How to Create a Blog Strategy for Dispensaries

At least 77 percent of internet users read blogs on a regular basis, and blogs are said to be one of the most trusted sources for information.

However, cannabis dispensaries don’t always incorporate a blog on their website due to the assumption that blogging really isn’t all that important for a brick-and-mortar business.

Of course, your primary goal may be to keep people coming to your dispensary, so why would blogs be a big deal?

The truth is, if your cannabis dispensary website does not have a blog, you could be missing out on an interesting collection of advantages that are important to your business.

The Quick Facts: How To Create a Winning Blog Strategy

1. Consider your customers’ interests
   • Chances are, there are a few specific brands and/or products that customers ALWAYS ask about when they come into your shop
2. Create blog posts about those products & brands!
   • If people are asking about those products/brand in the store, then they are definitely searching them in Google
3. Give the people what they want!
   • Make your blog post more than just a product page – answer FAQs, give a detailed background about the manufacturer, discuss the history of the company/brand behind the product
4. Turn these questions into SALES!
   • Provide links & buttons to people can EASILY get from your BLOG to your MENU to ultimately make a purchase!

If you follow these steps, you will be surprised by the results:

A Blog Success Story

One of our clients noticed that Pax Pods are a very popular product in their store. So in order to bring in more customers interested in these products, we made a blog post.

Here are the keywords we were able to get the blog post to show up for in search results (Last 28 days):

Here’s the geo-report from Google Analytics showing where the people viewing this blog post are from (Last 30 days):

What this report shows is that over the last 30 days, this blog post:

• Brought 208 new people to the website
• 36% were from MA, 19% were from NY, and 9% were from CT (all regions we are interested in bringing in customers from)
• ~60% of these people ended up viewing the dispensary menu

What does this mean?

By creating this one blog post, we are able to consistently bring new, potential customers to this dispensary’s website.

These are people that may never have considered shopping at this dispensary before. But now that they’ve found this blog post, they can see that this dispensary is not only near them, but it also has the product they are searching for.

Think of how many products you have on your menu and the fact that customer interest in particular brands is continuing to increase exponentially. There are tons of opportunities like this.

Talk To Us about creating your blog strategy today.

Not yet convinced? Let’s take a closer look at why your dispensary should be blogging.

Why Your Dispensary Should Be Blogging

You’ve no doubt visited a business-owned blog on occasion yourself. From dentists and travel advisers to retailers and restaurants—blogs are becoming a core component of online marketing strategies in about every niche. And, they are a trusted way for potential customers to get insight. Blogs are far more than just a collection of written content or a way to make your website command more internet space.

These implements can be one of the most effective ways to attract visitors, build up your brand, and engage with your target customer.

Below are 4 ways that your dispensary blog can have a meaningful impact on your sales & marketing efforts:

1. Increase Website and In-Store Traffic Through SEO

On its face, a blog is an information resource, but a blog gives you one major advantage: more room to work in some SEO (search engine optimization) magic.

• Websites that contain a blog are indexed on search engines as much as 434 percent more than those that don’t.
• Every new piece of content that gets added to your blog is a new opportunity to work in ever-important terminology, inbound links, and structured data to get your website ranking better on Google.
• Simply put, more blog posts = more website traffic.

2. Show Customers You Know Your Stuff

Cannabis may be a popular business to be in, but the legal cannabis business is still new. Just as you will have a lot of people coming into your dispensary with questions, you can have a lot of people hoping to get information from your website.

• Your dispensary’s blog is the perfect place to position yourself as an educated, informative brand that is willing to share guidance with customers.
• Offering reliable information pertinent to the interests of your audience positions your dispensary brand in a positive, trustworthy light.

3. Build a Narrative Around Your Dispensary Brand

Your blog blog gives you the opportunity to build a narrative around your brand, and your brand can be what sets you apart in a sea of competition.

While your custom website should be a digital example of your dispensary, you can be limited with how much personality of the brand can be shared. The average blog can be anywhere from 500 to 2,000 words or more, and there is no limit to how many pieces you can choose to include.

If your dispensary is founded on certain missions or ideas, the blog gives you ample space to build that narrative around your brand.

4. Encourage Brand Following to Build a Community

Blogs are a highly personalized representation of your brand, which can make you appear more accessible and easier to communicate with. Plus, when you have established a sense of trust and engagement through consistent, reliable information, you can grow a brand following that sticks with you for the long term.

For example, if a site visitor reads an interesting blog on your website, they may be willing to sign up for your dispensaries newsletter or to be alerted when new posts go live.

Cannabis Dispensary Blog Content Ideas

When creating content for your dispensary blog, the primary goal should always be to deliver what your prospective customers would likely want to see. However, you do also have to build content around the objectives of your brand. A few good examples of content types to make your blog as effective as possible include:

• How to use different forms of cannabis found on your menu
• Information pieces on different cannabis strains you have available
• What to expect as a dispensary customer
• Safely storing and using cannabis products
• Information relative to the local community or cannabis industry

Keep in mind, cannabis dispensaries are relatively new, especially in states where adult-use has only recently been legalized. Therefore, you will have a lot of people looking to your website’s blog to find out information. The more you tune into what your prospects want to know, the more effective your blog can be for your dispensary.

Local SEO vs National SEO

While developing a blog strategy for your dispensary, it’s important to grasp the distinction between local and national SEO. Local SEO is concerned with directing geographically local searchers to your website, whereas national SEO focuses on acquiring site users outside your target geographical demographic. They are both vital in increasing your site’s discoverability on Google, so it’s important to include a solid mix of local and national blog optimizations.

Exemplary Cannabis Dispensary Blog

Cannabis dispensary blogs have grown to be quite the common implement for dispensary websites, so you can find some pretty stellar examples. Here’s our favorite dispensary blog.

Silver Therapeutics

Silver Therapeutics is a Massachusetts-based company with two dispensaries in the state. The brand is built upon the idea of helping the surrounding community achieve wellness and enjoyment through cannabis, so the blog aptly portrays that brand mission. With a healthy mix of informative pieces about things like cannabis strains and certain products found on their menus, Silver Therapeutics gives their prospective dispensary visitors a wealth of valuable information.

Is Blogging Important for Dispensaries? Absolutely! Let Us Help

Knowing all the reasons dispensaries should be blogging may have you more than ready to get your own blog up and working for your business. However, if you are like most, you may not know how to start a dispensary blog, how to work around the nuances that come along with cannabis content, or how to even find the time to do the work. That’s exactly why we are here at CannaPlanners. We have a dedicated team of content strategists that know all about building a blog that perfectly portrays your brand and garners you the in-store traffic you want to see. Reach out to us for a free quote to get your project started.