Email marketing can be considered the most effective digital marketing strategies for cannabis cultivators to implement because of how personal and direct the messaging can be. Connecting with consumers has never been easier in the age of digital marketing.
Cannabis Producer’s Biggest problem
One of the biggest goals for every cannabis business is to become vertically integrated. This means having multiple cannabis licenses that allow a company to grow, produce, and sell cannabis products. The process to get one license is complex and uber expensive, so many cannabis businesses get stuck with one] license. If a cannabis brand starts their operation without a dispensary it can be extremely challenging to drive sales and generate revenue compared to starting with retail first.
The biggest issue is the disconnect between the brand and the end user. Most state cannabis programs hinder cultivators and processors from selling their product directly. No pop up shops, special events, or online ordering is permitted by cannabis brands without a retail license. Dispensaries hold most of the leverage in the relationship between brands because they control the cost that the consumers pay. The key initiative for cannabis producers to combat this issue is to identify and execute a strategy that allows them to communicate and connect directly with the end user.
The Power of Technology: Leverage Digital Marketing
Technology is the saving grace for cannabis brands, but some of them don’t understand how to harness the power of online marketing channels to connect with their target audience. The most important digital asset a cannabis business can create is a branded website that allows them to share their unfiltered message to cannabis customers. Learn how to turn a cannabis website into a revenue generating machine.
Email marketing, to many digital marketing specialists, is the most effective marketing channel. The power to personalize, categorize, and segment the audience is unmatched by any other channel. Some cannabis marketers believe email marketing is only useful for retail operations, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Direct impact on the Customer’s Journey
Cannabis producers can use email marketing to connect with the customer in a variety of ways using email marketing. Here is a short list of ways to leverage cannabis email marketing:
- Segment customers by geographical location – Target your customers and help guide them to your retail partners that are located in their area. Incentivise your fans to shop for your products. In markets like Michigan it can be challenging for customers to locate their favorite brands.
- Segment customers by demographics – Get a better understanding of who your customers are. You can learn more about which products perform better based on gender or age.
- Send customer surveys – Identify what products are popular, which ones need to be dropped from the lineup, and what new products should be introduced to the market.
- Promote product launches – Email is one of the only ways you can directly send product promotions to customers. Show off visuals of your products. Make sure you are using an email marketing tool that allows cannabis media.
- Educate customers – Blog marketing is a powerful channel. Use your email list to drive traffic to informative newsletters that will answer your customer’s burning questions.
- Personalization – Address your audience by name and send them happy birthday messages. You can also send them promotions of products they have purchased in the past.
- Loyalty program – Most dispensaries will create loyalty programs to encourage customer retention. Cannabis producers can do the same. Reward your customers when they leave reviews, buy a certain number of products, and engage with your emails and social media accounts.
Wholesale Opportunities
Email marketing has a huge impact on wholesale metrics as well. Cannabis producers can use powerful email tools like Alpine IQ to blast updated menus and promotions to their retail partners. THe sales automation will save sales reps time and energy that can be spent on forging new relationships.
An email list of loyal customers who are big fans of the producer’s brand can be leveraged for additional shelf space. Dispensaries want to work with brands that have marketing support for their brand. A key factor in deciding to carry one brand over another is point of sales support. A strong email list can drive customers directly to retailers and help them clear their shelves and gear up for another large wholesale order.
Final Thoughts
Cannabis brands have to put in a sizable effort into email marketing because of its power to help companies connect with their fans directly. Social media is the rave for most businesses; however, due to the strict compliance cannabis brands are unable to really promote their products. Email lists allow brands to effectively collect data on their target audience that can be used to better improve the product and company as a whole.
Personalization and rapport is key even in a b2c relationship. Cannabis producers must be able to impact the end user’s purchasing decisions and support their retail partners in order to maximize sales.
Cannabis Email Marketing Done For You
Dagga Digital Marketing provides a full service brand optimization solution for the cannabis and CBD industry. Our proven Digital Cultivation Method is focused on an omni-channel digital marketing approach that will help any cannabis brand grow and scale their business online.
We recommend using Alpine IQ for email and text message marketing campaigns. This platform can be utilized by your marketing team, but our cannabis digital marketing experts can further help your team maximize the tool and optimize your customer’s experience.
Request a free consultation with one of our Brand Experts to draft a game plan that will take your cannabis business to the next level.
