With the U.S. cannabis industry projected to reach $45.8 billion by 2025, brands need to stand out among the crowded landscape. Traditional marketing and advertising avenues can be difficult since ads are highly regulated and vary widely from state-to-state. In a recent survey from the Cannabis Marketing Association, more than 80 percent of cannabis companies said they were having problems getting the right message to the right audience.
Cannabis brands are still turning to digital marketing, whether that be through email, social media, SEO, or other forms — but in order to be successful, it needs to be done the right way. Direct ads through social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram are prohibited, but there are legal ways around that while still being able to build brand awareness — you just need to know how and what to do in order to get away with this type of marketing.
To help cannabis brands succeed, here are some digital marketing trends for 2023:
- Google Cracking Down on Cannabis Advertisers
- Online Cannabis Marketplaces Popping Up Like Weeds
- Cross Promotions
- Partnering Up with Local Dispensaries
- Educational Blogs are Still a Thing
- Prioritizing SEO
Google Cracking Down on Cannabis Advertisers
In January 2022, Google announced that they were adding stricter measures to the Advertiser Verification Program. They are taking transparency and privacy more seriously, and with that, they are creating higher requirements to publish ads and appeal to them, too. Especially next year, Google is expected to crack down on accounts that are violating its policies, including its cannabis policy, and make it more difficult for violators to retry, according to Findable Digital Marketing Inc.
Instead of advertising on Google, try doubling down on organic, cannabis-friendly channels such as Google search. Use SEO and top keyword terms to get your website as close to the top of the list as possible when someone searches for something cannabis related or local dispensaries near them.
Michael Hamburger, CEO of Ezzey, offers three tips for cannabis marketers in order to make the most out of marketing in 2023:
- Get your plan ready. The most important thing is to have your roadmap to success dialed in. Look at multiple channels and have patience. Do not try to run, just do a great job of walking. Understand what your unique selling proposition is compared to your competitors.
- Make sure you do not take a shot in the dark. Be confident that you understand the guidelines within the restrictive space that you operate in or enlist in an experienced marketing partner to help.
- When channels open up, marketers must also be ready to have honest conversations with their customers about the realities of a successful long-term cannabis marketing strategy. Transitioning beyond short-term marketing tactics might scare some customers initially, but investing in long-term strategies will allow cannabis brands to ensure that they are not just here today and gone by tomorrow.
Online Cannabis Marketplaces Popping Up Like Weeds
Online cannabis marketplaces are continuing to shake up the industry, providing a convenient way for both medical patients and recreational users to purchase marijuana from the comfort of their homes. This is a great avenue for you to build brand awareness and reach new customers.
One example is Leaf Trade, an all-in-one cannatech wholesale platform, which helps retailers connect with manufacturers and suppliers to easily access and purchase products. As long as you are a licensed grower or distributor, you can sell your products through the marketplace and be connected with licensed retailers and dispensaries. On the business-to-consumer side, some cannabis marketplaces include Weedbates, Weedmaps, Leafly, and eaze.
“The cost of marketplace advertising can be really expensive, but it is one of the most qualified forms of advertising you can find. You just need to have the budget, but it should be part of the marketing mix,” Madison Fiore, CEO and Founder of MATTIO+FIORE Media, said.
Cross Promotions
Since the cannabis industry is still relatively new as we wait for federal prohibition to end, there is an under-explored area for cross promotions with other products or advertising a series of cannabis products together. Depending on your audience, it can be profitable to promote your cannabis-related products with:
- Other cannabis products, like promoting different methods of CBD ingestion together. This can be done in a unified package, like selling multiple forms of CBD for their potential stress-relief benefits.
- Selling cannabis products with the means to ingest them.
- Cannabis with certain food or drinks as part of a cannabis-cooking package.
Partnering Up with Local Dispensaries
Co-marketing with local dispensaries can not only help keep the cost of advertising down, but it can also expand your reach by including the other business’s customer base. Fiore thinks co-op marketing will be a big hit in 2023, and is already seeing brands partake in this method. You can partner up on a special product bundle offer, or maybe by advertising a special educational event at either of your locations where shoppers can learn more about cannabis.
Educational Blogs are Still a Thing
If you want to reach potential cannabis customers, one of the best ways to do so is through blogging. You can write blog posts to provide valuable information about cannabis products and services, as well as to promote your brand. Reaching customers through educational and informative content can help you communicate the effective uses of your products, the benefits, and the value of your brand. This also helps your SEO and Google Search rankings.
Prioritizing SEO
“The main trends I am seeing for 2023 are SEO, offline-to-online, and social media,” Hamburger said. “As CBD brands gear up for 2023, we are seeing a lot of them prioritize SEO. These brands are focusing on making sure they have the right baseline infrastructure to have their website show up organically in the top search results.”
SEO is an incredibly important part of running any business, but especially with cannabis businesses. Since you cannot pay for advertising on search engines or through social media, SEO can greatly increase your chances of getting to the top of search results and have more shoppers coming to your landing page.
While there are some new digital marketing trends on the horizon, using the old traditional techniques will remain a way to succeed, like print and billboard advertising. It may seem outdated, but until cannabis becomes federally legal and more social media platforms open up to marijuana brands, print will continue to be effective.