The Blog

Cannabis Cares™ Food Drive

Cannabis Cares™ Food Drive

The holidays are nearly here, and while Green Wednesday, Black Friday, Christmas, and New Years may provide a boost in cannabis sales, this is also the perfect time of year to think about how your cannabis business can give back. 

With a negative stigma still surrounding cannabis, especially in conservative cities like Colorado Springs, it is important for cannabis businesses of all types and sizes to make a positive name for themselves.  There are many simple ways to get involved in your community and make an impact, while also helping your cannabis brand to get in front of consumers in a positive light.

Although times are changing, and cannabis is becoming a more accepted and open part of today’s society, it may prove difficult to find nonprofit organizations that are willing or able to accept dollars that were earned from cannabis.  This is because cannabis is still federally illegal, and these nonprofits gain their funding through federally-regulated programs and grants.  If a nonprofit were to accept donations from a cannabis business, they may risk losing their ability to gain federal dollars for their organization.  For most nonprofits, this is a not a risk that they are willing to take.  However, with a little bit of research and persuasion, Cannabis Marketing, Inc. has been successful in pairing our cannabis clients with multiple nonprofit organizations.  Our clients have hosted food drives, clothing drives, and fundraisers for nonprofit organizations like Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado, Westside CARES, and Casting for Recovery.

While giving back to the community and doing good for the customers who support your business is important, the other reason to host a charitable event or fundraiser is because it helps break that negative stigma about cannabis.  The more that people see that the cannabis industry is one who cares about its community, who gives back and plans to stay for the long haul, and truly cares about important issues, the more they will understand that the cannabis industry is not a bad one.  Getting involved is easier than ever this year, because Cannabis Marketing, Inc. is organizing a city-wide food drive!

Cannabis Cares™ is Cannabis Marketing, Inc.’s first-every food drive, and we are inviting all the dispensaries in Colorado Springs to participate!  We will be collecting non-perishable food items at each dispensary that wishes to partner with us for the largest food drive ever sponsored by the cannabis community as a whole.  We feel it is important to show that although dispensaries and brands are technically competitors, we are all in this for the same cause.  We support the community in which we do business, and participating in this food drive will show those who may be skeptics that the cannabis industry is one to be recognized for good.

Cannabis Cares™ will launch November 20th, 2019, and run through December 15th, 2019.  We encourage every dispensary in Colorado Springs to help us collect food items, which all help to benefit our friends at Care and Share Food bank for Southern Colorado.  The folks at Care and Share have seen the value in our partnerships, and we are thrilled to be able to partner with them this year to make an even larger positive impact in Colorado Springs.

If you’re interested in joining the Cannabis Cares™ Food Drive, please contact us at info@cannabismarketinginc.com.  It’s never too late to help make a difference!

Donation Drop-Offs:
NaturaLeaf Central
2727 Palmer Park Blvd

NaturaLeaf South
1004 South Tejon St

NaturaLeaf North
5875 Lehman Dr, Ste 100

Elevations Dispensary
8270 Razorback Rd

Big Medicine Cannabissary
2909 N El Paso S

The most needed items are:
Canned Fruit, Canned Vegetables, Soup, Canned Meat, Canned Tuna, Cereal, & Oatmeal.

Listen to our Potcast!

Listen to our Potcast!

Cannabis Marketing, Inc. is proud to announce our Podcast!

CMI’s “Potcast” is a fun and informative podcast for anyone in the cannabis space.  If you are interested in learning more about marketing your cannabis business, as well as updates in the industry, best practices, and just hanging out with a few of the coolest chicks around, we got you!  

We started our podcast because we realized that we can help many businesses nationwide who experience common cannabis marketing issues.  Our goal is to help our listeners learn about the things that will help them the most when it comes to marketing.  Cannabis Marketing, Inc.’s potcast is a valuable resource for anyone interested in or currently involved in the cannabis industry.  Not only do we discuss cannabis and CBD marketing, but we also talk about trending topics in the cannabis industry.

Recent topics that have been featured on CMI’s podcast have covered a wide variety of topics, like how to advertise your cannabis business on the radio, how to get involved in your community, and whether or not you should write a blog.  We choose our topics based on our real-life successes with clients throughout the years.  Bethany, Lilee, and Morgana sit down twice a month to discuss trends and chat candidly about their own thoughts and professional experiences.  In 2020, we are planning to enhance our podcast by including more guest features from the people and cannabis brands that you want to hear from.  From cannabis industry experts, to cannabis and CBD companies that are making a positive impact, to your favorite cannabis personalities, we are looking for guests to be on our show!  If you are interested in being a guest on our podcast, or if there is a specific topic you’d love to have us cover, please email us at info@cannabismarketinginc.com for consideration.  We are always looking for exciting brands to spotlight, and our goal is to make our podcast as informative and inclusive as we can.

