It’s no surprise that the cannabis industry is growing at a rapid pace. Now that it has been legalized in more than two-thirds of states, researchers expect the market size to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.3% – reaching an anticipated $134.4 billion by 2030. If you are building a cannabis business, you can take advantage of the growth opportunities by hiring a cannabis dispensary marketing agency for assistance.
At the forefront of the industry are brick-and-mortar dispensaries where customers can buy the products they need. Whether you own a dispensary or are looking to start a new one, it’s essential to invest in cannabis marketing so potential customers can find your location.
While many marketing agencies offer everything from Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), the best solution is to find a cannabis marketing agency: a team that already has experience with the marijuana marketing industry.
Step-By-Step: How to Hire a Cannabis Marketing Agency
You’ll want to hire a team that is a good fit, especially because your marketing campaigns are an extension of your cannabis business. Here are a few important tips to keep in mind when you are hiring a cannabis dispensary marketing agency:
1. Identify Your Target Customer
It’s essential to find clarity about your product and target customers. For example, are you a cannabis brand catering to the average customer? Or do you want to target high-end, luxury cannabis customers? While people of all ages and backgrounds want to use cannabis, you’ll have better success with your marketing campaign when you understand different customer segments. Be ready to communicate this demographic information with your cannabis marketing agency so they can customize the campaigns accordingly.
- Customers who prefer pre-rolls
- Customers who only want to smoke flower
- Customers who only buy edibles
- Customers who prefer to vape
- Customers who want CBD oil
- Customers who use CBD for their pets
This focus will impact your marketing and advertising strategy. Knowing the market segments is essential to ensure you are working with a marketing agency that understands the unique differences between customers in the industry. Then, you can work together to target each market segment, specifically with different products sold at your dispensary.
2. Clarify Your Business Goals
Consider your budget and business growth goals. Regardless of the industry, cash flow is always a priority. You want the creative liberty to launch a big cannabis marketing campaign. At the same time, you need to be smart about your spending by setting a budget.
What are you hoping by hiring a cannabis marketing agency? If you haven’t identified your goals yet, then our team can help you find direction before we launch your online campaign.
3. Research Marketing Agencies That Specialize in the Cannabis Industry
For the best results, you’ll want to find a team that has experience working with other cannabis dispensaries. There are unique challenges and regulations in the marijuana industry, and these marketing agencies already know how to navigate the industry nuances. When you are working with an experienced marijuana marketing agency, it means you can skip the headaches and fast-track your results with a proven strategy.
You can explore your options by searching for a cannabis marketing agency online. A variety of providers will come up in the search results. Then, it’s time to research the companies and narrow down your options.
All marketing agencies bring their own unique set of skills, services, and pricing. Ideally, you want to work with a full-service team so you can stick with one provider instead of trying to coordinate between different teams.
How much experience does the marketing agency have with cannabis advertising specifically? You deserve to work with a team that understands the digital landscape and knows how to handle the different regulations for the marijuana industry and online marketing.
4. Choose a Proactive Marketing Agency
Will the cannabis marketing agency you hire bring a solid strategy and personalized suggestions for your online marketing plan? You want to work with a provider who brings ideas instead of taking instructions from their clients.
As a dispensary owner, you specialize in cannabis and related products. Let the experts take the lead for your online marketing campaign. You want to be working with a cannabis dispensary marketing agency that stays up to date on the latest trends for both online marketing and traditional advertising.
An experienced team will present you with proven marketing opportunities that align with business development, branding, and product promotion initiatives. Ideally, your marketing firm needs to be focused on the overall business growth, not just a particular campaign or marketing platform.
5. Ask About In-House vs. Outsourced Team
You want to build a long-term relationship with your cannabis marketing agency, which is why it’s essential to find out about the structure and organization of the team you hire. Building a long-term relationship with in-house team members means that your marketing strategy can adapt and grow to adjust to the changes within your business.
Working long-term with an experienced cannabis marketing agency means that the team is already familiar with your business goals and previous marketing strategies you’ve used in the past. When you want to make adjustments to your online marketing strategies, the team can pick up where you left off and ensure consistent results.
Ideally, you will have a project manager or main point of contact so you always know who to call when questions arise. Even if the marketing agency has multiple professional teams or support from freelancers, you can expect consistency because your primary contact is always just a phone call away.
6. Implement a Full-Service Marketing Plan
As you start with the marketing agency, ensure they have the skills and resources to implement a full-service marketing plan. Not only do you want immediate customers, but it’s also wise to implement longer-term strategies that will build your brand in the coming years.
For example, Pay Per Click (PPC) marketing is a way to turn on the flow of customers immediately. Then, you can also begin a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) campaign to bring in organic traffic in the coming months and years.
Full-service marketing in the cannabis industry prioritizes both new customer acquisition and maintaining relationships with current customers. Your personalized plan might include a variety of services:
- Data Strategy
- Audience Targeting
- Conversion Enhancement
- Email Marketing
- Mobile Marketing
- Pay Per Click Marketing
- Remarketing Ads
- Search Engine Optimization
- Social Media Marketing
- Local Listings
- Product Visuals
- Content Creation
- CRM Integration
- Ongoing Analytics Analysis
- Branding
Our team has you covered, giving you one convenient place to go to build a robust marketing campaign. We design custom advertising strategies and personalized solutions for every client.
7. Design Deals and Specials
Work with your marketing agency to design specials and deals to keep the customers coming back. For example, you might start a loyalty program to retain customers and give your dispensary a competitive advantage. The more you can differentiate your products and services, the more your dispensary will stand out from the competition.
Also, people are motivated to buy when they know they are getting a good deal on their favorite products. Ideas for dispensary marketing deals might include:
- BOGO: Buy One Get One Free
- 2 for the price of 1
- Build your own pre-roll pack
- Grab bags with a variety of products
- Gift baskets or holiday-themed packs
Not only will these specials or deals result in an increase in sales, but they can also be a good strategy if you are looking for a way to clear inventory.
Marketing tip: remember to keep customer personas (market segments) in mind when combining products. The goal is to create enticing bundles that include the products specific to each segment of the industry.
Then, you can take it one step further by implementing a time-sensitive marketing campaign that aligns with each of the deals you are offering to each market segment. This approach creates a unique sales funnel for individual customer profiles, which can help to optimize your overall results.
Talk to the Top Legal Cannabis Marketing Agency
It takes a lot of time and effort to run a dispensary business. You can focus on the daily responsibilities to keep the company running and let our experienced team at Fresco Data take care of the cannabis marketing and lead generation. We can help you get a new campaign off the ground or take your current online efforts to the next level.
Not only does our team offer online cannabis marketing services, but we also use the latest strategies for data analysis and campaign optimization. We are a result-focused team that can help your business grow.
If you would like to learn more about effective marketing in the cannabis industry, then our team at Fresco Data is just a phone call away. Reach out at your convenience to schedule a consultation with an experienced cannabis dispensary marketing agency. In addition, we are always here to help with your customized advertising campaigns.
