The Best Cannabis Marketing Strategies & Channels in 2023

Cannabis PR — Building relationships

When we say cannabis public relations, we mean the strategic communication and management of a brand’s image, reputation, and relationships with media, consumers, and the general public. PR involves creating stories, news, and the latest information about the cannabis company to shape the public’s view of the brand and build brand awareness, trust, and authority. Cannabis PR helps brands generate positive media coverage and present themselves as industry leaders in the eyes of the public. It’s one of the most effective marketing strategies because of its widespread effect on the general public. Cannabis brands that have a strong PR strategy are Charlotte’s Web (CBD brand) and MedMen (cannabis retailer).

 Cannabis companies leverage PR as part of their marketing efforts in numerous ways; the best are:

1. Media relations — Securing press releases, interviews, features, and articles in relevant media outlets to gain positive media coverage, increase visibility and build a strong relationship with the media and the public.
2. Community relations — Engaging in community events and supporting relevant local causes build a strong relationship with the local community, prompting a positive brand image in the minds of the locals and the public.
3. Thought leadership — Participating in panel discussions and industry conferences builds relationships with the public and other brands in the industry.
4. Influencer partnerships — Collaboration on content creation, events, or cannabis marketing campaigns with relevant influences in the industry helps build a relationship with their audience and expand the brand’s reach.

Cannabis Email marketing — Educating your audience

A cannabis email marketing strategy is extremely effective because it enables the company to communicate directly with its target audience and get immediate feedback. This feedback can be written or through open and click-through rates, which are good indicators of the success of the campaigns. Email campaigns allow companies to reach many interested recipients at a relatively low cost per message compared to traditional marketing campaigns such as outdoor billboards. 

Companies can create an email list by promoting a lead magnet on social media, paid ads, or website pop-ups. Examples of cannabis brands that efficiently market their products via mail are Cookies and Dosist.

Through email marketing, brands can sell, promote, educate, and entertain, depending on the type and goal of the marketing campaign. Brands also have better control over their email list than their followers. Social media can shut down your profile, while an email list is yours for the long run.

Tips for an effective cannabis email marketing campaign

• Segment your email list — Based on purchase history, location, or consumer preferences
• Test and optimize —Experimenting with different subject lines, CTAs, and email design
• Provide valuable content — Experiment with helpful, educational, and engaging content
• Use a user-friendly email design — A clean and professional layout that’s easy to navigate
• Use interesting subject lines — A/B testing different subject lines to find out which ones have a higher CTR
• Respond to feedback promptly — Showing that you value your customer’s opinion and build a positive relationship with them

Cannabis SMS marketing — Communicating with your audience

Text marketing or SMS marketing is even more effective than email marketing because it’s more personal and has a higher average open rate (98%). Besides providing direct two-way communication, cannabis SMS marketing is mobile-friendly and convenient for users. It allows cannabis brands to tailor and personalize messages while getting immediate feedback. Cannabis brands need to ensure that they have the user’s permission to use their phone number for marketing purposes, and the best way to obtain numbers is with opt-in forms, text-to-join- campaigns, and at significant events.

The most common types of SMS marketing campaigns are:

• Promotions and discounts
• Product launches and updates
• Events and gatherings
• Feedback and surveys
• Informational

Programmatic ads — Targeting your audience

Programmatic ads are a type of digital advertising that use algorithms and real-time data to target a specific audience with ads across websites, apps, and social media. This marketing strategy is very efficient, but cannabis brands need to make sure they comply with regulations and minimize the usage of words such as “cannabis” and “weed.” Types of programmatic ads cannabis brands can use:

1. Social media ads — These apps appear on Linkedin,and Twitter (with restrictions) while the user is engaged with the content. These ads should have a clear CTA, but cannabis companies should lean towards “educational CTAs” instead of direct sales.
2. Video ads — These ads appear before, during, or after a video on YouTube or any other platform. They are the most effective when it comes to attention-grabbing, so cannabis companies need to make sure the content is entertaining for the viewer.
3. Display ads — These apps appear on websites as banners or pop-ups while the user is scrolling. This space is more open towards direct sales than social media apps, so cannabis companies can use this opportunity for a more traditional CTA.

CRO — Analyzing your audience

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) refers to optimizing various elements of a website or landing page to increase the percentage of users who take a desired action, such as signing up for a newsletter or buying a product/service. In the context of cannabis marketing, CRO improves user experience and engagement, leading to overall marketing success. The strategy for CRO isn’t a one-way street, and cannabis companies need to constantly test and optimize their website and landing page to drive better results.

Companies need to analyze bounce rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates as KPIs to get data and insights for their current website.

How can cannabis companies use CRO?

• Optimizing product landing pages — Finding the headlines or text that resonate with the audience and keeps them on the page.
• Testing call-to-action buttons — A/B testing options to find the ones users click on the most
• Optimizing the contact form — Reducing the number of fields or allowing auto-fill suggestions to increase sign-ups.
• Simplifying the checkout process — Testing one-page checkout vs. multi-page checkout to test which option works better for the target audience.
• Testing product images and descriptions — Testing different photos, descriptions, and headlines to find out the ones that your audience engages with most.

Conclusion — Maximize your marketing efforts

The cannabis market is a dynamic and evolving field due to its unique challenges, such as strict regulations, different laws, and stigma. That is why basic and popular marketing strategies don’t deliver the expected results, and cannabis marketers end up with deleted profiles and low budgets.

When brainstorming marketing strategies, it’s important to prioritize consumer education and safety and let sales occur as a result of these tactics. The second thing is leveraging channels that convert higher and are trackable — unlike billboards and paid traffic, SEO is.

By employing the strategies mentioned above, cannabis businesses can engage with consumers, build brand reputation, and prompt loyalty. A full-stack search engine optimization firm with cutting-edge strategies can help you identify opportunities for improvement and maximize your marketing efforts. Reach out to Growth Logiq to start with effective cannabis marketing today.