We believe that knowledge is power.  We want to openly share our expertise about marketing in the cannabis space with others in the industry.  We all know that the cannabis Industry is incredibly unique, and marketing your dispensary, storefront, or brand requires a certain finesse.  With the cannabis industry growing rapidly, there is competition at every turn.  By implementing a marketing strategy that is as unique as our industry, you have the opportunity to stand out among the green masses.  This is a theme that presents itself in many of our podcast episodes.  Not only do you want to ensure that you are compliant when marketing in the cannabis space, you want to stand out and be different!  The marketing experts at Cannabis Marketing, Inc. have helped multiple brands stand out and claim their space in this multibillion-dollar industry.

We encourage everyone to take a listen to our podcast, with new episodes every two weeks!  If you are a marketer who is new to the cannabis space, we know you will find value in our “tell it like it is” philosophy.  If you have a marketing team in-house, your team will find value in our trending topics.  And as a business owner, we know that getting inside tips and free advice is invaluable.  That is where Cannabis Marketing, Inc.’s podcast can help you grow no matter what stage of the business you are in!  If you love what you hear and you find it to be valuable for your cannabis business, consider donating to support our podcast!  

The team at Cannabis Marketing, Inc. are experts in marketing for cannabis brands, cannabis storefronts, and CBD companies.  We would love to have you listen in to our potcast!  You can find us on your favorite podcast station:

Anchor

Apple Podcasts

Breaker

Castbox

Google Podcasts

Overcast

Pocket Casts

RadioPublic

Spotify

Stitcher

Full-Circle Marketing

Full-Circle Marketing

We hear it all the time: I don’t have budget to do what I should do for marketing.  Or: How can I be guaranteed that marketing will work for me?  Or: My budtenders handle my marketing.  At Cannabis Marketing, Inc., we get it!  As business owners, every single dollar that you put into the business needs to be accounted for.  This can mean cutting corners when it comes to marketing, or tasking employees to handle your marketing in order to save money.  In this blog, we will discuss candidly why hiring a team of cannabis marketing experts makes sense over fragmenting your marketing strategy among separate people or multiple agencies.

When you first started your business, like most entrepreneurs, you probably did not have a lot of capital for marketing.  So maybe you assigned email campaigns to one person on your team, and then assigned social media to a savvy family member, and then assigned graphic design and printing to someone on your management team.  Then, as you started gaining traction and your business started to grow, you probably got bombarded by outside sales people trying to sell you print ads, or coupon book sections, or digital service packages.  Without having the connections or experience in marketing (because after all, you are a business owner, not a marketer), maybe you elected some additional marketing campaigns that did not pan out.  Maybe you spent money on a new concept that promised return and found that nothing happened.  Maybe the marketing company wasn’t transparent about what your campaign did, so you actually have no idea where your dollars were applied, or what those dollars accomplished. 

WE GET IT! When you start a business, it can be incredibly difficult to understand what makes the most sense when it comes to spending money on marketing. This is where Cannabis Marketing, Inc. can help.

Cannabis Marketing, Inc. is not like other cannabis marketing agencies that you’ve encountered.  We pride ourselves on becoming a part of your team, not simply a vendor or a yes-man.  Our team is carefully compiled of experts in each leg of your marketing campaign.  This means, that our social media team lives and breathes social media every day; attending seminars, webinars, and ingesting articles so that our knowledge is on trend and we can change your strategy as quickly as the social media landscape changes.  Our SEO team has decades of experience, and we make sure to use only the best proven strategies for Search Engine Optimization so that your website goes farther.  Our compliance team is constantly researching and learning about the newest changes in legislation and cannabis compliance so that our clients are first in the know when changes could impact your marketing strategy.  Cannabis Marketing, Inc. also has strong connections nationwide for every type of marketing avenue.  This means, we know the companies who are reaching out to you.  We know what to ask for and how to research new strategies to make sure that anything that comes across your desk is vetted before implementation.  Our team works closely together to ensure that we are doing what’s best for you and your cannabis business, every single day.

The other thing that sets Cannabis Marketing, Inc. apart from other agencies is that we eliminate fragmented marketing.  Fragmented marketing is when you have one person in charge of one thing, one department in charge of another thing, and more often than not, those people do not communicate effectively.  This means, that instead of your social media, email, radio, SEO, website design, and print advertising all working together to promote your message, your brand, and your specials; each advertising piece is instead working alone.  We all know that there is strength in numbers, and Full-Circle Marketing works when your entire team and strategy is on the same page.  Cannabis Marketing, Inc.’s team helps to make sure that all of your marketing pieces are branded, beautiful, and cohesive.  We analyze and plan every piece of your chosen marketing strategy so that radio is supporting social media, social media is supporting email, email is supporting specials, and your print ads are driving traffic to your website.  Every piece of your strategy works together to promote your brand or storefront, resulting in increased sales over time.  Eliminating fragmented marketing is the number one way to make sure that your marketing dollars are being used as effectively as possible.  After all, you are running a business to make money!

