With the unpredictability in today's economic climate, now more than ever companies need to be smart about their marketing.
In my mind, being smart equals being a guerrilla marketer.
Companies both large and small are employing guerrilla marketing tactics now in an effort to retain and even grow market share.
So how can small companies tap into the enormous potential of guerrilla marketing? The following seven guerrilla marketing weapons are things that any entrepreneur can do to market their business right now, and at no cost.

1. E-mail signature: This is a bit of highly valuable and frequently underutilized real estate.
   Take a few moments right now to look at your own e-mail signature.
   Does it include your phone, fax, e-mail, website address, and other ways to contact you? If not, what are you waiting for? How you use your e-mail signature is really only limited by your own imagination.
   
2. Outbound phone message: Have you called yourself lately? Is your phone message consistent with your brand? Does it thank people for calling and invite them to leave a message? Do you use it to promote any specials or sales that you are offering? Does it tell people when they can expect a return phone call? These are all things that you should think about when crafting your outbound phone message.
   
3. Articles: This is an often overlooked way to establish yourself as an expert, at no cost! Make a list of 10 topics that you know something about, or are passionate about.
   Start writing; then submit to one of the online article databanks.
   Once your article has been published, you can then send it out, link to it from your website, and even include the link in your email signature.
   This is a simple, no cost way to establish your expertise.
   
4. Blogs: Blogs are another no-cost way to establish yourself as a credible expert.
   It's easy to get started and can take less than an hour a week to keep updated.
   For many small businesses, blogging is taking the place of more cost intensive newsletters.
   And don't forget to include your blog address in your email signature and article Author's Box!
5. Referral program: Do you reward your customers when they refer someone to you? Keep in mind that referral rewards do not necessarily have to be monetary; it is very common to offer service-based incentives if you are service-based company.
   For example, a nail salon can offer their customer a 10% discount on a return visit with a referral.
   Business to business referral incentives may include things like a website like.
   The key here is to be creative.
   
6. Guest speaker: Like article writing, guest speaking is a great way to establish yourself as a credible expert.
   There are countless opportunities for free speaking engagements; all you have to do is look.
   Organizations such as Rotary, chambers of commerce, and other civic groups frequently provide great opportunities for speakers.
   The same list you used for article ideas can also be used to create speaking content.
   
7. Testimonials: this is one of my favorite totally free guerrilla marketing weapons.
   It costs nothing to ask a satisfied client if they are willing to write a brief testimonial for you.
   If you are using their name, you will of course need to get their permission.
   This makes the testimonial far more powerful as something and is worth the tiny bit of extra time to secure permission.
   

These are only a few of the many ways you can guerrilla market your business in this challenging economy.
Remember that guerrilla marketers use time, energy, and imagination rather than big budgets to market their businesses.