Definition and ideas
What is guerrilla marketing? And 15 ideas that work.
Guerrilla marketing is cheap, surprising advertising that shows up where people already are: on a sidewalk, at an event, on the things you carry. Jay Conrad Levinson named it in his 1984 book Guerrilla Marketing, written for small businesses that couldn’t outspend big ones.
One idea you can start in a minute: an ad on your laptop lid, drawn by our AI.
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The ideas
15 ideas, by budget. Each says whose OK you need. Tap one.
Rules change from city to city, so treat the flags as a reminder, not legal advice.
01 · Chalk your own sidewalk
Check city rules
Free to do
Free
Check city rules Free to do
A daily special, a bad joke or an arrow to your door. People photograph the good ones.- Every Monday, something people stop for: a countdown, a question, a puzzle with the answer inside.
- Let customers name the new sandwich or product, and post the running tally in the window. They come back to see who won.
- Trade window space with the shop next door for a month. Their customers see you; yours see them.
- An afternoon in a friendly business’s lobby or at a market, answering questions in your trade for free.
Under $100
Hide $50 in gift cards at partner businesses and post clues. Keep it to places that said yes.- Your tip jar, truck, toolbox and menus. On poles and signs, stickers are often illegal postering.
- Clean your logo into a grimy sidewalk with a stencil and a pressure washer. Nothing is added, but some cities still call it advertising.
- Hand them out at a busy corner the morning rain starts. ASI found 94% of people use a promotional umbrella at least monthly.
- Change the line every day and people walk past on purpose. Many cities want a permit for sidewalk signs.
- Floor decals from the corner to your entrance. On your own property, go ahead; on the public sidewalk, ask first.
- Your name and a QR code on the lid you open in cafés and meetings all week, $64.93 with shipping. You can generate the design with AI.
Bigger budgets
Hire a local artist for the side of your building. Some cities want a mural permit even on private walls.- A small crew handing out something useful at the local marathon or fair. Many organizers sell this as a sponsorship.
- Your logo or a message projected on a building, with the owner’s OK. Some cities treat light projections as signs.
Wearing or carrying the ad yourself? Walking billboard ideas. Quieter, everyday ideas: small business marketing ideas.
By business
Guerrilla marketing ideas for your kind of business.
- 01
Chalk the daily special on your own sidewalk as a one-line joke.
- 02
Run a vote in the window to name the next menu item.
- 03
Hand out samples at the farmers market in cups with your menu QR code printed on them.
- 01
Put your name and a QR code on the laptop lid you open at every coffee meeting.
- 02
Host a free “what’s my house worth” table at a weekend market.
- 03
Leave a stack of your cards at the café nearest your listing, with the owner’s OK.
- 01
Bring stickers worth keeping to developer meetups. That crowd actually collects them.
- 02
Skin the founding team’s laptops with the product and a QR code to the demo.
- 03
Answer questions at a pop-up table outside a conference, after checking the venue’s rules.
- 01
Car magnets with a phone number big enough to read from the next lane.
- 02
A yard sign at every job, with the homeowner’s OK.
- 03
Matching shirts for the crew: ASI puts a promotional T-shirt at 3,500 lifetime views.
FAQ
Guerrilla marketing questions.
What is guerrilla marketing?
Guerrilla marketing is cheap, surprising advertising that shows up where people already are: on a sidewalk, at an event, on the things you carry. Jay Conrad Levinson named it in his 1984 book Guerrilla Marketing, written for small businesses that couldn’t outspend big ones.
What are good guerrilla marketing ideas?
Ones that cost little and surprise people without breaking local rules: chalk on your own sidewalk, a window that changes weekly, umbrellas on a rainy morning, a QR code on everything you own. The best give people a reason to take a photo.
Is guerrilla marketing legal?
On your own property, usually. On sidewalks, poles and other people’s walls, chalk, stickers and posters can count as vandalism or illegal postering, so check local rules first. In 2007, light-up promo signs for a cartoon set off a bomb scare in Boston, and Turner Broadcasting and its marketing firm paid $2 million.
What are guerrilla marketing ideas for small businesses?
Start with what you own, since it needs no permit: your sidewalk, windows, car, shirts and laptop. Then add one stunt a season tied to something local, like the first rainy day or the big game.
What should your laptop advertise?
Free to start. You pay when you order a skin or want more than 15 AI designs.
Why a laptop lid works as an ad: laptop advertising.