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Marketing a cannabis business can be a tricky and complicated endeavor. With strict regulations and a crowded market, it’s important to ensure that you’re making the most of your marketing efforts. Here are five DOs and DON’Ts to keep in mind when marketing your cannabis business.

 

DON’T overlook experience in the cannabis industry

One of the most important things to keep in mind when selecting a marketing team is to look for a team with experience in the cannabis industry. This is because the regulations and restrictions around marketing cannabis products are different from other industries, and it’s important to work with a team that understands these nuances.

 

DO look for a team with a track record of success

While experience in the cannabis industry is important, it’s also crucial to work with a team that has a proven track record of success. Look for case studies, testimonials, and references to ensure that you’re working with a team that knows how to deliver results.

 

DON’T rely solely on online attribution

While online attribution is important, it’s crucial to measure both online and retail attribution to get a complete picture of your marketing efforts. This will help you understand how your online and offline marketing tactics are impacting your overall sales and revenue.

 

DO prioritize transparency and communication

Transparency and communication are key when working with a marketing team. Make sure that the team you choose is open and communicative, providing regular updates and insights into your campaign’s performance.

 

DON’T disregard data privacy laws

Programmatic marketing relies on collecting and analyzing data, but it’s important to adhere to data privacy laws, such as the GDPR and CCPA. Failure to comply with these laws can result in legal penalties and a damaged reputation.

 

DO ensure compliance with industry regulations

When marketing cannabis products, compliance with industry regulations is critical. Make sure that the marketing team you choose is well-versed in these regulations and takes them seriously.

 

DON’T neglect creative development

While marketing tactics like programmatic advertising are automated, it’s important to have a strong creative team that can develop compelling ads and messaging that will resonate with your target audience.

 

DO emphasize targeting and audience segmentation

Programmatic marketing allows for precise targeting and audience segmentation, which is especially important in the cannabis industry. Look for a team that has expertise in these areas and can help you reach your ideal audience.

 

DON’T ignore measurement and optimization

Programmatic advertising allows for real-time measurement and optimization, so it’s important to work with a team that prioritizes this. This will help you understand what’s working and what’s not, allowing you to make adjustments and improve your overall ROI.

 

DO prioritize ongoing optimization and testing

Finally, it’s important to prioritize ongoing optimization and testing new channels to improve your campaign’s performance over time. Look for a marketing team that prioritizes ongoing optimization and keeps a pulse on the industry landscape to help you achieve better ROI and a stronger overall performance.

 

In conclusion, marketing a cannabis business requires a strategic and thoughtful approach. By keeping these five DOs and DON’Ts in mind, you can ensure that you’re making the most of your marketing efforts and reaching your target audience effectively.

3 Best Ways to Drive Traffic Around 4/20 for Your Brand or Dispensary

The origins of 4/20 as a cannabis holiday are a bit hazy, but the most popular theory traces it back to a group of high school students in California in the 1970s. According to the story, a group of friends who called themselves “the Waldos” would meet at 4:20 pm to smoke weed after school. They used “420” as a code word for cannabis, and the term caught on among their circle of friends.

Today, 4:20 is celebrated around the world as a day to celebrate cannabis and advocate for its legalization. In some places, it’s an official holiday, while in others, it’s a more informal celebration among friends. But wherever and however it’s celebrated, 4/20 remains an important cultural touchstone for cannabis enthusiasts and businesses around the world.

 4/20 month is here, and cannabis brands and dispensaries are gearing up for the biggest cannabis day of the year. We see retailers and brands prepping to run promotions and incentivize potential customers to spend their money with them over their competitors using the Holiday as a promotional tool. With the right paid media strategy, you can drive quality traffic to your website or retail dispensary and make the most out of this holiday. 

Here are the 3 best ways to drive traffic around 4/20 for your brand or dispensary:

Programmatic Advertising

With the ability to reach highly targeted audiences at scale and optimize campaigns in real-time, programmatic advertising is the perfect way to drive traffic around 4/20. By leveraging programmatic advertising technologies, you can serve ads to the right person, at the right time, on the right device, with the right message. 

