Developing a Stellar Cannabis Marketing Plan for Your Business

No question, the cannabis industry is at the peak of its flowering stage. Every year, new states legalize cannabis in some regard, and the average consumer now has a lot of interest in products that were once not legally accessible.

Some projections predict the cannabis industry could be valued at $100 Billion by 2030. And roughly 88 percent of adults are fully in favor of legalizing cannabis on either a medical and recreational level or both.

The combination of rapid public acceptance and more legal leeway across the nation means many new cannabis businesses are stepping forward. If you’re part of the pack of newcomers to the industry, a well-planned cannabis marketing strategy will be key. Take a look at how to navigate cannabis marketing in the most robust way to create an effective footprint for your brand

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Evaluate Your Target Market

Who will be interested in your product or service? There are both B2B and B2C cannabusinesses, and, some businesses will need to target both standard consumers and other businesses. For example, a cannabis transporter will be strictly marketing to cultivators and retailers. By contrast, a retailer will be building a brand that attracts cannabis consumers. However, if you have a cannabis license as a processor, you have a two-fold audience: retailers and end customers.

Regardless of what it is you intend to offer, you need to know your target customer well. Find out:

• Who is buying similar products or paying for similar services?
• Why are those people paying for those products/services?
• Where are the buyers located?
• How do those buyers find the products/services?
• What brands are your target buyers buying now?

Spend some time investing in analytical research in the beginning—before you ever build your brand identity. This will ensure that everything from your brand’s mission statement to identifiers like your name, logo, and product packaging will be geared toward a certain audience.

Hone Your Brand Identity

Armed with knowledge about who will be buying what you sell, you’ll become well-equipped to create an identity for your brand. Branding needs to be consistent in voice, imagery, and mission across every cannabis marketing channel. From your website to your storefront, a customer should know exactly who they are interacting with almost immediately. Your brand elements will eventually become all the ideas and visuals that come to mind when customers think about your business. This fact sets you apart from competitors and compels a deeper sense of connection to your target customers.

Build a Comprehensive Cannabis Marketing Strategy

Cannabis marketing could be deemed one of the most nuanced niches of marketing, whether you’re talking about digital or otherwise. You face restrictions at sometimes unexpected corners, state and local regulations that affect marketing efforts, and even limitations on what you say about your product or service. This is why many cannabrands choose to work with an experienced cannabis marketing agency.

If you intend to build a recognizable brand with staying power, it will be important that you take advantage of every marketing avenue available. Take a look at several tactics you can use for marketing cannabis effectively.

Utilize the Power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO enhances the authority of your digital presence and makes your brand easier to find. Several SEO strategies can be used to bring in more organic search traffic from the web, which translates to more sales for your business. For example, SEO for a dispensary may include optimizing the website with pertinent keywords local customers are searching for online and helping the search engine trust your website through off-site linking strategies.

Stay Connected with an Email Marketing Plan

Email marketing gives you a direct line of communication with your target customers. And, because email is private and direct, you can say more of what you want about your product or service without facing the same throttling you do with other advertising channels. You can build your community through email, stay connected through email, and potentially generate brand affinity and profitability.

Focus on Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing may be trying with cannabis, but not at all impossible. And, more platforms are becoming more accepting of cannabis brands. For example, Twitter recently started allowing cannabis ads, and LinkedIn has a reputation for being a more cannabis-friendly platform for B2B cannabis marketing. Social media can be used to effectively connect with people who are interested in who you are as a brand and what you have to offer.

Take Advantage of Online Advertising Potential

You may not be able to get ad space in all the places of a typical brand, but online ads are still possible in cannabis. You just have to know where your cannabis ads are acceptable. For example, cannabis directory sites and forums centered around cannabis discussions are good places to get an ad before the right target audience.

Look for Affiliate Cannabis Marketing Opps

Working with an affiliate either online or in the real world can be an excellent form of cannabis marketing. For example, a cannabis blog may allow you to create a guest post about an upcoming product or cannabis news to garner traction for your brand name. Likewise, you may be able to get an affiliate dispensary to post a blog about your brand on their website. In the non-digital world, affiliate marketing channels may be a partnered dispensary that features your products as staff picks on their menu.

Be Present at Cannabis Trade Shows & Events

Cannabis trade shows and special events are real-world marketing opportunities that should never be overlooked. MJBizCon, the USA CBD Expo, and the Connecticut Cannabis Expo are all excellent examples of trade shows that can attract a lot of attention. Also, consider becoming a part of cannabis-related events. For instance, sponsoring one of the many 4/20 celebrations can get your brand name in front of thousands of people.

Harness the Power of an Influential Voice

Did you know almost half of modern consumers trust influencer recommendations? A lot of brands piggyback on influencer marketing to get the word out about their products because, without question, this type of marketing is effective. As a cannabrand, you can benefit from influencer voices just the same as other brands. In fact, on certain social media platforms, you may only be able to get the word out about certain products by relying on an influencer to say positive things about your product due to advertising restrictions.

Need an experienced cannabis marketing agency?

We get it—cannabis marketing can be a challenge. CannaPlanners is an experienced cannabis marketing agency that’s here to help with everything from developing brand identity and packaging to developing a connection with your community of dedicated customers. We make it a priority to grow your business.

Let’s talk