If a straightforward approach to marketing is something you can appreciate, let’s see if we are a good fit!  Utilizing Full-Circle Marketing with Cannabis Marketing, Inc. will get you the results that you are looking for.  Our expertise in the cannabis industry is unmatched, and our team is passionate about the cannabis industry.  Check out our case studies on the home page of our website, and give us a call to see how we can help you grow!

Why Social Media is Important for Your Cannabis Brand

Why Social Media is Important for Your Cannabis Brand

You hear it all the time: you need to be on social media in order to reach your customers and fans.  But the fact is that social media can be incredibly time-consuming and confusing with the constant algorithm changes.  At the same time, your cannabis business could either be blacklisted, banned from advertising, or shadow banned from the social media profiles you use the most.  So, how can your cannabis business thrive on social media if you can’t seem to use it the way you need?  This is a frustration we hear from clients all over the nation.  At Cannabis Marketing, Inc., we employ the best strategies for each client, which means that we may recommend Social Media on top of multiple other marketing strategies.  Of course, the marketing strategies that we are able to employ for our clients depends on their budget and what fits their target demo.  Every client is uniquely different in what they need and what they are trying to achieve.

Social Proof

No matter how small your reach is, no matter if you are beginning a business or have been in business for years, Social Media is a must.  The reason for this is because of social proof.  Have you ever looked at reviews before purchasing a product?  Have you ever asked your friends what their opinions are before dining at a new restaurant?  Have you ever left a positive review for a product that you loved, or maybe a negative review for an experience that was distasteful?  The reason that we as human beings look to one another before we make purchases is called Social Proof.  Social Proof is our nature to do things that our peers also do.  It sounds a lot like copycatting, but it is so much more.  By first understanding Social Proof, Social Media becomes a no-brainer for your cannabis business.

The Rules

There are rules when it comes to social media, and we encourage our clients to be as compliant as they can.  The fact of the matter is that simply being on social media as a cannabis company may be against the “rules”, so every single time you post, it’s even more imperative to make sure that it is of high value and that there is a specific strategy behind each post.  The thing that we often see is that cannabis businesses will post, simply to post.  In the social media space today, it does not make sense to post simply to have a presence, especially when your cannabis business may only be seen by a fraction of your followers.  Due to various algorithms, it makes it even more important to post high-value, branded content, every single time.  It is actually better to post once a week with something that is gangbusters, than to post every single day with boring or tired graphics and information.

Human-To-Human Interaction

The beautiful thing about implementing social media along with your other marketing campaigns is that your social media will help to establish you as a legitimate business owned by a real human.  Think of it as that warm and fuzzy feeling where you can reach those clients who are searching for you and let them know more about you.  Social media is your chance to expand upon what they heard on the radio, or what they sought on a flyer, or what they heard from a friend.  By overlapping your social media with your other marketing strategies, you have the opportunity to create brand presence and human-to-human interaction that your new and existing customers crave.

Enhanced Customer Service

The other beautiful thing about social media for your cannabis business is that it is an excellent customer service platform.  When you have a team of people monitoring your social media platforms to answer questions, tag fans, and thank people for sharing content, it gives you the opportunity to set yourself apart.  Social media is supposed to be exactly that: social!  So by having a strong social media presence, and using these platforms to add a level of communication for your customers, social media makes complete sense.

Outsourcing Social Media

The other thing we see a lot of in the social media space is that owners will assign social media duties to their budtenders or internal management.  We get it!  Having someone in-house to take pictures, attend events, and post on the spot is certainly valuable.  However, you hired your management to do a job, and do it well.  So let them be managers for your business.  Your budtenders are highly-personable and everyone has a great experience?  That is exactly what you want.  Allowing your staff to do exactly what they were hired to do, without adding the extra burden of social media marketing, is smart.  Outsourcing your social media allows each person on your internal team to focus on their strengths instead of trying to learn something that they may not even be passionate about.  At Cannabis Marketing, Inc, we take pride in becoming part of your team.  We visit your store on a regular basis, getting to know your staff and becoming one of the family.  We attend all of your events and will even help organize pop-ups to maintain great relationships with your vendors.  We are passionate about marketing, and that includes your social media.  We consistently learn the newest tactics and attend trainings to make sure we are in the know for you.  Did you know that the algorithm for Facebook recently changed?  Our team took a week-long training on how to utilize the best social media strategies, and we now implement those strategies so that we can get you the best results.

In conclusion, when it comes to Social Media for cannabis businesses, having business profiles on major platforms is a must.  Investing in your marketing with a team of experts is always the best strategy; hoping that people will come in the door is not.  We would love to help you grow your business, why not call us for your free consultation today?

Catch ‘Em All – How to reach your competitors’ customers

Catch ‘Em All – How to reach your competitors’ customers

There always seems to be some new and exciting marketing tactic that promises to gain you massive returns.  As a cannabis product or storefront, you are probably contacted several times a week or even each day with marketing proposals from various agencies that are promising the world.

