from an agency.
If you would rather invest time than money, you are likely to end up spending more money anyway if only to pay your employees for the extra work. If you want to do this yourself, I suggest you consider how much your services would cost as a specialist in the field.
Compare that cost to that of an independent service provider. If you see that you have a lot of time to spare, and the cost turns out to be notably cheaper, then you can safely implement SERM yourself. You will even gain additional experience that is bound to come in handy in the future.
