Dispensary Marketing Plan: Use Media To Market

Marketing Plan For Your Dispensary

Are you developing your cannabis dispensary business? If so, you must be excited about the millions of new customers who are eager to try out your product. But how exactly do you market towards them?

In today’s article we will show you how to reach your target audience using social media and organic marketing platforms.

Your Dispensary Marketing Plan

Although legal in many states and provinces, cannabis remains a sensitive topic to the public. Not everyone approaches it the same way, and so licensed dispensaries and producers constantly look for innovative ways to design a marketing strategy.

One of the most frequent errors is marketing your dispensary to everyone without distinguishing target user groups and adjusting your marketing to them.

The more clarity you have about your target audience, the easier it will be to understand them when you personalize messages to grab their attention and get them to convert into paying customers.

Market Your Dispensary to Different Age Groups

When it comes to identifying your target audience you need to do what every other business owner does to get their offer to the end-user: Create a user persona and tailor your marketing toward them.

This basic step is the same for every business out there, even if you are selling bottled air, which arguably anyone can use. On that note, I have added a few recommended target groups and subtle marketing tweaks that are necessary to get their attention.

Millennials: (1981 to 1996)

This audience segment covers young consumers born from 1981 to 1996. If you’re marketing in the US, the youngest members average about 21+ years old, and in Canada this is 19+ (Please confirm the legal age in your state or province)

Millennials are curious, tech-savvy, and innovative. They give everyone and anyone a chance as long as they perceive useful benefits from using a product. They are also environmentally aware and keen on doing their research before they invest in something, so you’ll need to convince them that your dispensary guarantees a quality experience while being cost effective.

One of the fastest ways to reach millennials is through the use of social media, but remember to stay compliant with advertising rules.

Generation X: (1965 to 1980)

Unlike millennials, adult professionals are a bit more skeptical of brand messaging. The most effective way to market to them is to provide research-based proof of benefits and display a high level of transparency.

Generation X values family, responsibility, and education, so framing your dispensary in a way to show how it contributes to progress and stability in life is the way to go. Although this group is highly present on social media, they don’t trust it as a relevant source of information.

While you can get their attention on Facebook and Instagram, you’ll need to refer them to your business page and show certifications and social proof since they like to verify everything they read. News, radio, and TV ads are also a great way to reach this demographic.

Baby Boomers: (1946 - 1964)

This demographic consists of senior citizens, but you should never remind them of it. Baby boomers are proud of their achievements and were once rebellious youngsters eager to change the world.

Unlike millennials and much like Gen X, Baby Boomers will need fact-based evidence that they benefit from your product. Rely on youthful imagery combined with percentages and statistics to do the trick with this group.

However, keep in mind that while you should make the Baby Boomers feel young again, you should also make them feel safe. Avoid edgy language or jargon, as well as any loose references to past events since you don’t want to scare or offend.

If you want to sell to Baby Boomers, think smart, safe and a brand message that resonates with them. The effort will pay off since this group is known to be both financially secure and loyal to their trusted brands.

When it comes to media, you can achieve the same effect whether you choose social or traditional (TV, radio, and newspaper). Remember to showcase permits, certifications, compliance, and research studies to show credibility.

Follow These Cannabis Marketing Guidelines

Now that you know how to advertise to different age groups, let’s establish the best marketing strategies to advertise your cannabis dispensary.

What to Do

• Plan a marketing strategy:
  • It’s wise to establish which results you wish to see from your advertising campaign. You’ll do this by identifying your dispensary’s competition, consumer base, and value proposition.
  • When it becomes clear what your unique offering is about, who you’re competing with, and who you’re targeting, you can start drafting carefully written messages that bridge the gap between you and the target demographic.
• Design audience segments:
  • You may choose to market to a single or multiple demographics, but each of these also consists of segments within that single group.
  • Segmenting your marketing campaign means drafting common customer profiles within your target groups and then designing specific ads and messages for each of them.
  • When doing this, make sure to research audience interests and habits when it comes to cannabis.
• Be compliant:
  • Different media have different rules when it comes to advertising cannabis. Account for all rules and restrictions when it comes to writing and posting ads and visuals.
  • This will ensure that your campaign doesn’t get shut down and, of course, increase your credibility with the audience.
• Use your SEO strategies:
  • Researching common keyword phrases that your consumer base uses when browsing for cannabis online.
  • The key here is to leverage ‘long-tail’ keywords as these keywords are generally more specific with lower search volume but also lower competition. As you build your SEO presence you can leverage more difficult keywords down the road.
• Offer freebies and promotions:
  • Like any other business, your offer needs to be different and more appealing to the competition to steal the show.
  • Offer promotional prices, deals, curated product bundles, and holiday discounts whenever possible. This will increase customer loyalty and spread your brand outreach.
  • Many dispensaries offer free 3.5 gram samples as a way for the consumer to get a taste of the product before committing.

