With nearly 48.2 million people using cannabis at least once in the US alone in 2019 and multi-billion dollar markets popping up worldwide, it’s no surprise that cannabis content marketing is essential to businesses within the niche.
So how can you ensure your cannabis company stands out in an ever-crowded market?
This guide will take you through all relevant aspects and teach you how to get your cannabis marketing efforts right.
From understanding your target audience to creating compelling copy, we’ll teach you how to deliver successful campaigns and become a leader in the cannabis industry.
Let’s dive in.
Key Takeaways
- Relevance is key – Your content must be relevant to your target audience if you want them to engage with it.
- Quality trumps quantity – Always aim for quality over quantity when publishing cannabis content.
- Consistency is vital – Publish new cannabis content regularly to keep your target audience engaged.
- Promote your content – Don’t forget to promote your cannabis business or product across all channels for maximum reach.
Definition and purpose of cannabis content marketing
Cannabis content marketing is a subgenre focusing on creating and distributing content directly related to the cannabis industry.
When it comes to promoting your cannabis business, there’s no doubt that content marketing should be a crucial part of your overall content strategy. After all, without quality cannabis content, you can’t drive traffic to your website or generate leads.
This can include everything from educational articles to blog and social media posts about different strains and their effects to detailed guides on how to grow marijuana plants.
The purpose of content marketing is to educate potential customers about the many different aspects of the industry. The material should also encourage cannabis users to engaging with your product or service.
By providing accurate information, cannabis brands can build relationships and trust with their target audience, ultimately leading to more sales.
But what is the value of content marketing for the cannabis niche? And how can you create a solid content strategy to help you achieve your business goals? Can it help you sell more cannabis products?
There’s a reason all the biggest cannabis brands in the industry invest heavily in content.
Different methods of cannabis marketing
When crafting the content strategy for your cannabis marketing, be sure to keep the following key points in mind:
Blogging and search engine optimization for your cannabis brand
A great way to share your knowledge and insights about the cannabis industry is through blogging. Writing articles is a great way to get organic traffic and improve your google ranking.
You can write about anything related to cannabis, from cultivation and strains to the latest industry news. Aim to become a topical authority for an extra boost in your search rankings, and use expert content writers to gain an edge.
If you mix quality content with a proper SEO strategy, you can’t fail to impress your current customers as well as engage new ones. You can also play with longer forms of content, such as white papers and other forms specific to the industry.
Social media posts
Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are perfect for sharing cannabis social media content with a broad audience. Use relevant cannabis hashtags to reach even more people who are interested in what you have to say.
Posting content consistently is an excellent cannabis social media marketing method. This strategy is effective in building a bigger target audience quickly. Just bear in mind that you can’t use paid advertising on most platforms, as it’s not yet legal at a federal level.
Check each platform’s policies before trying to set up ad campaigns.
Video content and reels
YouTube and other video-sharing platforms offer a great way to reach a large target audience with your cannabis video content.
You can create informative videos about various topics related to your industry or even record yourself talking about your own experiences to provide truly educational content from your unique perspective.
All you need is some basic video editing software and you can start creating content that will make you stand out against other cannabis businesses.
Infographics for the cannabis industry
If you’re looking for a more visual way to promote your cannabis brand, then consider creating infographics. These can be especially effective in explaining complex topics in an easily digestible format and are a staple in the cannabis industry.
With tools like Canva, you don’t need to splash out on expensive graphic designers to achieve this either. Even the average person has what it takes after a few tutorials. Unique branding like this will give your brand exposure without breaking the bank.
Email marketing strategy
Emails are a great way to reach out to your customers and stay top of mind, and gaining a list of email subscribers from your top-quality blog content only makes sense if you can use it to get new leads.
Emails are a powerful tool to engage with customers and build relationships. You don’t always have to treat them as a sales pitch, either. You can subtly promote your cannabis products through relationships built over time.
Here are some tips for maximizing the benefits of emails and maintaining email lists that pay off:
1. Keep your emails relevant and exciting. No one wants to receive a generic email that offers nothing new. Ensure your emails are packed with helpful information and engaging content to keep recipients coming back for more.
