An Intern’s Guide to Guerrilla PR

Working in public relations, especially consumer PR, will give you the opportunity to participate in a lot of hands-on, guerrilla PR activities. This might include things you have never done before, which can be at little scary – especially if you’re shy like me and not too confident talking to strangers on behalf of a client.

Lucky for you, I’ve done my fair share of flyer-ing during my time as a SHIFTern. Now, after having now passed out flyers on numerous occasions throughout Boston, there are a few things I’ve learned about how to make the most of these feet-on-the-street activations.

Confidence is key.

Like I said, I’m pretty shy around people I don’t know. But, I quickly learned to put on my big girl pants and tough it out. You’re not going to be successful with any type of guerrilla PR – whether it be passing out flyers, handing out samples, or whatever else your client wants – if you don’t step out of your comfort zone. So put on a smile and get your butt out there!

Practice beforehand.

Before I do any type of flyer-ing or other activations, I make sure I’ve read over exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. That includes, most importantly, a list of phrases and keywords to keep in mind when I tell people about my client. Remember, people you talk to will view you as a representative for your client’s brand. That’s why it is so important for you to understand your client’s brand and be able to effectively and appropriately represent them.

Don’t get discouraged.

So what if people turn you down? You have nothing to lose! Most of the time your manager probably doesn’t expect you to pass out every single one of your fliers. Try your best to hand out as many as you can, and if people just don’t take them, at least you tried!

On the other hand, if you can see what you’re doing isn’t working, then don’t be afraid to get creative and try a different technique. If your manager tells you to pass out flyers in one area of town, but there aren’t many people there, try somewhere else where you think more people would be willing to take a flyer. Your manager will appreciate the initiative as long as your reasoning is in line with the ultimate goal.