Marketing

5 Cannabis Marketing Trends for 2021 You Need to Keep an Eye On

August 27, 2020

These days, 64% of US adults over the age of 21 would be willing to try cannabis. Meanwhile, a whopping 81% of the same group agree that cannabis should be legalized in some form. As the market for cannabis increases, the need for good cannabis marketing is also rising. Brands have to get past the weed stigma to make a sale. And their strategies are working: more people would consider using legal cannabis today than 2 years prior. If you’re trying to market your cannabis brand right now, you also have COVID-19 restrictions to think about. As a marketer, you need a strategy that sells. That’s why we’re walking you through the top five cannabis marketing trends that are sweeping the nation this year. Are you wondering how to sell your products during lockdown and beyond? Then you’ve got to keep reading because this one is for you.

1. Restrict Advertising To Legal States

Yes, 20 states have legalized medical marijuana and 13 states have legalized recreational cannabis in the last 10 years. Yet, state approval has done little to impact the legality of advertising weed products in some states. In states where cannabis is still illegal, companies have run into legal issues running ads. So instead, we recommend running cannabis marketing campaigns locally. Local campaigns target consumers in your state. Better yet, you can hyper-focus on large cities or other locations with large cannabis-user demographics. Combine forces with local retailers and producers to bring awareness to your brand campaign.

2. Branding is About Educating

Speaking of branding, the most successful brands in the industry are those that have chosen to educate consumers. New-to-cannabis customers may not know the difference between a concentrate and raw flower. In fact, they may not even know what the benefits of using cannabis are in the first place. Educating consumers will build credibility with your customers. You’ll place your brand at the top of the food chain, becoming an authoritative cannabis industry voice people can trust. And that will win you a loyal fan base. Using education can also help you differentiate yourself from competitors. For example, some companies came under fire last year for selling fake THC oil for vapes. 2602 people reported experiencing lung injuries after using these fake cartridges. Instead of shunning vaping altogether, smart brands used this as an opportunity to educate consumers. They helped customers understand how to use vapes safely. Better yet, some brands produced educational content about how to spot fake vape cartridges.

3. The Rise of Delivery and Drive-Thru Dispensaries

With the COVID-19 pandemic still in full swing, cannabis retailers are changing the way they do business. Cannabis dispensaries are considered an essential business. This is apparent with the rise of delivery and drive-thru cannabis services. Delivery services are allowing some dispensaries to stay afloat while foot traffic is down. However, keep in mind that only dispensaries with delivery licenses are legally allowed to deliver cannabis. Delivery laws also differ by state. Meanwhile, drive-thru cannabis stores are getting around these delivery legalities. They’re opening up full-service drive-thru windows. Customers get the full dispensary experience at a safe distance. During these trying times, marketers may see time better spent by pushing these services. After all, why should anyone care that you have the best Mango Kush in town if customers don’t know they can pick it up safely and ultra-conveniently?

4. Push Edibles and Infusions

There’s a new trend in cannabis products. Consumers spent a whopping $1 billion on edible and drinkable cannabis products in 2017 alone. And the edible cannabis market is projected to grow to at least $4.1 billion over the next two years. Edibles are convenient and pre-dosed. They’re discreet and don’t smell like smoke. Plus, edible and drinkable cannabis products come in a variety of flavors, suited for even the pickiest taste buds. That’s why we think it’s time to start pushing those edibles and infused products. Yet, before you start marketing edibles, you’ve got to consider your audience. Edibles are great for anyone, but they’re especially ideal for older adult and senior citizen customers. Focusing your advertisements on this demographic will get you the best return on investment (ROI).

5. Take Advantage of Cannabis Influencers

With the rise of cannabis legality, more and more weed influencers are popping up online. And these guys are your key to (virtually) free marketing for your brand. If you’re new to the world of online influencers, here’s a quick guide. Influencers are people with huge followings on social media. These days, that means YouTube, Instagram, and, more recently, TikTok. You can send an influencer your product for free. Odds are, if they like your product, the influencer will feature it in a video or post. If you invest a bit more into influencer marketing, you can actually pay influencers a few bucks to guarantee they post about your product. Think all cannabis influencers are couch-locked stoners? Think again because there are many different types of cannabis influencers. Depending on your brand persona, there’s bound to be someone out there to sell your products. For example, Sydni is an Instagram influencer from LA. She uses the wellness properties of cannabis to market the products she loves. Her health-focused approach is ideal for cannabis companies that want to target healthy, fit young adults.

Meanwhile, there are also the edgier influencers you might expect in cannabis. Jessica Cuebas is another LA-based influencer with a huge following. Brands that want to push their products as cool, punk, and trendy will want to work with influencers like Jessica. 6. Get listed on a Cannabis Business Social Network

Cannabis Marketing Will Make Your Brand a Star

Localized, educational cannabis marketing tools will set you apart from the competition. Meanwhile, pushing drive-thru and delivery service along with edible and drinkable products will make your brand a household name. Add all of this in with a little cannabis influencer marketing and you’ve got a foolproof equation for making sales in 2020. Are you looking to push your cannabis marketing strategy to the next level? Force Digital Marketing can help. Answer a few short questions to get in touch with us and send your cannabis marketing plan over the top!