What Not to Do

• Test the legal boundaries:
  • Most countries have clear regulations regarding how and where to advertise cannabis dispensaries to avoid reaching minors or near minors. This means that there might be certain limitations to which podcasts and digital and cable media you can use to post your ads.
  • Some states require that an overwhelming percentage of the media’s audience consists of adults, and some don’t. But most states have clear regulations regarding what you can and can’t do when advertising cannabis dispensaries.
  • This doesn’t only concern viewer age. It also includes endorsements, graphics, vocabulary, and other aspects of your ad. Going against these regulations may not only get your campaign shut down. It could also result in legal problems, fines, and lawsuits.
• Be disingenuous:
  • Don’t underestimate your audience’s intelligence. All target groups we previously reviewed are tech-savvy and overall science and fact-oriented.
  • Segmenting your marketing campaign means drafting common customer profiles within your target groups and then designing specific ads and messages for each of them.
  • Misleading and unsubstantiated advertising will drive your consumers away, and it is also illegal. There are plenty of facts and research to support your work, so there’s no reason to make inaccurate and exaggerated claims.
• Break social media rules:
  • Avoid directly promoting and selling your products through social media.
  • Instead, turn to educational material like posts and blog articles that don’t directly sell cannabis and related products.

Marketing Strategies for Cannabis FAQ

Now that you know what to do and what not to do when advertising your cannabis dispensary, as well as which audience groups to target, let’s answer a couple of the most common questions regarding advertising cannabis dispensaries.

How Do You Blog About Your Cannabis Dispensary?

Publish educational content.

Whether you choose to write blogs or articles, high-quality content is the best way to appeal to your audience. Tackle important yet useful topics that highlight the benefits of using your products to solve some of the readers’ problems.

If your content is fact-based and of good quality, your readers will come back for more. Even better, they will share your articles on their social media pages, further increasing your brand’s outreach.

It is important to have a clear blogging strategy to reach potential customers and appeal to their specific problems. To do this, you should plan your content according to the following steps:

• List at least three main topics that interest your readers (e.g., health, beauty, fitness) and the problems they touch on.
• List at least 10 subtopics for each of the main topics that cover more detailed aspects and relevant questions. This will give you a long list of 30 potential blog posts that can be written in a month but are sufficient for an entire year’s worth of publishing.
• Reflect on your audience segments and related keywords and terms that they might use when looking for solutions for their problems and use them to structure your blog posts.

Should You Host and Attend Podcasts?

Yes. Podcasts are increasing in popularity, and they can be included in your blog posts for extra information. This way, the podcast can be spread across social media without breaking any rules.

Should You Create and Publish Video Content?

YouTube, LinkedIn, and your website are all great places to publish educational and informative videos. Remember to stay fact-based and promote the benefits of using cannabis that were noted by research.

When addressing research and studies in videos, don’t forget to include relevant sources in your description box. This will give your viewers a chance to verify what’s being said in the video, and it will also improve your reputation and credibility.

When it comes to topics to cover in your videos, you can interview influencers and other important people who can speak on the topic with authority, or you can make educational videos that answer the most popular questions and reveal the truth behind the most common misconceptions.

You can also film unboxing videos and tutorials and share what your work looks like behind the scenes.

Conclusion

The main goal of marketing your cannabis dispensary online is to gain organic reach and more readers. This means that your marketing and promotions should result in people coming to your store or website on their own.

Considering that paid advertising in this industry has its limits, and testing those limits might get you into legal trouble, your best bet is to use free promotional methods and work your way up through careful planning, targeting, and content quality.

Finally, keep your audience in mind. Always think about whether you’re writing for millennials, Generation X, the Baby Boomers, or the Silent Generation. These segments require different information and vocabulary and, of course, specially designed messages that align with their values.

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