Guerrilla marketing allows you to grab customers' attention directly, meeting them on the street or at related events. Now that most people carry cell phones with cameras and video capabilities, successful guerrilla marketing efforts end up on sites like YouTube and Facebook, magnifying your advertising reach substantially.

Successful guerrilla marketing pleasantly disrupts a customer's day, providing a welcome change of pace. This can involve a coordinated dance performance in a train station or something as simple as providing free food samples to commuters. 

Guerrilla marketing is a low-cost way to increase word of mouth reach. 

Make a Plan
Take some time to formulate your marketing plan. Create a document detailing the logistics of your strategy. Many creative marketers use several successive events to create a stir in the community and increase awareness of their business.  

Your guerrilla marketing plan should include:
• Dates (avoid planning on the same day as another company event)
• List of those involved
• Location(s)
• Projected expenses
• A list of which team member is responsible for bringing which items

Marketing Street Team
Whether you're looking to gain exposure at a trade convention or by creating a flash mob, the best guerrilla marketing efforts involve a team of individuals. To prepare for your event(s), you should gather a marketing street team.

Depending on your product or service, your marketing street team can include office workers, friends, or family members. Most of those on your street team should represent your product's demographic if possible.

Regardless of who is on your street team, you should have a sign-up sheet with your team's names and contact information. Cell phone numbers are particularly important for marketing events. Make sure they have your contact information as well.

Brief Your Team
Your marketing street team needs information, even if they're already familiar with your service or product. Each team member should practice and present a pitch before heading out on the street.

You should also create a sign-in sheet for your street team members to keep track of their hours and efforts.

Prior to meeting up for your marketing event, send out a communication informing your team of the following:
• Event name
• Time and place of meeting for briefing and deployment
• Dress code
• Items to bring
• Items that you will provide

Know the Rules
Different cities, localities, states, and private businesses have their own rule sets. Many creative marketing endeavors push lines and limits. If your marketing event is an outrageous success, you could still incur fines for creating safety hazards, disrupting traffic flow, or solicitation without a permit. 

With advanced planning, you can reach out to your planned site and location to ensure the legality of your event. Keep in mind public safety and post-9/11 security issues. Public safety and the safety of your street team is your top priority. You should also know your own company's rules -- does your street team need to sign a special legal waiver?

Get Unconventional
Once you know the rules, it's time to get creative and unconventional. To promote their hit series “True Blood,” HBO dyed city fountains red. Musicians and their record companies often stage 'flash mobs' including coordinated dances to promote their latest releases. 

Your idea needs to challenge normalcy without appearing too bizarre or threatening. What grabs attention without disrupting someone's commute or breaking the law? Make sure to consider the timing of your event—while the “True Blood” stunt is clever, it would have been in poor taste if it had taken place on the anniversary of a shooting.

The Kit
Provide your street team with a kit. Each marketing kit should include product samples or literature containing testimonials about your service, business cards, brochures, pens, papers, and the contact information of someone who can answer specialized questions. 

You should also provide forms for your street team. Street team members should never let an interested customer walk away without gathering information from them if they are selling a physical product or large-tag item. Even if you rely on technology for gathering this information, you should have an old-fashioned pen and paper back up in case your city's wi-fi fails.

Remain Prepared
As the event organizer, you need to remain prepared and serve as a source of encouragement for your team. In addition to having a steady supply of back-up marketing materials, you must be prepared to serve as a point of contact for your team or potential customers with advanced questions about your product or service.

Additionally, you may wish to bring other items such as:
• Sunscreen
• Bottled water
• Coffee and donuts
• Pens and paper
• Extra cold-weather clothing

Save on Costs
Guerrilla marketing events can help you save on costs. Instead of paying for traditional print advertising, this tactic relies on your ability to get noticed by the public. It's difficult for your competition to stand out with traditional advertising methods once a customer has spoken with you in person and absorbing your brand.

Save money in the following ways with guerrilla marketing:
• Use social media to coordinate your events and promote your brand
• Carpool to marketing events
• Use existing employees

Employee Benefits
Although a street team event is work, it's likely very different than the usual routine. Your employees are your assets: use their creativity to develop ideas. They'll appreciate the opportunity to do something new and contribute in a creative fashion.

You can also use your guerrilla marketing outing as a team-building exercise. Often done in a less formal setting, street team efforts allow employees to bond in a more relaxed setting.