Here at Cannabis Marketing, Inc., we know what works, and our clients trust us to vet and present the best marketing strategies for their business goals.  Our clients simply say, we work with Cannabis Marketing, Inc., and those proposals come to our desk to research instead of taking up your valuable time.  As we find new strategic modes of marketing that would work well for your business, we take care of implementation and execution so that you and your team can continue to slay on the business side, freeing up valuable time and energy.  Because we are transparent and knowledgeable in the cannabis space, you can trust the best strategies will be deployed, and the ones that are not a good fit, will be politely declined.

One of the newest and most exciting strategies to improve your marketing reach and contact new customers is our Catch ‘Em All campaign.  Although this method is not suitable to target other medical dispensaries, nearly every brand and cannabis storefront has the opportunity to take advantage of this campaign!  CMI’s Catch ‘Em All campaign is similar to geofencing, which you’ve probably already heard of.  Geofencing allows you to create a section of an area and serve ads to people who enter that area. For example, if you wanted to create a boundary around your location, anyone who allows push notifications on their cell phone would then receive a targeted ad after visiting your store.

Our Catch ‘Em All campaign takes geofencing and targeted ads to another level.  With this new campaign, we have the ability to draw a boundary around your competitor’s locations, or a festival that is happening, or any other area where you know your customers are hanging out.  Sounds kind of exactly like geofencing, right?  The special aspect of this campaign is that not only do we get to target up to 10 other locations at once, but you also receive those customer’s information directly.  This means, instead of just serving ads to people who enter the area you’ve designated, you get their cell phone number, their email address, even going so far as their political views or car that they drive.  Once someone enters your designated boundary, their information is collected and can then be accessed via your dashboard; where you can then create email and text campaigns that are hyper-targeted towards your competitor’s customers.

What about privacy, you may ask?  The beautiful thing about this campaign is that users have already opted in to be contacted via the many apps that are already on their phone.  So, from a compliance standpoint, this method of contacting your competitor’s customers is completely legal.

The second exciting piece of this campaign is that you can add a pixel to your website that captures this same information for anyone who visits your website.  Again, this allows you to contact everyone who visits your website and then market to them about your cannabis brand, whether you are a storefront or a product.

Catch ‘Em All is the next level of cannabis marketing.  If your demographic visits recreational dispensaries anywhere in the United States, you now have the tools to advertise to those customers quickly and easily.  If a customer hasn’t heard of your brand, this is the perfect opportunity to let them know why your brand is the best.  If you are in a competitive area with many recreational dispensaries nearby, this gives you the chance to deliver impactful advertisements to the customers that you need to survive in the competitive cannabis market.  With the cannabis industry growing exponentially year over year, now is the time to make your brand “THE BRAND” that people can’t stop talking about. 

Our clients are very excited about this strategy because whether you are a brand-new cannabis storefront, or you are a cannabis brand trying to expand your reach and build your name presence, this campaign will produce results.  Never before have we been able to offer a strategy that is so simple and yet allows for so much opportunity for growth.  However, we are only able to offer this strategy to the first few brands or storefronts in each market to create results.  The early implementors of this campaign will become the name-brands of cannabis in their market.

With Catch ‘Em All, there’s no more need to wonder where your customers are going, because you’ll be able to contact all of your competitor’s customers and advertise your cannabis brand!  If this sounds intriguing, give us a call for your custom marketing proposal that includes our Catch ‘Em All campaign. We would love to grow with you!  Call 719-219-3575 today.

The Power of Radio

The Power of Radio

As you are starting or growing your cannabis business, marketing can quickly become one of your highest expenditures. With so many different and new marketing products out there today, it is hard to know what will create return for your investment, and what will be a waste of your hard-earned dollars.  It is imperative that while you are vetting advertisers for your cannabis brand, CBD product, or storefront, that your dollars are going to be spent as efficiently as possible.  At Cannabis Marketing, Inc., we know what works.  

When you contact us for your free, no obligation consultation, we will discuss your goals, your current marketing avenues, and make recommendations based on your ideal outcome and highest return on investment.  Often times, we are able to discover where advertising is not working well, and recommend avenues that you may not have even known were available for your cannabis brand.  One of the most effective, and at the same time, underutilized, avenues of advertising in the cannabis industry is Radio.  Even in our digital age, Radio continues to be the single most effective way to brand your cannabis business and reach new customers.  Branding helps people to get to know your name and what you’re all about.  When radio advertising is used in conjunction with social media, text messaging, and emails, we have seen explosive growth for our clients.  Radio reaches your ideal demographic, and broadcasts your message multiple times to a captive audience.  With radio, you can ensure that every event is more impactful, every special gets advertised to a wider audience, and your sales will grow.

