How can you market cannabis businesses to ensure you stand out? This is made even more difficult by the many challenges the industry faces, from stigma on social media to strict regulations and changing demographics.
The ability to create awareness for your business and stay top of mind with your clients has never been more critical. In this article, we will look at how to use both traditional and digital marketing to effectively market your cannabis business.
However, let us start by understanding the two difference between B2B and B2C cannabis marketing.
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Understand Your Cannabis Marketing Approach – B2B Vs B2C
There are two main approaches for marketing you cannabis business:
- B2B and B2C.
Each of these marketing approaches has a unique target audience, and thus, different marketing strategies.
Cannabis B2B Business
The B2B model is where a business sells to other businesses. The most important marketing strategy for these businesses is building strong relationships with their target clients.
Types of Cannabis B2B businesses
- Cultivators
- Cultivation Suppliers and Equipment Manufacturers
- Extraction and Processing Labs
- Packaging and Labeling Services
- Testing Laboratories
- Technology and Software Providers
- Distributors
- Law Firms
- Consultants
- Cannabis Marketing Agency
- and More
Cannabis B2C Business Model
On the other hand, B2C cannabis businesses sell directly to the consumer or end customer. The most important marketing strategy for them is to pick the right channels that reach a large number of people and ensure continuous engagement.
Types of Cannabis B2C businesses
- Dispensaries
- Cannabis e-commerce stores
- Edibles and Beverage brands
- Wellness and Medicinal cannabis brands
- Cannabis delivery services
Now that we have looked at which approaches you can consider when determining how to market a cannabis business, lets discuss how to use traditional media to market your cannabis business.
How to Market Cannabis Businesses Using Traditional Media
Traditional media might not be the trendiest, but it still packs a punch. Here are some great strategies to use.
Cannabis Industry Events
Participate in cannabis events and trade shows. Advertise or get a booth to showcase your products and perhaps allow potential clients to sample them. This gives you a great opportunity to engage face-to-face with your clients.
As a B2C business, you can sponsor or host local events. By being part of the community, your name will stick and more clients will trust your brand.
How to Market Marijuana with Advertisements
Use traditional media such as television and radio to advertise your brand. Partner with cannabis radio shows or place advertisements. Studies show that the more people hear the message the more it sticks. Placing marijuana ads at least three times on the radio during the day is a great place to start.
Local Newspaper and Magazine Articles
A great way to create awareness and build trust is to write articles for the local paper and magazines. Some great magazines to target are cannabis industry magazines (this is a great outlet for B2B businesses), lifestyle and culture, health and wellness, and alternative health magazines.
When considering a newspaper or magazine, research the demographics of its readers to ensure they are potential clients.
While traditional marketing is certainly a powerful way to create awareness and generate leads, digital marketing is a far more powerful tool to market your cannabis business in today’s world. Let’s take a look at some simple and effective ways to do this.
How to Market Cannabis by Leveraging Digital Marketing
Regardless of your business model, digital marketing is one of the most useful marketing tools today. It has the capacity to reach millions of people and is more cost-effective than traditional media.
Content Marketing
Content marketing has one of the highest conversion rates. Companies like HubSpot use content marketing as their main marketing strategy. 53% of marketers say they use content marketing for sales generation.
Blog Articles
A majority of high-performing Cannabis businesses have a blog. In fact, creating valuable, in-depth articles is a great way to give information and sell your products or services.
You can use this at the top of your funnel, especially for B2C businesses. It becomes the starting point for clients joining your sales funnel and is supported by email marketing.
It can also be used at the bottom of the funnel, especially for B2B businesses such as software-as-a-service companies. You do this by using high-buyer-intent keywords, for example, “The Best ERP Software for Cannabis Distributors.” The intention is to get readers to make direct purchases after reading the article.
Podcast Marketing
Starting your podcast is a great way to market your cannabis products and services. It gives you a platform to share knowledge, opinions, and trends in cannabis. Building your brand podcast gives you autonomy over what you put out and allows you to build thought leadership that creates brand loyalty.
You can also use other well-established cannabis podcasts for marketing by sponsoring their episodes. This gives you access to an already existing customer base.
Social Media
There are more than 4.95 billion social media users across the world as of October 2023. This gives you direct access to millions of cannabis users. While different social media channels have had a history of banning cannabis content, this trend is quickly changing.
Create simple, trendy, and short content for your social media channels. Focus on quality and consistency.
| Social Media Content | The Best Use for it |
| Tiktok | This is great for viral material and videos. Show cannabis culture while edutaining consumers |
| This is great for building a brand and showcasing your product in vivid images | |
| Targeting cannabis communities is the best way to go with Facebook | |
| This is crucial for the B2B cannabis business. As well as cannabis executives to build thought leadership | |
| Youtube | Create entertaining videos, how-to guides, interesting stories, and ‘behind the scenes’ of your business (Yes we want to check if your staff are high on the job) |
Paid Ads on Social Media
Place ads on different social media sites. Ensure to create a method for lead generation, such as filling out a form. Please remember that social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube prohibit the advertisement of recreational drugs such as cannabis.
The way around this is to use “lifestyle images” and refrain from directly mentioning the products or words associated with Cannabis.
How to Market Cannabis with Influencer Marketing
Building influencer marketing strategies will help you reach a wider audience. 50% of millennials trust product recommendations when purchasing products.
Find influencers whose target audience and values match your brands. When emailing an influencer regarding your brand, ensure to include the following:
- Your brand name
- The position you hold in the company
- Your product or service
- Type of partnership you’re offering (e.g., sponsored campaign or post, affiliate code for their audience, etc.)
- Compensation options
Here are some great examples of cannabis influencers that you can use for your business.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is powerful because it warms up your leads, leading to more sales. While social media handles can be closed or blocked, you have complete control over your emails. It is also a cost-effective way to run marketing campaigns and nurture customer loyalty.
The first thing to do is find a cannabis-friendly email marketing tool such as Klaviyo or Leafly. Ensure to send out useful information that is a mix of information and hard selling.
This content can include welcome emails, cannabis product replenishment notices, new product alerts, loyalty and referral programs, and cannabis knowledge such as types of strains. A good rule of thumb is that for every three emails, one should be a hard sell.
Focus on Educating Your Cannabis Consumers
Your marketing activities need to focus on educating your clients. Cannabis products are evolving every day, as are the restrictions. Educate your clients on these changes. It builds trust and loyalty, which in turn increases sales and repeat customers.
Some great ways to educate them include
- Weekly emails on the changes in the industry, understanding marijuana or your products
- Well-written and optimized blog articles
- Informative and engaging social media posts such as TikTok and Instagram posts
- Engaging podcast episodes with industry leaders
- Well researched cannabis e-books and white papers
A great way to create a foolproof marketing strategy is to use a cannabis digital marketing agency like BV, which has experts who make this process easier for you. Grow your business with BV’s expertise in cannabis SEO, content marketing, advertisements, and website design.
