Guerrilla marketing for local businesses (that actually works)

'Guerrilla' makes it sound gimmicky. It isn't. For a small or family-owned business, guerrilla marketing means investing in real community presence instead of paying to interrupt strangers. Here are twelve tactics that work — most cost less than a single boosted post.

• Partner with three non-competing local businesses on a shared offer.
• Sponsor a youth sports team or local nonprofit event — get on signage and in the program.
• Host a 30-minute free workshop monthly, in your shop or on Zoom.
• Get on the local Chamber of Commerce email list and contribute.
• Write a one-page 'guide to our neighborhood' and leave it at five local spots.
• Run a referral program with a clear, generous thank-you (not 10% off).
• Send a handwritten thank-you note to every customer over $X.
• Show up at one community event per month, in a t-shirt with your logo.
• Start a Google Business Profile review-generation routine: 2 asks per day.
• Use chalk signage out front that changes weekly with a real human voice.
• Trade services with a complementary business once a quarter.
• Be a guest on one local podcast or radio segment per quarter.

Pick three. Do them for 90 days. Measure. You'll be amazed how much further $300 of effort goes than $3,000 of ads.