Marketing your cannabis brand to reach more customers and possibly make more sales can sometimes end up boring a large hole in your pocket. However, there are many marketing techniques you can use that won’t blow your marketing budget.
Here are seven inexpensive marketing techniques you can start using today.
1. List your business on Google and local directories
Your marijuana business should be listed on Google My Business (GMB), and on as many trusted marijuana directories as possible (Marijuana Referral and Heady Pages are two great places to start for cannabis professionals and smoke shops, respectively). These are some of the places that customers are most likely to find you.
Listing your cannabis company on numerous directories also increases trust and strengthens your brand’s reputation. This is because users view online directories as a reliable source of trustworthy business.
Your brand image will be enhanced further through the reviews on the customer review section on most of these directories. As a result, your brand will have an edge over your competitors.
Some of the other marijuana directories you should list your business on include: WeedMaps, TripAdvisor, Yelp for business owners, Bing places, Manta, The Dispensary Map, Medical Jane, and USA Cannabis directory.
2. Email marketing
Email is a vital marketing channel for all brands out there, including your cannabis business. There are many benefits to be reaped from this type of marketing, including controlled email delivery, customization, personalization, and list segmentation, all of which lead to amazing results.
There are plenty of email providers out there that you can use to create an email list. However, since most providers are unwilling to work with cannabis businesses, it’s generally better to go for a provider who specializes on email marketing for marijuana businesses. This way, you will not wake up to find that your email provider has canceled your account, and you have lost your entire email list.
Once you have found a suitable email provider, start building your email list and keep delivering value to your subscribers. With time, they will come to trust you as an expert in your field, and you will become their go-to brand for their purchases. Remember that with email marketing, the earlier you start, the better.
3. SEO improves your visibility and marijuana branding
Search engine optimization (SEO) can go a long way in boosting the visibility of your brand. The thing is, Google is always trying to separate high-quality sites from crappy stuff. They will look at how popular a brand is, and use that information to rank your website.
Having a good SEO game also means that you will rank highly for relevant keyword search queries. Your brand will therefore be more visible to your target customers as they look for marijuana-related information or products.
It’s best to start with some on-page optimization and local SEO to build a foundation from which you site can grow. There are marketing agencies that specialize in SEO for cannabis businesses, which might be an appealing solution for those that lack the skills and knowledge in-house.
4. Post amazing blog content
Apart from being optimized for search engines, your website content should also be of high quality. This means that every page on your website should be dedicated to a specific purpose. When a customer lands on a page on your website, they should be able to tell, within a few seconds, exactly what the page is for.
Before you write a blog post, you need to understand your target audience. A good blog post should speak to the readers of your blog, and no one else. Therefore, by understanding the problems, needs and wants of your target market, you can create posts that will appeal to them.
Apart from helping your website rank higher, quality content also:
- Supports your social media efforts
- Increases your search engine traffic
- Positions you as an authority in the marijuana industry
- Generate inbound links
- Opens you up to long-tail searches.
5. Contribute a blog article to an industry magazine
Guest posting is simply writing an attention-grabbing article on another blog in your name. Most of the time, you can add a link back to your website, something that will help you rank higher on Google and also help you get more exposure.
Contributing a blog article to other industry magazines enables you to network with like-minded people in the marijuana industry, gain more exposure and get high-quality backlinks to your website.
Here are ten sites that accept guest posts; Marijuana Chronic Centre, Green Doctor Network, Dope Magazine, High Times, Marijuana Mommy, CBD testers, The Weedstreet journal, Cannapreneur Mag, CannaHealth, and Chronic Jobs.
6. Have a customer referral program
Customer referrals are an easy and effective way to market your cannabis business. A referral program allows your satisfied customers to tell their friends about the wonderful experience they had at your business. When you provide an amazing customer experience, your clients are likely to spread the word about your marijuana company.
So how do you create an effective referral program?
First, you need to have stellar customer service. No one will recommend a business that does not make them feel good. Secondly, know where and when to ask for referrals. You are more likely to get that referral if you ask when your customer is happy and has not forgotten the awesome experience they had at your dispensary.
Always remember to reward both the referrer and the referee. When you reward both parties with let’s say a discount or a gift card, they will be more likely to spread the word about your business. Your gifts should be delivered as soon as the person makes a purchase.
7. Host online giveaways on social media
As a cannabis business owner, you probably already know that giveaways are a great way to help you engage with and expand your customer base. But have you considered online giveaways on social media?
Online social media giveaways help you gain more visitors to your website, increase the visibility of your business, and craft a personal relationship with your customers.
What’s more, social media giveaways don’t require much work. All you have to do is create a post explaining your sweepstakes and a way to enter. The most common ways to enter are through sharing and commenting on a post. You will also need someone to monitor the responses.
Remember to set a time limit on the entries so you can pick a winner.
Final word
You now have seven unique and inexpensive techniques you can use to market your cannabis business. Try them out and see what techniques work best for your brand.
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Has this article been of help to you? Which of the marketing strategies are you going to try out? Let us know in the comments section below.
