Why Marijuana Dispensary Marketing Can Be Extra Challenging

So, you are into the marijuana business and getting ready to venture online? While it is true that the industry offers promising opportunities, you should note as well that marijuana dispensary marketing online is more challenging than any typical business you find around.

Here are some of the reasons why:

Strict advertising regulations. While more and more states are legalizing marijuana for medical and/or recreational use, the fact remains that some of the biggest online advertising platforms (e.g. AdWords, Facebook Ads) prohibit the use of their platforms for promotion of products they deemed “inappropriate for general audiences.” This creates a drawback on marijuana dispensary marketing in terms of reaching a wider audience and generating conversion.

Fact: While the said PPC platforms prohibit marijuana, there are other alternatives you (or your digital marketing manager) can use. This includes using cannabis-friendly local directories and citation sites, including the most popular ones – CBE Business Directory and USA Cannabis Directory,

The need to double the SEO effort. Off-set the drawback from PPC by doubling your marijuana dispensary marketing effort through the use of SEO. By creating more presence in top search engines’ search results, you increase the visibility of your website. No worries about de-indexing. For as long as you follow search engines’ technical and editorial guidelines, you can propel your website’s visibility to the top of the search results for the keywords you are targeting. Again, your SEO team should be able to do it for you.

The use of social channels with caution. Top social media platforms, particularly Facebook and Twitter, are also strict, even with organic posts. So, you have to be careful to avoid your social media accounts from getting banned. Read their editorial guidelines before posting. Create a private group for your followers. Be professional with posting and avoid spamming.

Being professional at giving customer support. The word of mouth has been proven to be effective in marketing – be it online or offline. One way to gain trust among customers and prospects is being professional. Answer queries as soon as possible – reply to messages, emails, and calls.

Need some help with your marijuana dispensary marketing? Contact us today at (858) 605-2806.