Cannabis Marketing vs. Public Relations. Which One Is Right For Your Cannabusiness?

Cannabis Marketing For Cannabusinesses

If you’re trying to run a successful dispensary, head shop, CBD store, or another cannabis-related business, marketing is very important. Although the cannabis industry can be particularly lucrative, it can also be competitive. As such, you’ll need to employ the most effective marketing strategies for your cannabis business.

Due to legal complexities, cannabis businesses are often restricted from traditional forms of advertising. For instance, many popular websites restrict ads for cannabis businesses. TV and radio ads are also restricted for cannabis businesses. As such, many cannabusinesses turn to digital marketing.

Digital marketing methods such as social media marketing and content marketing are especially effective for cannabis businesses. These strategies can be used to attract customers to your dispensary and convert them into customers. With that said, you need to know how to utilize them correctly.

Physical marketing methods can also help. For instance, various cannabis businesses use branded merchandise, stickers, or even custom cannabis accessories to build brand recognition. Flyers, brochures, and other marketing materials can also work well when used effectively.

When marketing your cannabis business, you’ll need to be aware of local and federal regulations on cannabis marketing. For instance, you’re restricted from making specific health claims about cannabis and CBD products. You must also ensure your advertising doesn’t appeal to children. For instance, you can’t use colorful animations or cartoon characters.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is a commonly used strategy by cannabis businesses. It involves using social media platforms to promote your products and services to potential customers. It’s also used to encourage existing customers to return to your business and make repeat purchases. Good social media marketing can work wonders for cannabis businesses.

Cannabis businesses often use platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to spread their latest promotions. Some offer special deals or competitions for followers. This is an excellent way to generate some buzz around your business, especially if your current followers share your content with their friends.

Influencer marketing is also highly effective for marketing cannabis businesses. This involves reaching out to popular social media influencers and asking them to promote your brand. Some businesses offer free products in exchange for promotion. For more popular influencers, payment is often required. You can market your business by working with cannabis YouTubers, Instagram stars, Twitter users, and other influential people.

Building a strong social media following for your business can pay off immensely. If customers are regularly reminded of your brand while scrolling through social media, they’re more likely to return to your business. Social media can also be used for PR purposes. For instance, offering exceptional customer service via Twitter and Facebook can build customer trust and improve your brand reputation with locals.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is another excellent way to promote your cannabis business. Most businesses nowadays need a website to let customers know what they offer. As such, you should ensure you build a high-quality, easy-to-navigate website for your business as soon as possible. Once you have a business website, you can use it for all kinds of promotional content.

Search engine-optimized blog posts are often used for marketing cannabis businesses. These posts can cover common questions such as “What’s the best cannabis product for pain?” or “How do you roll a joint?” They can also target common search terms such as “Best sativa marijuana strains for creativity”.

These blog posts can quickly build your presence on Google and other search engines. Potential customers will find your website when looking for marijuana. As such, you should include a call to action in each of your blog posts. Some marijuana businesses sell their products online and include links in their content. Others encourage customers to visit their store or dispensary.

Other content marketing strategies can also work well. For instance, creating viral-worthy infographics and high-quality videos for your social media platforms is an excellent way to attract potential new customers. You can also promote your content via emails to subscribers.

Physical Marketing

Employing traditional forms of advertising is often trickier for cannabis companies due to legal restrictions. For instance, radio ads, television ads, and billboards for cannabis companies are restricted in various states. If you plan to use these methods, it’s important to be aware of local laws.

With that said other physical marketing methods are highly effective for cannabis companies. For instance, some cannabis companies reach local customers using flyers or brochures. Eye-catching signage can also go a long way in attracting customers to your business – especially when combined with a great cannabis design.

One of the best ways to market your business is by placing your brand name and logo on custom-branded cannabis products. These high-quality custom products appeal to all kinds of cannabis users and will constantly remind them of your brand. On top of that, it also enhances your brand reputation with people who see others using your branded products.

Overall, a mix of digital and physical marketing tactics is the best approach for cannabis businesses. You should also consider the best public relations strategies for your business. Gaining good press and building a strong brand reputation will make it much easier to attract customers via word-of-mouth.

Public Relations For Cannabusinesses

Public relations or PR involves building and maintaining the reputation of your brand. Although it’s closely related to marketing, public relations strategies are often much more indirect. For instance, while it doesn’t involve directly calling for customers to buy your products, good PR can enhance your brand reputation and ultimately attract new customers to your business.

