Marketing
DIY Cannabis Marketing? A DIY Don’t!
The cannabis industry in the U.S. is growing fast in response to increasing marijuana legalization. As legalization continues, cannabis sales in the U.S. increased by 40% in 2021 to reach $25 billion.
As the industry expands, there are now more opportunities for businesses to get involved in the cannabis market. If you haven’t entered the market already, you might be considering opening a cannabis dispensary or a shop that sells marijuana-related products.
While we can commend your entrepreneurial spirit, we can’t promise you that cannabis marketing will be a breeze. You’ll need to jump through several hoops while doing your best to attract and engage prospects.
You might convince yourself that you can DIY marijuana marketing. However, we recommend leaving the job to professional marketers. Read on to find out why you shouldn’t DIY cannabis marketing.
You Can Break the Law Without Knowing It
Even when running a legal cannabis business, you’ll encounter restrictions limiting how you market to prospects. There are strict standards that will dictate how you market your products.
For example, your business might be in a state that requires you to disclose all your intellectual property licensing deals.
The law may also prohibit you from advertising your cannabis business near schools or any other area with kids. The bottom line is that you may be unable to navigate the complex cannabis marketing laws.
Even if you’re familiar with cannabis marketing laws in your state, the landscape is always changing. It can be challenging to keep up with the latest developments.
This is why you should work with a professional cannabis marketing agency. With professionals, you can rest assured that your marketing campaigns are compliant with state and federal laws.
The marketing professionals understand the cannabis landscape. They’ll stay up-to-date with the latest changes in cannabis marketing laws.
You Might Waste Money on Ineffective Tactics
Cannabis marketing is complex, and there are many moving parts. You might be tempted to try cannabis marketing tactics that you’re familiar with from other industries. Examples include running social media ads or buying Google AdWords.
These general marketing tactics might not be effective in the cannabis industry. Cannabis social media marketing is challenging to navigate.
For example, Facebook doesn’t allow the sale of recreational drugs like cannabis. Other platforms like Google Adwords, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter also have restrictions.
However, there’s a way you can still make social media cannabis ads. If you don’t know how to navigate these restrictions, you could waste money on ads that don’t reach your target audience.
A marketing professional will know what to do to ensure that your ad appears on social media without alarm. They’ll also understand the cannabis-specific ad platforms to use in marketing your business.
An example is Weedmaps, which makes it easy for people to buy cannabis.
You Might Lack SEO Knowledge
You need to ensure that your cannabis website appears at the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords. This will help you attract more traffic to your site and generate more leads for your cannabis business.
However, SEO is a complex and ever-changing field. It can be difficult to keep up with the latest trends and changes in the cannabis industry. For example, you may not know how to optimize your dispensary’s website for local SEO.
This is where a digital marketing agency can help. A cannabis marketing agency will have a team of SEO experts who understand how to optimize cannabis websites for search engines. They’ll ensure that your cannabis business website appears at the top of the SERPs.
You’ll Struggle to Build an Online Presence
In today’s digital world, it’s crucial to build an online presence for your cannabis dispensary to maximize your marketing efforts. However, your business will face fierce competition from other similar companies.
You will also face competition from traditional businesses entering the cannabis market. It can be difficult to stand out online if you’re competing with these already established businesses. It’ll be even harder if you don’t have a lot of experience with digital marketing.
Marketing professionals have experience in cannabis dispensary marketing. You’ll benefit from their expertise in generating leads through digital channels.
You Could Ruin Your Reputation
You need to be extra careful with your marketing efforts when spreading the word about your cannabis shop. You don’t want to be associated with the negative stereotypes associated with cannabis use.
For example, you have to be transparent and honest with your customers. If you make any false claims or promises in your cannabis marketing, it will reflect poorly on your cannabis business.
Working with a cannabis marketing agency can help you avoid these pitfalls. You’ll have access to cannabis experts who understand how to market cannabis products and services responsibly and ethically.
For a digital marketing agency, cannabis marketing will be different from general marketing. The agency will use tried-and-tested marketing tactics that work in the cannabis industry.
You May Not Be Able to Overcome the Stigma Associated With Marijuana Use
There is a stigma attached to cannabis products because they have been illegal for many years. The stigma continues even as state governments continue legalizing medical and recreational marijuana. Society is slow to accept cannabis use as normal.
If you decide to handle cannabis marketing on your own, you’ll need to determine how to overcome this stigma. However, this is a difficult task that you may struggle with.
You must first understand how society perceives cannabis use. You should then find ways to change these perceptions.
Working with a cannabis marketing agency can help you overcome the stigma associated with cannabis use. The agency will have experience working with other cannabis businesses. It’ll understand how to persuade people to try cannabis products.
Cannabis Marketing Is Complex—Leave It to the Professionals
If you’re thinking about DIY cannabis marketing, you should remember that it’s more complex than usual marketing.
You may not have the skills to deal with the aspects we have outlined above. The best option is to work with a marketing agency that understands the ins and outs of marijuana marketing.
If you’re looking for an agency to help you market your cannabis-related business, you should consider Forge Digital Marketing. We’re a nimble, tactical, and effective marketing agency experienced in using tactics that get you more loyal customers.
Contact us today to learn how we can increase your cannabis dispensary’s online visibility.
