Cannabis and CBD marketers face a unique set of challenges when it comes to marketing their products, maybe more so than any other industry. There are many state and local laws that prohibit certain forms of advertising. The digital roadblock of Facebook and Google reject cannabis- and CBD-related ads, but these restrictions are enforced in an MADDENINGLY IRREGULAR fashion. You can’t write off marketing expenses either, because cannabis is still classified as a Schedule I drug. Building a smart digital marketing plan may be tricky for any industry, but with all the restrictions that come with being a cannabis marketer, the task is even tougher. Here are nine steps to a CBD Store Designer digital marketing plan for cannabis and CBD products:
Step 1: Do Your Market Research
Starting with your ideal customer is essential to never losing sight of why you’re doing what you do. It’s all in the customer research. The first step is to figure out who they are, what they need, and how you can help them. Your unique value proposition–the thing that makes your brand, not a competitor’s, irreplaceable to that customer–will help you go in the right direction. With cannabis and CBD businesses, it’s all about being open to your customer’s needs and “breaking stereotypes”. The best way to do this is with hard data: go through your customer analytics, ask your customers for input, check out trends in the industry.
Step 2: Set Your Marketing Goals
Achieving great results in product management is dependent on a few things, including a firm base of data from which to start forming goals. In order for these goals to be the most effective, they should align with company goals, as well as goals from other departments. The most effective goals will be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. It’s also important to keep any limitations that your local cannabis regulations impose in mind; for instance, if you want to become the best-known cannabis brand in the U.S., but your state doesn’t allow you to market to out-of-state consumers, you’ll need to think carefully about your strategy.
Step 3: Weigh Digital vs. Traditional Methods
Start by thinking of and writing down all your goals. These should align to not just your company and team goals, but also to the goals of other departments across the company. For best results, make your goals SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely). Your measurable goal should be broken down into key performance indicators, or KPIs. Keep any limitations of local cannabis regulations in so you know what you can and cannot do: For instance, if you want to become the best-known cannabis brand in the United States, but your state doesn’t allow you to market to out-of-state customers, how are you going to accomplish this goal?
Step 4: Plan Campaigns by Channel
Start by thinking of and writing down all your goals. These should align to not just your company and team goals, but also to the goals of other departments across the company. For best results, make your goals SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely). Your measurable goal should be broken down into key performance indicators, or KPIs. Keep any limitations of local cannabis regulations in so you know what you can and cannot do: For instance, if you want to become the best-known cannabis brand in the United States, but your state doesn’t allow you to market to out-of-state customers, how are you going to accomplish this goal?
- Retargeting customers who visited your website with ads on other websites
- A geofenced ad campaign to reach adults who live near local dispensaries
- A PR campaign surrounding an upcoming product launch
- Social media influencer marketing campaigns for brand awareness
- An SMS campaign aimed at your dispensary’s loyalty members
- Retargeting customers who abandoned their shopping cart with ads offering a discount for completing the purchase
- A series of webinars for B2B businesses
- Seasonal banner ad campaigns directing viewers to promotional landing pages
- An SEO-focused content marketing campaign through your blog
- An email campaign encouraging repeat purchases from past customers
One of the best (and toughest) things about modern marketing is that there are hundreds of channels and potential campaigns to choose from. Brainstorm as many as you want to begin with; the next step will be choosing which to focus on.
Step 5: Get a Professional Opinion
Another common mistake made by marketers in every industry is not getting someone outside of the company to review the strategy before implementing it. It’s also easy for a marketer to think their target customers will automatically buy their products as soon as the first blog post is uploaded. To avoid wasting months on a plan that won’t work in the long-term, it’s always worth seeking a reality check. Agencies are the friends that want to see you succeed and help out where they can, and they’re experts in marketing. Most agencies offer a free consultation to discuss your cannabis digital marketing ideas.
Step 6: Incorporate Digital Technology
To many of us, the world of digital marketing is mystifying and sometimes even incomprehensible. Nowadays it is possible for companies to import customer data from their websites or POS and have that matched with data from third-parties. This allows advertisers to target specific customers by building custom audiences for ad targeting. It can also be helpful for cannabis and CBD marketers, as these industries currently lack the large data that other industries have. For our CBD clients, we recommend integrating data onboarding tools like LIVERAMP with mainstream ad buying platforms like THE TRADE DESK. Together, these services allow the building and targeting of custom audiences featuring known CBD consumers on thousands of mainstream websites.
Step 7: Measure Against Your KPIs—and Use the Data
If you’re not making data-based marketing decisions in real time, you’ll be left behind. Every marketing expense you undertake needs to prove itself through data, showing that it pays for itself. Keeping all your digital campaign data in one place and checking it daily is a good way to see how your campaigns are performing against your marketing goals. If you’re not making the right measurements, update your marketing plan—you should be constantly adapting as you learn new things. Even if you’re thoroughly excited about your plan as you initially made it, don’t skip this step: You’re trying to achieve your goals, and as long as you learn from all your successes and failures along the way, you’ll get there.
Digital Marketing Services for Hemp Sites from CBD Store Designer
Looking for a company that can provide you with attractive, result-oriented digital marketing services specifically for hemp sites? Look no further than CBD Store Designer. We have a team of experienced professionals who are experts in CBD marketing, website design and development, and branding. We will work closely with you to ensure that your hemp site is designed and marketed in a way that is both effective and professional. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you grow your business.