Generating PR often involves community outreach. Cannabis companies often use educational brochures or websites to inform the local community about what they offer. It also involves working with local news outlets. If people regularly hear about your company on the local news, they’re more likely to check out what your business has to offer.

Customer service also plays a part in public relations. You must maintain good relationships with your customers if you want them to keep buying from your business. A single bad review can have a long-lasting negative impact on your business, so make sure you focus on friendly service and outstanding products.

Some public relations strategies go hand-in-hand with marketing. For instance, custom-branded cannabis products can be sold to customers and used to bolster your brand visibility. However, they can also be given as promotional gifts to people at cannabis events, which will ultimately help improve your brand reputation.

Attending Local Events

Public relations involves getting your brand name out there, building trust with potential customers, and getting involved with the community. One of the best ways to do all three of these things at once is to attend local events. There are many events out there that are perfect for cannabis companies.

Some cannabis events, festivals, and expos allow brands to open stalls. This is a great way to talk to new customers and even sell your products. You can also offer custom-branded products as promotional gifts to those who pass by. That way, people are sure to remember your brand and may even become a customer for you in the future.

You can also enhance your brand recognition by taking speaking roles at cannabis events. Giving seminars or speeches on cannabis-related subjects can help you become recognized as a thought expert in the field. This is especially great for companies that focus on ancillary services or niche aspects of the industry.

Cannabis events aren’t your only option, either. You might want to open a stall at a music festival or local fair. Cannabis growers could give speeches at agricultural events. Hemp businesses could give speeches at crafts events. Whichever way, getting involved in events and expeditions is a surefire way to generate interest in your brand.

Working With Local Media

Getting good press for your brand is always a good PR strategy. Reporters might reach out to your business when something cannabis-related is happening in the news. You might even want to reach out to local reporters and let them know you’re available to provide quotes for cannabis-related news stories. Not only can this help get your business name out there, but it can also help you become seen as a thought expert.

If your brand has an interesting story, you might also want to reach out to radio stations or local news outlets. As long as there’s a newsworthy angle and you’re not directly advertising your products, you could quickly turn your up-and-coming business into an interesting piece of local news. This will naturally build awareness for your brand and perhaps even attract people to your business.

Gaining press opportunities isn’t always easy. However, if you become a reliable source for reporters and local media members, they’ll likely keep coming back to you for help with new reports and stories. You could also get a PR manager to help connect you with relevant media contacts.

You can even create media yourself. You might want to build a YouTube channel for your business that focuses on delivering educational content about cannabis. Of course, using social media platforms is also an excellent way to get your name out there. You can also get involved in discussions related to cannabis on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and other social media networks.

Improving Customer Service

Good customer service goes hand-in-hand with good public relations. Your customer service is intrinsically tied to your business reputation. If your business becomes known for swiftly addressing every issue and helping customers, you’ll become a trusted company that people want to visit repeatedly. If you become known for delivering bad customer service, you’ll lose many existing customers as well as potential new ones.

Improving your customer service can work wonders for your cannabis brand. If a customer has a bad experience with your brand, they might never return. However, if you can solve their issue quickly and efficiently, they’ll be highly impressed and return to your business in the future. This also has various knock-on effects.

Bad customer service can lead to bad reviews on Google, Trustpilot, and other platforms. Bad reviews can turn potential new customers away, so it’s important to avoid these as much as you can. In contrast, if you provide excellent service and people regularly leave good reviews, you’re sure to attract more new customers.

Outstanding customer service can also lead to customers recommending your business to their friends. Good word-of-mouth is one of the greatest ways to attract new customers, so this is invaluable. You can also use marketing tactics such as referral programs to encourage people to refer your business to others.

Conclusion

Cannabis marketing and public relations can both help you build your brand reputation and attract more people to your business. So which one is right for your cannabusiness? Businesses directly selling products to customers may find marketing more effective. In contrast, B2B or client-facing services may find good PR helps them attract more lucrative clients.

Generally, it’s best to use a mix of marketing and public relations to enhance your brand reputation. Many methods can help you market your business while building good public relations. For instance, offering custom-branded cannabis products is a great way to generate interest in your brand. You can find custom cannabis products and various guides at Cannabis Promotions.