The way that we measure success is through analytics.  Our clients trust us to employ the most effective advertising solutions available, and when they compare year-over-year sales, we can see exactly how Radio impacts their bottom line.  The case study that we will focus on is year-over-year results on 420, the biggest cannabis holiday around.  We measured sales for the date of 420, and also measured the entire week to see if radio had impacted sales.  Even though the date of 420 seemed slow in terms of foot traffic, we found that by comparing 420 sales from 2018 to 420 sales of 2019 that there was a 50% increase in sales.  In 2018, this dispensary client was only advertising on social media, and near the end of 2018, they added radio.  In just six months of adding radio advertising to their marketing strategy, we were able to show substantial year-over-year increases for their sales.  Here are the 420 numbers, so you can see for yourself exactly what a strategy that includes Radio can do for your cannabis brand!

  • 2018 Day of sales on 420: $13,750
  • 2019 Day of sales on 420: $17,594
  • 2018 Week of sales up to 420: $50,696
  • 2019 Week of sales up to 420: $77,899

This client had a 54% growth in sales over the course of the week, and a 28% growth in sales for the day for 420.

Radio is the fastest, most effective way to create and improve brand awareness.  The good news is, because it is not utilized by many companies, your radio advertising in Colorado Springs goes farther!  When you’re ready to take the next step in marketing your cannabis, hemp, or CBD brand, give us a call for a free consultation at 719-219-3575.

3 Things You Need to Know Before Marketing Your Cannabis Products

3 Things You Need to Know Before Marketing Your Cannabis Products

Placing your brand in front of your current and potential customers is a smart move for any business; IF you’re ready.  In the cannabis world, it is especially important to stay top of mind in our community.  The competitive nature of the business can hold many cannabis companies back from reaching their full potential.  That is where cannabis marketing comes into play.  If you own a dispensary or cannabis brand, you will, at some point, want to deploy an advertising strategy. Are you considering starting or expanding your cannabis marketing efforts? If so, consider these three things before you begin: Planning, Branding, and Partnering with the right agency.

Is Your Cannabis Business Ready for Big Growth?

The cannabis industry is continually growing.  The fact that the entire cannabis market is working well in states where it is legalized means there is tons of opportunity for brands and storefronts alike.  When your business implements a strategic marketing strategy, there is no doubt your company will grow rapidly.  That’s why we always suggest having a solid plan in place to prepare for your growth. 

Some of the marketing outlets we have found to be highly successful when marketing your cannabis business are social media, radio, email, and blogs.  When you implement a full-circle strategy for your cannabis brand with a team of experts, your business has the opportunity to double within 6 months!  If you own a dispensary or brand, ask yourself: Can your current structure support twice the business it supports now?  Is your location and staff large enough for the influx of customers?  These are just two things to think about before seeking out a successful Cannabis Marketing Agency like CMI.

Is Your Cannabis Brand Ready to be Consistent?

Branding

As the cannabis industry continues to shift from a strictly medical focus to one that includes all adults over the age of 21, the requirements for truly effective marketing strategies are in a constant state of change.  Educating cannabis medical patients is very different than creating an appealing advertisement for the recreational cannabis user.  If your cannabis brand can identify specific consumer segments and tailor your branding and marketing strategies to reflect the priorities and preferences of those groups, you’ll be in the best position to compete as the market grows and matures. 

Once your cannabis brand has established your niche within your market, a branding strategy can be created.  Utilizing a cannabis marketing agency like CMI is a smart idea to keep your brand unique.  We know that when you have a branding strategy that consistently forms emotional relationships with customers, that bond converts to both income and long-term company value, which will make your marketing dollars go further as you begin or expand your advertising campaign. 

Vetting Out the Right Cannabis Marketing Agency

The emergence of so many cannabis brands and dispensaries has increased the need for effective and compliant marketing strategies.  The only way to stand out in the crowd is to incorporate innovative and unique ideas to keep your brand relevant in your space.  Utilizing an experienced and successful cannabis marketing agency is key.  We would like to share some important qualifications to look for when vetting out a marketing agency for your cannabis brand.

Does the agency have a team?

Successful cannabis marketing agencies like CMI are staffed with marketing experts that hold various skills.  Each member of our team is specialized in a specific channel or aspect of marketing.  We know there is always added value when you work with a team as opposed to a singular person.  Did you know that according to the 2017 Creative Industry Report, 68% of in-house marketing teams partner with external agencies?  Partnering with an agency will allow your employees to stick to their core strengths instead of having to learn new techniques that are uncomfortable or outside their wheelhouse.

Hiring a team of qualified, experienced marketers is a strong business decision.  If you hired one person to handle your marketing, you will have to pay that person a solid wage to get the quality of work that is expected for return on your investment.  A quality marketing agency will have an entire team of specialists for the price you pay each month.  Not to mention, these specialists are qualified and already have the experience to ensure ultimate results.  Agencies like Cannabis Marketing, Inc. have already worked with businesses like yours. This means they will more easily understand your needs and know how to fulfill them.  Their processes are proven and high-quality work is the result. 

Good Agencies are Driven by Results.

High-quality cannabis agencies will always share data and analytics gathered throughout your marketing campaigns with you.  The data collected will be continuously assessed and monitored to ensure the best results possible, and transparency will be key to your success.  These insights help to draw the right conclusions to drive the right outcomes.  At Cannabis Marketing, Inc. we are proud to produce exceptional results, and won’t hesitate to share your results with you on a monthly basis.  Here are some of our case studies which show our growth patterns for previous clients.