2. Use attractive visuals. People are visual creatures, so make sure your emails include images or videos that appeal. This will help grab attention and make your message more memorable.
3. Personalize whenever possible. Email is a very personal medium, so take advantage of this by addressing recipients by name and tailoring content to them. This will help create a connection and build trust.
4. Be timely with your messages. Timing is everything, so ensure you send out your messages when they’re most likely to be read and acted upon. This could be first thing in the morning, lunchtime, or evening before bedtime.
5. Offer something valuable. Whether it’s a discount, free shipping, or exclusive access to new cannabis products, give recipients something extra that will incentivize them to click through to your site.
Good content marketing: How to determine the best plan for your business
The cannabis industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. Once seen as a small niche, it’s becoming so big that there’s now even an advertising and marketing awards competition for weed products.
Whichever form of marijuana your business focuses on, having a proper plan will make all the difference.
With new markets opening up and more businesses entering the space, there is an increasing demand for quality content and intelligent search engine optimization.
But with so many options available, how do you determine the best strategy for your business without it becoming too time-consuming?
Here are a few things to consider when developing your marketing strategy:
- Who is your target customer?
- What type of content will resonate with them?
- What are your content marketing goals?
- How will you measure the success of your strategy?
Advantages of a good cannabis marketing strategy
When it comes to content marketing your business, there are many different strategies that you can use to reach your customers.
Here are just a few of the advantages your cannabis brand can achieve through a solid content marketing strategy:
You can reach a wider audience
You have the potential to reach a much wider target audience than you would with other cannabis marketing strategies, and the best cannabis companies are already taking advantage. There are now more ways than ever before for people to consume cannabis-related content.
For example, there are numerous cannabis-focused websites and social media platforms that allow you to share your message with a large number of people. Employ this as part of your cannabis social media markteing strategy.
It can help you build trust and credibility
You can help build trust and credibility with potential customers. This is because you’ll be providing them with valuable information about your product or service.
Doing this will show that you’re an expert in the cannabis industry, making people more likely to do business with you.
Getting started with your content marketing plan
When launching a campaign, you must remember a few key things.
First and foremost, creating engaging cannabis business content is crucial:
- Who are you trying to reach with your content?
- What kind of messaging do they respond to?
From there, it’s essential to focus on creating quality relevant content. Mix up your content types; don’t just rely on one format. Whether it’s blog posts, infographics, or videos, ensure that what you’re putting out there is engaging and informative.
If you follow this roadmap, you increase your chances at success:
Formulate your goals
Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or generate leads?
Once you know your goal, you can develop a strategy and create content to help you achieve it.
If you need to figure out your goal, take some time to brainstorm.
- What are your business goals?
- What does your ideal customer look like?
- How can content help you reach them?
Once you understand your target audience and what they want, you can start developing goals that make sense for your business.
Determine your target audience
The first step in any effective cannabis content marketing strategy is determining your target audience.
- Who are you trying to reach with your content?
- What are their needs and interests?
- What kind of language do they use?
Once you know who you’re talking to, you can start creating cannabis-related content that meets their needs. Whether it’s blog posts, infographics, or videos, make sure your content is helpful, informative, and engaging.
Produce and distribute your content
One of the most critical aspects is producing and distributing valuable and high-quality content written by content writers who know the industry.
It’s also essential to have a solid distribution strategy, so your content reaches as many people as possible. This means using social media, email content marketing, and other channels to get your content in front of potential customers.
By producing and distributing excellent cannabis content, you’ll be able to attract more leads and convert them into customers.
Pay attention to keywords
Keywords are everything when it comes to SEO. As a cannabis business, you want to ensure that your website and blog are optimized for the right keywords so that people searching for information on the internet can easily find your content.
There are a few things to keep in mind when selecting keywords:
1. Relevance: Make sure that the keywords you select are relevant to your products or services.
If you sell medical marijuana, for example, then some of the keywords you might want to target could be “medical marijuana,” “cannabis for medicinal use,” or “marijuana for pain relief.”
2. Popularity: It’s also vital to select popular keywords people search for on the internet. There’s no point in targeting obscure keywords that nobody will ever search for.
Use keyword research tools like Google AdWords Keyword Planner and semrush.com to find popular keywords related to your business.
