The Dos and Don’ts of Marketing for the Cannabis Industry

Marketing for any industry is difficult, but marketing for the cannabis industry has many more guidelines for entrepreneurs including legal to create pitfalls.

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The cannabis industry has taken off in a big way in recent years, and a big reason behind this is the colossal shift in attitudes and understandings towards cannabis itself. While the plant was once best-known for its role as a recreational drug, it’s now known for having countless different uses, from medical applications in cancer patients to health and wellness advantages in products like CBD oil.

There’s a lot that can be done with cannabis, and the industry is expected to grow and grow in value as the years go by, encouraging many entrepreneurs to get involved in the action. We’re seeing a lot of new cannabis start-ups appearing around the world, but in order to compete and give your brand the best chances of success, you need a sound marketing strategy.

Even with the best Sativa strains and the finest levels of service, your company may go unnoticed and overlooked without efficient marketing. This guide will take a look at some of the big dos and don’ts of marketing for the cannabis industry to help you establish and develop marketing methods that can truly help you get the results you crave.

The Dos of Marketing for the Cannabis Industry

Start Off with an Audit

Before you even get started with building your cannabis marketing strategy, it’s important to carry out an initial audit of your business to see how ready you are for what lies ahead. After all, a strong marketing force needs a reliable foundation.

Take a look at your website and social media accounts to ensure that the brand and messaging matches with your brand and is consistent across platforms, and consider setting up a CRM so you can actually track leads and customers as they come in via your marketing campaigns.

Content Marketing 

There are many different avenues you can explore when it comes to modern marketing in the digital space, and content marketing is one of the most efficient methods of them all, helping to generate leads, build brand awareness, and raise your SEO scores too.

Working with professional content marketing experts is a great idea, as they’ll be able to create engaging and effective content suited to your brand’s philosophy and field, mapping their creations to your sales process in order to generate new leads and encourage existing leads to return.

Stress Your Message on Social Media

Social media is another of the most powerful and efficient tools for modern marketing, and there are many advantages to setting up social media accounts for your business on all of the big platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as lesser-known but growing sites like Leafwire and MjLink.

On these sites, your message can start to reach thousands or even millions of people, all over the globe, and while that won’t necessarily translate into millions of sales, it will help to build awareness of your brand and get more people interested in what you have to offer.

Establish Your Online Presence

As well as having social media accounts and a well-made website, there are many other ways in which you can use the internet to build up brand recognition and spread the word about your products and services.

Consider working with influencers, for example, who will be able to promote your products to their own established bases of fans and followers, or contact leading media organizations based in the cannabis industry to get some media coverage of your brand and what you have to offer.

The Don’ts of Marketing for the Cannabis Industry

Underestimate the Importance of Image

Not all that long ago, companies specializing in cannabis were seen as black market dealers and probably didn’t need to worry all that much about logos, slogans, and public image, but times have changed in a big way. 

You can’t afford to overlook the key aspects of your branding, like company name and style. You have to present a professional, approachable, trustworthy image in order to get people interested in whatever you have to sell, so don’t make the mistake of feeling like branding is something you can overlook or ignore.

Lose Track of Regulations

One of the big lessons that everyone has to learn when setting up a business in the cannabis industry is that regulations are changing and evolving all the time. Things move fast when it comes to cannabis, and if you aren’t au fait with the latest developments, you could end up in serious trouble or encounter serious marketing difficulties like having your social media accounts shut down.

Make sure you do the necessary research and stay aware of all the new rules and regulations. For example, cannabis companies right now are strongly discouraged from trying to set up paid ads on Google and major social media platforms, due to the current legal situation regarding cannabis products, but this could change in the future, opening up possible new avenues of marketing.

Make False Claims

It’s a simple truth of any kind of marketing that lies and excessive exaggerations are never a good idea. The point of marketing is to sell your products and services, and you’re allowed to focus on the positives and be generous with your messages, but blatant lies are a step too far.

So don’t set up campaigns that are filled with mistruths, as the only likely eventuality is that you’ll find yourself dealing with angry customers and long lists of refund claims. Be honest and open, supporting any big claims you make with science, statistics, or testimonials.

Be Just Like Every Other Cannabis Company

As stated earlier, the cannabis industry is growing at a very rapid rate, with more and more companies setting up and trying to make their mark, and as the number of companies rises, so too do the levels of competition. In order to compete with all the other brands offering similar products and services, you need to stand out, not blend in. 

When marketing for the cannabis industry, don’t just copy the marketing efforts of similar companies or try to do what everyone else is doing, as this will only result in your brand blending right into the background and going largely unnoticed. Try to be different, highlighting ways in which your company is special and pursuing marketing efforts that stand out from the crowd.