5 Marketing Tips for Startup Cannabis Business Owners
According to a study by the Grand View Research, Inc., the cannabis industry will sit at a staggering $146.4 billion in revenues by 2025. The upswing in online marijuana dispensaries and physical retail stores is astounding. Mail-order marijuana is rising in stride with the eCommerce industry as well.
With the way consumers’ shopping habits have changed over the years, medicinal and recreational cannabis has never been so widespread and accessible. We also would like to give credit where credit is due. Several governments worldwide have seen the opportunity in the health benefits of cannabis. Its recent decriminalization in Canada is the most recent one.
Keeping Up with the Demand
Kudos to the Canadian government; for giving Canadians, who are 19 or above, a chance to have better lifestyles through natural healing. While all 13 territories in Canada are equipped with different regulations on cannabis distribution, the entire country is shifting toward regulating brick-and-mortar storefronts as well.
Ontario is the most recent city approved of private cannabis retail store operation. Online stores are just as rampant as well. Consumers will still be able to access their favorite strains, CBD products, or cannabis-infused edibles from the best online store dispensaries in Canada.
Cannabis Industry Bolsters Economy
If that’s not enough as promising progress for the economy, you will be surprised at how the cannabis industry has gravely helped destitute and unemployed employees in countries where it is legal. As of 2019, the cannabis industry has given 211,000 Americans full-time jobs. So if you’re looking to set up your first-ever cannabis business, I guess you won’t have difficulties in finding likeminded employees to help you run your business.
Whether you’re planning to establish an online weed dispensary or trying to boost a current one, here are five marketing tips for startup cannabis owners that will help you jump-start your undertaking.
1. Know your target market.
As a rule of thumb in marketing, determining your target market will always amplify your marketing efforts. By knowing your audience, you will know how to communicate and pitch your products.
After you’ve determined your target audience, you have to assess their pain points. Pain points are the current problems that your audience is facing. More often than not, they don’t realize this firsthand. And it’s your job to make them realize that they actually have these pain points.
Here are a few cannabis business ideas with different target markets:
• Cannabis production/cultivation
• Online dispensaries
• Cannabis edible companies
• Sell cannabis accessories
• Cannabis PR
• Cannabis tech developer
• Cannabis security services
• Cannabis event planners
• Cannabis inns
• Consulting services
• Cannabis guided tours
2. Create a website.
A website is your avenue for enticing a broad market. Anyone from your country or region can learn about your business as long as it’s marketed correctly. Needless to say, your website shouldn’t just be another run-of-the-mill website. It has to be a cut above the rest.
Hiring a professional graphic or web designer will make your website memorable and scalable. These experts know the suitable typography, layout, color palettes, and overall design. They also focus on two main properties of a good website: user interface (UI) and user experience (UX).
Last but not least, your logo will be your cannabis business’ lifeblood. Don’t penny-pinch on logo designing as your logo is how your consumers will relate to your branding.
3. Gather positive feedback and reviews.
The most efficient marketing of all time is none other than – word of mouth. The advantage of digital marketing trends is that they allow consumers to post reviews about your brand and products. For instance, you can integrate a ‘review section’ on your website.
If you have social media pages such a Facebook, you can optimize the ‘Recommendation’ section to promote the quality of your cannabis business. People will be compelled to buy from your site if they read about it.
4. Boost social media presence.
Social media marketing is one of the most effective marketing tactics these days. Facebook, for example, has 2.3 billion users worldwide. It’s no surprise how your cannabis business will gain more followers and increase conversions in the long run when boosting your social media presence. Plus, social media is a personal way to interact with your existing and target consumers.
5. Promote through merchandise giveaways.
We know there’s no such thing as free lunch nowadays, but people still want free things. You can print eye-catching designs with your logo on shirts, caps, or even mugs and give them away to your target audience through creative competitions.
If you already have social media presence and have a huge following, you can take advantage of user-generated contests to lure more followers and hopefully, convert them into actual paying customers.
Author Bio:
Jamie Mervin is a passionate blogger who loves to write about innovative ideas on promoting mental and physical health. She is currently working with GreenSociety, one of the leading wholesale dispensary in Canada, which offers the best and top quality weed online.