- Tags : 2022, agency, automation, beauty

Did you know that the global cannabis market is prepared to hit $166 billion by the year 2025?

The industry is fast growing and public opinion on cannabis products is shifting towards acceptance. Dispensary advertising is difficult, but by no means impossible.

Since cannabis finds itself in a unique situation when it comes to marketing, we have to get creative. Finding the right channels to advertise your dispensary through is a challenge that needs facing.

With the right marketing strategies, you can reach a wide audience inside your geo-targeted area and beyond.

Keep reading to find out several dispensary advertising techniques that you can start using right now!

1. Social Media

Social media is tricky when trying to advertise your dispensary. Most social media websites will not permit you to advertise anything cannabis-related, even legal CBD.

Yet, it is still advised that you create a social media presence for your brand. When speaking about digital marketing, social media is one of the best ways to connect with your audience.

You may not be able to advertise your products, but there are many ways to get around social media’s advertising restrictions.

On Instagram, many dispensaries post user-generated content, quality photos of their products, team member profiles, and details about upcoming events.

LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook have other similar opportunities. You can build a community without advertising.

2. Digital Ads

Almost no digital advertising platforms allow advertisements related to cannabis. Because of this, dispensary advertising often has to be done by reaching out to publications and websites directly.

Publications within the cannabis industry are your best bet for securing a deal and reaching your intended audience. Most companies will allow negotiations concerning advertising rates on a CPC or CPM basis.

Sometimes, advertising with cannabis-friendly platforms or individual publishers is a more successful alternative to large networks.

3. Cannabis SEO

Digital presence is the best way to get recognition for your brand.

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all have restricted the promotion of products related to cannabis. You have to be sure your brand is at the top of google for a search like “cannabis near me”.

What you can do is create a website for your business. Then, drive people to your website. Create web pages with helpful content that answers questions you know your customers have.

Finding relevant SEO keywords for your website and its content can be difficult. They are marked as prohibited content by Google and other search engines.

These search engines choose not to display data on keywords like cannabis. Likely, because the product is federally illegal.

You can improve your search and online presence by investing in your website. Make it mobile-friendly, include your menu, and add your store’s hours.

Additionally, you can get your business listed in directories. There are both local directories like Yelp or cannabis-related directories like Weedmaps.

Don’t forget to ask for customer reviews. Customer reviews are often the difference between choosing you or someone else a mile down the road. A good review can go a long way to bring in more customers.

4. Brand Ambassadors

Many dispensaries rely on brand ambassadors and word of mouth to promote their brand. This has been a very successful approach to bridging the gap that is limited advertising options.

Cannabis retailers benefit from reaching out to their most influential customers. They have social media accounts with followers that match their customer profile.

By identifying influencers who match your brand you can reach a larger audience. An audience that is already interested in the product you are selling.

You can collaborate with brand ambassadors or social media influencers to increase your sales. It also helps you build a trusted brand that brings in long-term profits.

Consider encouraging new customers brought in by brand ambassadors to stay. This can be done with influencer-specific discount codes and/or a loyalty program.

5. Billboards

Billboards are a popular way to advertise dispensaries. In most legal states, billboards are the best way to direct customers in your area to your store with little effort.

Live in or visit a legal state that allows billboards for cannabis-related products. You’ll see dispensary billboards all over. That’s because they work!

Still, billboard advertising for marijuana is illegal in many states or it is highly restricted. Before designing or buying a billboard for your dispensary, be sure you know the regulations in your state.

Why Marketing Cannabis Is Difficult

Marketing cannabis is difficult for the reason that it is not legal federally.

Many platforms do not allow marijuana-related advertisements on their pages. And, some states have strict advertisement restrictions for cannabis products.

It’s especially tricky because most dispensaries are only looking for customers locally. Unlike chains, many companies that sell cannabis only need to appeal to locals within their state.

State regulations on advertising are different from one state to the next. In Maryland, a state with legalized medical usage, cannabis ads of any kind are not allowed. Yet in Washington, you may advertise on billboards.

Knowing your state’s regulations on advertising for cannabis is highly recommended. Fines can be expensive for those who go too far.

This relatively new industry finds itself in a unique situation when it comes to marketing. That’s why we have to get creative. Finding the right channels to advertise your dispensary through is a challenge that needs facing.

Dispensary Advertising for You

There’s no doubt that cannabis marketing is difficult. With a little bit of creativity and finesse, though, your dispensary can stand out in a state that is competitive with cannabis products.

Reaching target audience with dispensary advertising. Use hyper-local tactics and hire a great digital marketing and advertising agency.

Contact us at Forge Digital Marketing today. Start discussing how we can help you advertise your dispensary successfully.

Email Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Marketing, SEO

Dispensary Discussions: How Do You Market a Dispensary?