Does Your Cannabis Agency Do It All?

As the cannabis industry competition continues to grow, utilizing multiple outlets for your advertising is imperative to your success.  Find an agency that considers itself “full service”.  This indicates that there isn’t anything they can’t do!  Cannabis regulations are becoming less strict all of the time, allowing you to reach more people than ever before.  An agency that can create a full-circle campaign for your business is the best option out there.  You want your message to be consistent and presented to your customers through several different channels, from radio advertisements to social media contests, and the agency you choose to work with should be able to handle it all.  Click here to see a list of the services offered at Cannabis Marketing, Inc.

If your cannabis brand or dispensary is ready for some serious growth, it’s time to implement a cannabis marketing strategy that works!  The experts here at CMI are ready to grow with you.  For a free consultation, please contact us at 719-219-3575, or fill out this form.  

How to Market Your Cannabis Company in a Competitive Market

How to Market Your Cannabis Company in a Competitive Market

The Cannabis Industry requires marketing that is simply not the same as it is with other industries.  You may be feeling confused as to how to navigate Federal Laws and online policies to make your brand stand out in this growing industry, especially as Facebook and Instagram continue to deny advertising and unpublish cannabis pages.

At Cannabis Marketing, Inc., we employ effective strategies to set up your marketing for success, whether you specialize in topicals, edibles, concentrates, CBD, or have a storefront.  Our goal is to help you reach the largest audience while utilizing the best techniques.  Read on for several ways you can begin to effectively reach your ideal target audience in the cut-throat cannabis industry.

A Great Website

First things first, you need a great professional website to house all of the information and cannabis products your customers are seeking.  Spend time to really think about the overall vision and mission of your company and allow your website to tell your brand’s story.

Even creating lists of what your brand is and is not can be helpful to make your company stand out.  Refer to that list often and incorporate other members of your staff within your marketing campaigns to discuss and support the mission of your brand.

After creating a vision and goal for your company’s brand, it is time to create a fully-functioning, mobile-responsive, visually appealing website.  You only have moments to make an impression on online users and your website needs to tell a story quickly and effectively.

Make sure to stick to only a few fonts and colors to make the brand and site cohesive.  You want your audience to trust you, and if your branding is strong, the more you will stand out in the cannabis industry.

Choosing a domain will make a big difference in your marketing, as it is something you will want your audience to remember easily.  Your domain will typically contain your brand name, as that is what people will first type into Google when searching for you.  You can search for available domains here.

It is also important to remember to add an age-gate to your website.  This is to ensure children are not browsing on your website, similar to what liquor brands have on their sites.

As the cannabis industry grows in popularity, maintaining accountability when promoting or advertising cannabis is imperative.  Do your research on the laws your state has for advertising cannabis and employ a team of experts when in doubt.  This protects you and your customers.

Canna-Tip: If you run into duplicate company names, try adding the word ‘dispensary’ or ‘collective’ after your brand name.  If you’re still having trouble, let our branding experts at CMI help you come up with a memorable and effective name and tagline for your cannabis business.

Effective Email Marketing

After you have established a great website to house the information and products for your cannabis business, consider email marketing.  Email marketing may not come to mind right away when thinking about how to market cannabis, but don’t scoff at it too harshly, as email is still a competent digital marketing tactic.  When executed strategically to a targeted audience, email marketing can be a highly lucrative and effective way to market cannabis products.

Third, only to Facebook and Instagram, the email inbox is still one of the most popular places people visit daily on their phones and computers.

With clickable links and branded graphics, users can easily visit your cannabis website to read new information on products, specials, announcements, events, and your latest blogs.  Email marketing is a fantastic way to lead consumers right to your website, then to your products, and finally, to sales.

Canna-tip: 94% of people get online to check email, and office workers check their email around 30 times each hour.  Did you know that it’s the #1 activity on the internet?  Use email marketing to stay in touch with your customers and reach your targeted audience on any device.

Incorporate a Blog

A question we hear often is “Does blogging work?”  Blogging is a huge part of brand recognition, creating space for yourself as the leader in your field, and establishing frequent and consistent views to your website.  Whether you commit to writing one blog a month or hire on some help to publish one blog a week, the trick here is to be selective and consistent with your blog and its topics.

What exactly is a ‘blog’?  Well, let’s put it this way, it is a medium that has evolved into what is estimated to now be a $300 billion industry with over 75% of B2C marketers using blogs as a marketing strategy (according to Social Media Today).  Blogs are articles that are written specifically for your brand and about a keyword-rich topic that helps your customers to find you when they are searching for that topic.

Blogs and content marketing are effective because your primary audience is actively seeking information about the health benefits of cannabis and CBD, as well as where and how to buy your cannabis or CBD product.  Well-written, informative blogs allow your brand to provide relevant and useful content to current and prospective customers, which helps to further set you apart from the competition!

