When you hear about guerilla tactics marketing, you automatically think of jungle warfare. That was the intention of the author who coined the term in a book. It was certainly a descriptive title, but was in some ways misleading. Actually putting the tactics into practice is broader in scope than the image of warfare depicts.

When you hear about guerilla tactics marketing, you automatically think of jungle warfare. That was the intention of the author who coined the term in a book. It was certainly a descriptive title, but was in some ways misleading. Actually putting the tactics into practice is broader in scope than the image of warfare depicts.

True, guerilla warfare is the image the term invokes. This type of warfare is engaged in by small, poorly equipped armies against large, well-organized forces. It is the creative strategy of the little guy. He is nimble and clever. What he lacks in resources, he makes up for in wit.

As applied to marketing, the tactics are similar. How can a one-man band without a budget compete against affiliate marketers who can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on staff and expensive black hat marketing ploys? He's not going to be able to make a dent in their internet presence even if he works 24 hours a day promoting his site. They have a team working for them twenty-four/seven.

However, he can go places where they cannot. He can acquire genuine allies and followers by going into niches where he will be welcome and they will not. The big guns rarely have success in the forums or blog commenting fields because they are quickly shut out by those who frequent these niches. If the "little guy" goes into friendly territory in forums and discussion groups, he can acquire lasting allies.

What better strategy could there be than to make genuine friends online by talking about the things one is really interested in? The product or service can just be a side issue. Helpful advice or controversial quips will capture people's interest and they'll want to get to know more about the author by visiting his or her website.

The website itself ideally will not be so strongly sales focused that it puts people off. On the contrary, it should offer real value and incentives for people to come back and visit again. Everybody loves to get something for nothing. A freebie to each new subscriber to an email list can generate a lot of lasting email subscribers!

As guerilla tactics go, these are a couple of the least original. They have been employed since internet marketing began. While they are tactics that one would do well to utilize, there are many more dramatic tactics that could be used. One of the most celebrated internet sites in history was not a commercial site. It was just a webcam that a young woman left on as she went about her daily business. She had hundreds of thousands of hits per day from people who just watched her cook and clean and watch TV. Had she been selling something, she would be a millionaire today!

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