This Cannabis Marketing Guide will help you navigate the complexity of marketing a marijuana brand online. Marketing a cannabis business can be challenging for several reasons, and the complex legal landscape — legal on a state level (in certain states only) and illegal on a federal level — is chief among them. Add to that the ongoing stigma surrounding the industry, and you’ve got quite a challenge in front of you!
However, plenty of cannabis companies are succeeding, and you can too.
The best way to combat any challenge is to have a solid strategy on how to proceed. Combine that with a solid marketing plan, and it’s totally possible to reach your target audience and build a successful brand.
Here’s how to market your cannabis Brand:
Table of Contents
Understand Who Your Audience Is
It’s essential to understand who your target audience is before you start marketing your business. Research the demographics, interests, and purchasing habits of your ideal customer and tailor your marketing strategies accordingly.
Here’s how to find your target audience:
- Start by analyzing any current customers to identify common characteristics: things like age, gender, location, interests, and purchasing habits
- Use online tools like Google Analytics, social media analytics, and market research to gain insights into your audience’s behavior and preferences
- Create buyer personas based on your findings to help you target your content and advertising to your ideal customer
- Continuously monitor and adjust your approach based on your audience’s feedback and engagement to optimize your digital marketing strategy.
We use tools like SparkToro to find out:
- Â Where my target audience goes online
- What social channels they follow
- What podcasts they listen toÂ
- And more
Build a Strong Brand that Speaks to Your Audience
You don’t have to be the biggest or best brand ever, but you do have to be unique. Build a brand that has clear values and clearly stands apart from the competition. You’ll need a unique and memorable logo, a recognizable aesthetic, and a brand message that resonates with your audience
You’ll also need a strong brand voice. Start by identifying your brand’s core values, personality, and tone, and develop a clear and consistent messaging strategy that reflects this identity and resonates with your target audience.
Lean heavily on storytelling and visuals whenever possible to humanize your brand and create emotional connections with your audience. Try to keep this voice consistent across all channels — customer support, marketing, PR, social media, and outreach. Continuously evaluate and adapt your brand voice as your brand evolves and consumer preferences change.
Create a Great Website
Most people’s first impression of your brand will be your website. It needs to stand out — it should be professional, easy to navigate, and provide all the necessary information about your products or services. Additionally, your website should be optimized for search engines to help you rank higher in search results.Â
Use design principles that align with your brand personality and create a user-friendly experience for your audience. Include high-quality visuals and engaging content that reflects your brand’s voice and values. Make it easy for visitors to find the information they need. Continue to optimize your website’s performance to impress your audience.
Make Full Use of Social Media
It goes without saying that social media is indispensable. It helps you reach potential customers, build brand awareness, and establish credibility in the cannabis industry. However, stay aware of the strict policies around cannabis-related content on social media — you don’t want to get banned!
Be Proactive with Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is a critical component of online marketing for cannabis businesses. Optimize your website and content for search engines to increase your visibility online and drive traffic to your site. To do this, research the most recent SEO strategies to ensure that your website ranks high in search results.
Remember that clarity, high-quality and engaging writing, and correct information are the most important parts of SEO.
Work with Influencers
The cannabis industry has plenty of influencers, and many are open for business to promote your brand to their customers. This can be an effective way to reach a wider audience and build brand awareness. Make sure you vet your influencer partners thoroughly to ensure they’re a good fit for your brand and put the proper effort into paid promotions.
Advertise On Flavor Fix
We built Flavor Fix for two reasons:
- To help brands connect with people interested in cannabis, CBD and alcohol.
- To help people find the best cannabis, CBD and alcohol brands, info and services
Here are some Flavor Fix numbers:
Flavor Fix Media NetworkÂ
1+ billion impressions (total potential reach)
Google Search ImpressionsÂ
75+ million (Google Organic Search)
Google Search Impressions (Monthly):
11.7+ million (Google Organic Search)
New Unique Visitors (Monthly):
72,843+
Pageviews (Monthly):
119,452+
Email Subscribers:Â
9,000+ (Highly engaged and segmented by Interest)
Email Click Thru Rate:
29% – 35%
Active Influencers:
25+
Make Yourself Seen at Events and Trade Shows
You need to build relationships with other businesses in the cannabis world, and attending industry events and trade shows gives you a wonderful opportunity to do so. These events also let you showcase your products, learn about new strategies and workflows, and connect with potential customers. Attend conferences to stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and developments and keep networking.
Paid Advertising Might Be a Good Option — If It’s Legal
Paid advertising can be a great way to reach a wider audience, but you have to be aware of the legalities around advertising cannabis products. Consider working with a marketing agency that specializes in cannabis to help you navigate the legal landscape and create effective campaigns.
Don’t Make All of Your Content About Selling
You shouldn’t always be on the hunt for the sale — when you put out content purely aimed at entertaining, educating, and connecting with people, they appreciate you for it. Focus on education and providing informative content about your products to build trust and establish your brand as an authority in the industry.
Don’t Violate Regulations
There is no more complex space to work in right now than cannabis — the legal landscape surrounding cannabis is always changing, and the friction between state and federal legality is particularly interesting to navigate. Make sure you’re staying up to date with the latest laws and regulations to ensure that your marketing efforts are compliant and avoid any legal issues.
Summary
Marketing a cannabis business requires thinking ahead and comprehensively. You need to have a deep understanding of the industry and its unique challenges, as well as your audience and what they’re looking for.
Your cannabis marketing strategy should hit on all the above points. By doing the following:
- Â Focusing on building a strong brand
- Â Developing a professional website
- Â Leveraging social media and SEO
- Advertise on Flavor Fix
- Attending events
- Teaming up with influencers
- Looking into paid advertising
- Focusing on outreach
- Staying compliant
You can successfully market your cannabis business and establish a loyal customer base!
