Today’s consumers are inundated with ads and overwhelmed by choice. Marketing campaigns have always been essential for success, but a carefully planned and multifaceted marketing strategy is more critical now than ever, particularly in the hyper-competitive cannabis industry. Does your dispensary marketing plan pass muster?
Cannabis content marketing is one of the best ways to connect with consumers and promote your brand. As a long-time cannabis PR, SEO, and content creation agency, NisonCo has extensive experience working with cannabis companies to create and execute successful marketing strategies. Read on for the most essential information about how to ensure your dispensary’s success through media marketing.
What is Content Marketing for Dispensaries?
Content marketing refers to using content, like blogs and social media posts, to promote your brand rather than traditional ad campaigns. This marketing approach can organically expose your company to consumers and help them feel more authentically connected to your brand. A great example of content marketing for cannabis is writing educational blog posts that guide customers on product selection while also optimizing SEO.
7 Essential Facets of an Effective Content-Led Dispensary Marketing Plan
Whether our client is a small-town dispensary or a well-established multi-state operator (MSO), we always recommend these seven must-dos to craft a successful cannabis dispensary content marketing plan.
1. Keep Your Dispensary’s NAP Data Consistent
Name, address, and phone number (NAP) data falls under the umbrella of offsite search engine optimization (SEO) and local SEO, which simply means it’s SEO that takes place on a website besides your own and helps customers find your store in the real world.
Consistent NAP date is critical for brick-and-mortar cannabis stores like dispensaries and smoke shops. You must ensure that your company’s NAP data is up-to-date, accurate, and cohesive across various platforms.
2. List Your Dispensary in Directories
Directories list your company alongside similar businesses and help consumers find your company. There are countless directories, from Yelp to Weedmaps, and getting listed on all the most relevant ones isn’t as straightforward as it might sound. Cannabis SEO services from a cannabis SEO firm can help your dispensary narrow them down and get you listed.
3. Update Your Dispensary’s Social Media Presence
Nearly three-quarters of Americans are active on social media, so tapping into that market and maintaining active brand pages can boost your business.
Ensure your profile information is current, and use keywords to optimize your social media presence. You should post regularly, though how often you post will depend on the site and your customers’ expectations. Interacting with consumers and other professionals can also help strengthen your brand image.
Each social media site has different applications. NisonCo recommends LinkedIn for cannabis companies to curate B2B connections since the platform has a rich cannabis community and cannabis-friendly content guidelines, as opposed to most social media platforms.
Is your dispensary in a hard-to-find location? A comprehensive content strategy can help put your epic locale on the map for cannabis consumers. Click the image above to connect with our impassioned team of cannabis digital marketing pros today.
4. Email Your Customers Regular Dispensary Newsletters
Newsletters sent via email are also a great way to stay on your customer’s radar. Make it easy for customers to sign up through your website, and incentivize them by offering exclusive coupons or valuable resources.
Experiment with the frequency of your newsletters to find the sweet spot. You want to send them out often enough to keep customers engaged, but not too frequently; consumers are more sensitive to spammy marketing techniques in their email inboxes than their social media feeds. It’s always a good idea to appeal to readers by including actionable information or helpful resources, like in NisonCo’s family of newsletters.
5. Post Optimized Dispensary Blogs
Optimized blogs are invaluable to your company’s SEO success and can also be an important part of your content marketing strategy. The key to great blogs lies in making them relevant. For example, content marketing around 4/20, blogs with other seasonal themes, like summer marketing strategies, and tie-ins to local community events are typically successful. You can promote these blogs on your social media profiles and newsletters.
Regularity is essential when it comes to blogging. A weekly blog helps keep the website current and our clients engaged. However, it can be hard to ideate new, relevant, keyword-rich topics week after week, so it might be helpful to work with a cannabis content creation agency.
6. Keep Consumers Informed About Dispensary Sales
Customers can only take advantage of the sales they know about. Keep them updated by providing ample information about any promotions you’re running. This is one time that it’s okay to send out a few extra emails, text notifications or social media posts — consumers might not love spammy marketing, but they like saving money!
7. Generate Hype Around New Cannabis Products
If you’re introducing a new and exciting product, maximizing its launch can be a great way to entice customers into visiting your dispensary. Specific information is more actionable than vague promotions and can help consumers decide what to buy. A written press release, pitching to local reporters, in-store displays, sales, social media posts, and newsletter features can all effectively bring your product to the most people possible.
Work With a Cannabis Content Marketing Firm to Help Your Dispensary Succeed
Content marketing is a complex network of techniques that come together to help your dispensary gain exposure and succeed. With our background in cannabis PR, SEO, and cannabis content creation, NisonCo is an excellent choice for a partner in your dispensary’s content, media and internet marketing strategies. To schedule a consultation, contact NisonCo today.