3. Competitiveness: Another thing to consider is the keyword’s competitiveness. If you’re a small cannabis business, it might not be worthwhile trying to rank for super-competitive keywords like “cannabis dispensary” or “buy weed online” as these are dominated by bigger brands.
However, other long-tail keywords (keywords with three or more words) might be less competitive and more achievable with less SEO budget.
4. Search Intent: Search intent can help you understand what your target audience is looking for when they search. It provides insight into the user’s goals and objectives while helping you tailor your content to your target’s needs and expectations.
By understanding search intent, you can create more valuable and relevant content, leading to higher engagement and conversions. Optimizing content for search intent can improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results.
Monitor and assess the results
As a marketer, you always look for ways to improve your content strategy. One way to do this is to monitor and assess the outcomes of your content marketing campaigns. By understanding what works and what doesn’t, you can make necessary adjustments to ensure that your campaigns are as effective as possible.
To properly monitor and assess the outcomes of your campaigns, there are a few key metrics you should keep track of. These include things like engagement rates, website traffic, and conversion rates. By analyzing these metrics, you can get a good idea of how your content is performing and make necessary changes accordingly.
In addition to tracking key metrics, it is also important to listen to feedback from your audience to keep building your brand.
This can be done through surveys, comment sections, and social media. By understanding what people think about your content, you can make necessary changes to ensure that it is informative and engaging.
If you’re not into the content marketing side of things or need some guidance, check out some of the best cannabis marketing companies that can help you develop your strategy.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions that will help you better understand this type of content marketing strategy:
How do I get started with cannabis content marketing?
The first step is to identify your ideal customers and what types of information they’re looking for. Once you know this, you can begin creating various types of content (blog posts, articles, infographics, etc.)
Once you have a few pieces of quality content, start promoting it through social media, email, and other channels.
What are the benefits of cannabis content marketing?
- Increased visibility for your business.
- A chance to build trust and credibility with your audience.
- An opportunity to differentiate yourself from the competition.
- A way to connect with like-minded people and grow your network.
How to measure the success of a cannabis content marketing strategy?
The success of a campaign can be measured by key indicators such as increased web traffic, engagement with your content (shares, comments, etc.), and, most importantly, conversions (sales, leads, etc.).
Look for increases in both unique visitors and pageviews. If you see a significant spike in traffic after launching your campaign, that’s a good sign that your content resonates with your target audience.
Are you ready to be successful in the cannabis industry?
Legalization has reshaped cannabis marketing, and that means you have to put the effort into valuable content to boost the presence of your brand.
Proper cannabis content marketing can help you build trust and credibility, establish thought leadership in your industry, generate leads and sales, and even grow your brand.
Clearly understanding your target audience and knowing what kind of content will resonate with them will make you stand out from the crowd.
Once you have this foundation, you can create high-quality cannabis content that speaks directly to your audience’s interests.
Jack Alexander Morrison Austin is a content marketing maverick, driving sales, and growth through high-quality content and advanced SEO strategies.
As the creative engine behind Grassroots Content, Jack’s mission is to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, ensuring brands get noticed in the crowded digital landscape.
Hailing originally from the UK, Jack now calls Da Nang, Vietnam his home, an inspiring backdrop for his audacious vision of revolutionizing content creation to catalyze tangible growth in business performance. His approach is not just about words or SEO for SEO’s sake; it’s about creating a unified vision that genuinely assists customers and primes brands for Google’s ranking.
With a keen interest in Google’s Natural Language Processing and algorithm analysis, Jack masterfully crafts content that is compelling and designed to surge traffic, skyrocket click-through rates, and multiply sales. Every month, he and his team deliver over 500,000 words to delighted clients worldwide, paving the way for unprecedented growth in their business performance.
When he’s not immersed in crafting top-notch content or decoding Google’s algorithms, Jack can be found indulging in his love for football, music, and outdoor adventures. A fan of camping, he thrives on the thrill of exploring new terrains, much like his approach to content marketing.
Ready to transform your content strategy and experience the Grassroots Content difference? Feel free to contact Jack for a free consultation. Be part of the revolution in content creation that drives organic growth and boosts conversions. Jack Austin is here to amplify your brand and turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.