By Erin Schnittker on

November 1, 2021

- Category : Email Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Marketing, SEO

- Tags : 2022, agency, automation, beauty

The world is finally turning an eye toward the amazing physical, mental, and emotional health benefits of cannabis. The majority of US states have opened the door to CBD, and even THC cannabis products. Of course, some states are freer than others to sell, buy, and consume these products.

It’s only natural for dispensaries to be popping up all over, particularly in places where there are fewer regulations regarding cannabis products. While this is ultimately a good thing, it can also make it more difficult for people like you to grow your dispensary. You have more competition now than ever.

The question is how to market your dispensary for maximum lead generation and sales. How can you ensure you’re continuously bringing customers to your store (online or in-person)?

We want to help you answer these important questions. Keep reading for a complete guide on how to market your dispensary.

Website Desing and Development

First, let’s focus on your website. The vast majority of Americans have taken to online shopping. Even if consumers prefer to buy cannabis products in person, you can bet they’ll be researching “dispensary near me” online first.

Therefore, you need to develop an easy-to-use website to establish your online visibility. Not only does your website need to be intuitive and visually stimulating, but it also needs to be highly functional. Consumers shouldn’t have any problems finding contact pages, products, or blog content.

Furthermore, your website needs to be optimized for mobile devices. Over 85% of Americans have smartphones, which they will use to access your site. If your site isn’t optimized for these types of devices, it will load slowly, be improperly formatted, and be more difficult to navigate.

Search Engine Optimization

Having an excellent website is key. Yet, this is only half of the equation. You also need to implement an SEO strategy to drive traffic to it.

Search engine optimization is the “behind the scenes” coding embedded in your site via keywords, meta descriptions, link-building, etc. It’s the coding used by searching engines (Google) to find the most relevant content for users.

The better your SEO rankings are for local and industry-specific keywords, the more qualified leads you’ll generate through organic search engine searches. For example, someone looking for a “recreational dispensary near me” is more likely to click on your site if it comes up in the first few results.

You can increase your SEO visibility by registering your site with Google My Business, developing a blog on your site full of relevant content, using link-building strategies, and more.

We recommend working with a professional SEO agency to ensure you’re ranking high on Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other search engines. Otherwise, consumers are likely to choose your competitors, rather than shopping at your dispensary.

Social Media Marketing

Few people would challenge the importance of social media, both in our personal and professional lives. Sure, some people avoid it in their personal lives, but your dispensary needs a strong social media presence.

We recommend starting with Facebook, Instagram, and Linked In. However, YouTube and Tik Tok are also incredibly popular apps.

Through these platforms, you can post organically to showcase your products, talk about the science behind the medicine, communicate with consumers, and more. This way, you can slowly build a following of devoted customers.

However, you should also look into paid advertising, like Facebook Ads. These ads have the ability to expand past your organic influence into a specific group of consumers (your target market). Facebook ads will also show you exactly how well they performed based on viewer engagement.

Influencer Marketing

As long as we’re talking about social media marketing, we need to talk about influencer marketing. In the beginning, your social media profiles won’t have thousands of followers. It takes time and concentrated dedication to get to an elevated status or have a large following.

In the interim, consider working with social media influencers who have already developed a large following of people. They can promote your products for you, which gives you access to their audiences. In some cases, this means hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people.

In return, you can pay them for each post or provide them with free products. Influencers charge differently based on their standards, the number of their followers, their engagement rates, etc.

Product Marketing

When it comes to selling products online, imagery is a fundamental aspect of making a sale. Customers want to see what they’re buying.

Of course, it’s not like trying to list a house online where you need to showcase every room at various angles. However, if you’re selling gummies, having professional photos taken of them to make them will make them more appealing to consumers.

This includes investing in high-quality graphic designs for your packaging and labels. In the world of product sales, it’s all about appearances.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is vital in today’s business world. This is for several reasons.

First, people are always connected to their phones, tablets, and computers. If someone has subscribed to your email, you have direct access to them at all times to market your dispensary.

Secondly, most consumers need to be reminded of a product or service several times before they decide to purchase it. By sending emails once a week, you can constantly remind people of what you have to offer. This is also a great way of promoting new products, special discounts, and more.

Finally, email campaigns provide another way to share your content with your target audience. It isn’t always about making a sale.

You can use your email platform to provide valuable content to your subscribers. This includes health information about CBD and THC, product guides, tips on how to ingest cannabis, and more. Ultimately, this content will serve to present you as an authority and build more credibility among your audience.

Looking to Maximize the Potential of Your Dispensary Marketing?

There is no shortage of ways in which you can grow your dispensary. Some are better than others. But ultimately, it depends on your target market, your marketing message, and your products.

We hope our marketing guide helps you establish a strong online presence to increase your leads and make more sales. And if you need help, that’s okay.

That’s exactly what we’re here for. Contact us today to learn more about our services. We would love to help you put your dispensary on the map.

Email Marketing, Influencer Marketing, SEO, Website Design & Development

Weed 101: 5 Dispensary Advertising Techniques