Are you doing email marketing campaigns for your marijuana business, and it’s not generating the conversions you need? If yes, what can you do to turn these leads into your customers and hopefully repeat clients?
From list building to writing your email newsletter, there’s always something new to learn and improve. This guide will take you through the steps you need to take to boost your email marketing to reach more marijuana customers.
Let’s get started.
How to build your email list
Building your email list is the first and probably the most significant step in using email marketing to reach more customers. It won’t matter if you create the most engaging email marketing series if you have no one to send it to.
So, how do you create an email list?
For starters, you can try putting clipboards at different points of sale. The clipboard should have a cover sheet detailing the components of your newsletter. It could also contain a sample issue that gives prospective subscribers a feel of what reading one of your newsletters is like.
An even better and easier way to grow your list of subscribers is to embed a sign-up form on different pages of your website so that your website visitors can sign up directly. This option saves you time since it eliminates the need for you to input the email address from written lists manually.
The third method you should use to grow your mailing list is social media. Using social platforms to talk about your newsletter is an easy way to draw your followers in.
Please note that buying mailing a list is not a recommended method of getting subscribers. Spamming the wrong audience with your marijuana-related newsletter will not lead to conversions. Even worse, you could end up at loggerheads with the law.
The best way to earn subscribers is to let them join your mailing list willingly.
Use email marketing software that support cannabis businesses
There are many email marketing software out there to choose from. While most service providers charge reasonable prices, and some companies will even offer free services if you have few subscribers, most of the major email marketing providers are unwilling to work with cannabis-related businesses (trust us, we’ve had several accounts shut down in the past).
If you find yourself in a similar situation, our service Reefermail is built specifically for cannabis businesses, whether you’re a smoke shop, a dispensary or a cannabis professional. That means you can rest assured that your account will never be shut down for any reason, and you will be able to continue to engage your audience by email.
Now that you have set up your mailing list, it’s time to create the best email series to grow your business.
What should your email newsletter contain?
Take a minute to think about your average customer. Put yourself in their shoes. What would you like to read in a newsletter from a cannabis grower, dispensary, B2B service provider or medical clinic? What type of content would get you to look forward to the next issue of the series? That is the kind of content that your email newsletters should be made of.
Here are some ideas you can consider:
- Educational posts talking about the exciting cannabis culture, industry news, and local laws. These articles don’t necessarily have to be your own work. You can also link to third-party sites.
- A list of community or in-store events that your cannabis business takes part in or supports.
- You may feature ongoing columns such as “budtender of the month.”
- A summary of your latest blog post. You should also include a link so that your audience can read the entire article.
- Your contact information and links to your social media accounts. This information should be included in the footer of your email newsletter.
Please note that creating quality email content takes time. Sometimes, other aspects of your dispensary might keep you so busy that there is not enough time left to create content. In such a case, you are better off hiring a cannabis copywriter to get the job done.
How often should you send out your email newsletter?
The key to finding the perfect timing for your email newsletter is finding the balance between quality and frequency. If you keep sending the same message every day, you will bore your readers and they will unsubscribe. On the other hand, if you only send one email every three months, your prospects will have forgotten about you. A better schedule would be to send a weekly or bi-weekly newsletter.
Establishing a schedule for your email marketing is a great idea since your readers know when to expect communication from you. It is also okay to sometimes send a one-off announcement or an unexpected promotion once in a while.
Final word
The harsh truth about emails is that everyone’s inbox is overflowing. So never take your subscribers time and attention for granted. Each email should prove the value of your brand to your customers. Know your audience so well that you can empathize with them, and offer solutions to their struggles.
—
Over to you, what are the other email marketing tips that marijuana brands can use to reach more customers? Let us know by commenting below.