Like we’ve mentioned, Cannabis is a growing and competitive industry, and while more states are legalizing medical and recreational sales, consumers are seeking reliable information.  Blogs can help to educate your customers by including topics like the laws of your state, product information, industry trends, and different ways for cannabis and CBD to be consumed.  Making CBD and cannabis easier for your prospects and customers to understand will help establish your brand as an expert, which ultimately will help build social proof and lead to more sales and recognition.

While blog subjects can and should range in topics, they all share some of the same characteristics:

  • Updated regularly with new content, found in a visible area on your website
  • Blogs allow your audience to comment and ask questions while interacting with you and your company
  • They present information in an informal but engaging way
  • Blogs help to make dull topics more interesting
  • Social media links tend to be integrated into blogs, allowing the audience to also find your presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Twitter.

“Full-Circle Marketing”

The next thing to consider is your “full-circle” advertising strategy.  Your brand, tagline, and website need to be in front of the eyes and ears of your potential audience, reminding them of your presence over and over again.  Did you know that radio remains one of the most effective ways to get in front of your targeted demo?

Only recently we’ve been able to create and air cannabis and CBD ads on the radio, and as legislation evolves, radio will become an even larger avenue to brand your product to current and potential customers.  Contrary to what you may think, your radio campaign will target your ideal demographic, which varies per station.  Each radio commercial gives you the opportunity to advertise specials, events, and new product announcements, and is served to your demographic in many different places: work, in the car, or at home.  Radio is a companion to consumers wherever they go!

Studies indicate that a consumer needs to hear a message seven or more times before they turn into a customer.  Radio is an effective avenue that provides the frequency you need as well as the reach you may not see using social media or print.  Radio allows you to tailor your message and frequency to consumers to lead them to your store or website, and our clients have always seen an increase in sales and traffic when implementing this strategy.

Grow with us!

We hope this blog (yup, this is a blog!) has inspired you to start marketing your cannabis or CBD product and provided some insights to help you stand out in this very competitive industry.  Here at CMI, we want your cannabis business to grow as high as your passion, and if you need help getting started or getting unstuck, we are here to help.  We invite you to contact us for your free custom strategy proposal and let us be your cannabis marketing gurus.  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter for tips and insight into all things cannabis marketing!

Marketing Your Cannabis Product, Creatively

Marketing Your Cannabis Product, Creatively

  • By Cannabis Marketing Inc.
  • May 22, 2019
  • Business

When it comes to marketing your cannabis product, many companies automatically steer towards the things they consider simple and free, like building a social media page or sending out a text message.  As you’re growing your business, if your budget is small, these strategies may make sense, especially if you are newer to the market.  Thinking outside the box not only helps to make your marketing dollars stretch further, but it also helps to make your product stand out among the sea of your competitors.

As you begin marketing your cannabis product, it’s important to first decide what your mission and values are,  along with what your voice will be.  Do you want to be perceived as the cannabis or CBD product that is fun-loving and adventurous?  Do you want your CBD brand to align with Women’s Health?  Do you want your products to be adopted by medical dispensaries or recreational dispensaries?  Deciding these important items BEFORE you start marketing your cannabis or CBD product will help to steer you in the right direction to get the clients that you want, as well as keep you on track as you grow.

BRANDING

Branding is paramount when it comes to thinking outside the box and making your cannabis product stand out.  Colors, fonts, taglines, and your logo should all coincide and clearly represent your brand and the message you want to convey.  Working with a graphic designer or branding experts like the team at Cannabis Marketing, Inc. will help you to create a branding kit that includes all the guidelines you need so that every piece of marketing material has the same look and feel.  From social media to your website to print and promotional handouts, branding is everything.  How do you want your cannabis or CBD brand to be perceived, and who is your target audience?

SOCIAL MEDIA

Simply creating a Facebook page is no longer enough to create a brand presence for your cannabis or CBD product; you want to build profiles on every available social media platform that fits your demographic.  Platforms like LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram TV are platforms that are often overlooked by cannabis brands, but when posted on consistently and thoughtfully, they can create a loyal and engaged audience.  It is more important to post quality content than to post too much content, and each social media platform has its own community guidelines and best practices to follow.  Facebook is constantly updating its algorithms, so it can be nearly impossible to run your business, create quality social media posts, and maintain your reach effectively.  Cannabis Marketing, Inc. has a team of social media experts who continually keep up on the latest social media changes and updates so that our clients get the best reach for the lowest cost.  Social Media Advertising is another area that we excel in, and where you may be frustrated in finding that your pages are taken down and your social media ads account is suspended, we have had past success in appealing these and flying “under the radar” to keep your product’s presence as compliant as possible.

VIDEO

A marketing medium that helps to truly set your cannabis or CBD product apart is video.  Video sounds scary, but it doesn’t have to be!  Recording a video can be as simple as whipping out your phone and recording a Live video for your Facebook page or Instagram Stories.  Videos, even when uncurated and “raw”, give your followers a peek into your culture and help to forge a personal connection.  Customers want to do business with those that they feel they know, like, and trust; and seeing you and your product in the video can help to forge that relationship while keeping existing relationships strong.  Maybe you’re doing a live video while enjoying your product in nature, or maybe you’d like to highlight a dispensary that you’re visiting for a pop-up event.  Whatever opportunities you have to record Live video are additional ways that you can provide an inside look into why people should purchase your product.

CONCLUSION

In summary, thinking outside the box while marketing your cannabis or CBD product will help you to grow your brand and gain additional clients in a fun and creative way.  Thinking creatively and maintaining a consistent presence across all your marketing strategies keeps costs low, engagement high, and encourages more sales.  The more you can start the conversation about your product within this industry, the better, and the experienced team at Cannabis Marketing, Inc. is here to help.  We are a full-service cannabis marketing agency that has all the tools for every budget and need.  Call us today for your free consultation!  719-219-3575.

Marketing CBD to Your Older Demographic

Marketing CBD to Your Older Demographic

  • By Cannabis Marketing Inc.
  • February 22, 2019
  • CBD

On our January podcast, we talked about the booming industry of CBD and how you can effectively market to your older demographic.  CBD may seem like a no-brainer way to get into the cannabis industry, especially with the recent legalization of hemp, but many business owners and resellers are finding it difficult to explain to their older customers how CBD and THC differ.  There is still a lot of confusion as to what CBD is and what it can do.  There are ways to help educate your customers about your CBD brand while making your website stand out, though!  Cannabis Marketing, Inc. is the expert in getting your voice heard while creating outside-the-box strategies that will help your business grow.

Advances in the CBD Marketplace

CBD, or Cannabidiol, is a compound from the cannabis plant that has none of the psychoactive elements you may think of when you think about cannabis.  CBD has become popular in recent years because of its claims to help relieve anxiety, inflammation, spasms, seizures, and pain, even though none of these have been verified by the Food and Drug Administration.  Because of the FDA’s stance on CBD, not enough tests have been done to verify exactly what CBD does or does not do; or how it can potentially help chronic pain, among other ailments.  In December 2018, even after the Farm Bill was passed to legalize hemp, the FDA started cracking down even harder on companies selling CBD, sending letters and warnings to those who tout the health benefits of CBD.  According to the FDA, “three ingredients derived from hemp – hulled hemp seeds, hemp seed protein and hemp seed oil – are safe as foods and won’t require additional approvals, as long as marketers do not make claims that they treat disease.”  This poses a huge roadblock for education about CBD, as studies are few, and any claims as to the benefits of CBD, can be flagged as non-compliant.

Compliance

So, how does one stay compliant in the eyes of the FDA while educating consumers about the benefits of CBD?  The short answer is: Don’t say anything that could be construed as advice about health.  This may sound like the opposite of what you’re supposed to do when marketing a new and exciting product, but until the FDA accepts CBD as a health supplement and products gain approval, every time you post about the “benefits” of CBD, you are putting your entire company at risk.  This includes information on your website, social media profiles, newsletters, and print materials.  Without FDA approval for your CBD product, it is against the law to make health claims.  Think of any supplements you purchase at a health food store.  They typically have some sort of disclosure, “These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”

Even without FDA approval, CBD sales in the United States last year were over $350 million, and projections indicate we’ll be seeing over $1 billion in CBD sales by 2020.  With continued projected growth in this industry, it’s important to set your brand above the competition.  So how can you educate consumers about why your product or website is the best, without making health claims?

Baby Boomers are curious about CBD and its potential benefits, but without science to back up claims and with SO MANY products to choose from, it’s no wonder there is confusion instead of acceptance.  This demographic grew up in the “Reefer Madness” landscape; heck, they created it.  Cannabis of any form was evil, would make men violent and women promiscuous, and all that nonsense.  As times have changed and research has moved ever-so-slowly forward, studies have found that CBD may provide certain health benefits without any of the “high” feeling, although there is still more research needed.  The psychoactive feelings associated with cannabis are a turn-off for many, so CBD presents an alternative to those who are willing to experiment with something that is not FDA-approved.  Your older demographic may be experiencing undesirable side effects from prescription pills, but are also wary of substituting their doctor-prescribed medication with anything different.

The best way to remain compliant while helping your older demographic learn about your brand or products is to create content that is educational without making health statements.  Some examples would be to write a blog about the amount of CBD your products contain per milliliter, create an infographic about how CBD differs from cannabis and THC, or record a video about how to use your product for the maximum effectiveness.  The key is differentiating your company while educating about proper use.  Our team at Cannabis Marketing, Inc. is experienced in marketing CBD with compliance initiatives that will keep your company or brand in-line while reaching your target demographic!

In short, the CBD industry is an exciting one, and we want to help the right company become THE name in the game.  How could your CBD company benefit from a strategic marketing plan while ensuring compliance?