Timing is critical during 4/20, when people are actively searching for cannabis products and services. Plus, with the right programmatic advertising strategy, you can maximize your ROI and grow your business like never before. 

Here are a handful of beneficial targeting strategies:

• Contextual Targeting: Reaching consumers who have engaged with Cannabis content across a host of websites over some recent period of time. If someone is living around your store AND is reading about cannabis, we want to be talking to them.
• Lookalike shoppers: Analyze data on existing customers to identify key characteristics and preferences, then target individuals who share those traits to increase the likelihood of conversion. You’ll need a partner to help activate the programmatic space.
• Geolocation Targeting: Use location-based data to target ads and promotions to consumers in specific areas, such as those near a dispensary or in a particular city or state where cannabis is legal.
• PMP (private marketplace): Targeting publishers whose audience has a high propensity to engage and convert with Cannabis advertisements. The term PMP refers to a “private marketplace” which means higher quality ad units that the publisher makes available via separate purchase paths, usually at a premium CPM.
• Retargeting: Use data on consumers who have previously visited your site or engaged with your brand to serve them ads or promotions that are tailored to their interests and behavior.
• Cart abandoner retargeting: Use retargeting strategies explicitly targeting users who abandoned their carts without making a purchase, to entice them back to the website and complete the transaction.

 

Twitter Advertising

Twitter advertising is a brand new option for the cannabis industry, and it offers a great opportunity to reach a highly engaged audience leading up to 4/20.

With over 187 million daily active users, Twitter is a highly engaging platform where people come to learn, share, and connect. By leveraging Twitter advertising, you can reach a highly targeted audience and promote your products and promotions leading up to 4/20.

One of the key benefits of Twitter advertising is the ability to target based on user interests and behaviors. For instance, you can target users who are interested in cannabis or who follow other cannabis-related accounts. This means you can reach people who are already engaged with your industry and are more likely to engage with your brand.

With the ability to target based on user interests and behaviors, as well as use retargeting tactics to stay top-of-mind with potential customers, Twitter advertising can be a highly effective way to promote your brand and drive traffic to your website or dispensary.

 

Clear Reporting

No matter which paid media strategy you choose, clear reporting is critical to ensure you’re getting the most out of your advertising dollars. You need to know what’s working and where to allocate your budget to maximize your ROI. With clear reporting, you can understand which channels are driving the most traffic and which campaigns are driving the most conversions.

Having a dedicated account manager to go over your reports with you is also critical. A dedicated account manager can help you make sense of your data and provide recommendations for optimizing your campaigns. They can also help you stay on top of industry trends and adjust your strategy accordingly.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, clear reporting is a critical aspect of any successful paid media strategy. By understanding which channels and campaigns are driving the most traffic and conversions, you can allocate your advertising dollars more effectively and maximize your ROI. And with a dedicated account manager to help you make sense of your data and optimize your campaigns, you can ensure you’re getting the most out of your 4/20 paid media strategy.

Paid media is important in driving sales in the cannabis industry because it allows businesses to reach their target audience effectively across devices and content types with the ability to track that engagement back to real sales. 

With legal restrictions on the Google and Meta advertising platforms; cannabis-friendly paid media provides an opportunity to get in front of potential customers through targeted digital campaigns. 

Not all paid media providers and campaigns are created equally – regardless of who you choose to spend your money with, we figured we would give away four tips on how to simplify and enhance the thought process for your paid media efforts. 

1. Know Your Audience

Before you start running any paid media campaign, you need to understand your target audience. This is especially important in the cannabis industry, where there are many different types of consumers. Are you targeting medical patients or recreational users? Are you focusing on a particular age group or demographic? Once you understand who you’re targeting, you can tailor your messaging and ad placements accordingly.

2. Focus on Return on Ad Spend (ROAS):

One of the most important metrics to track when running a paid media campaign is your ROAS. This is the amount of revenue you generate for every dollar you spend on advertising. In the cannabis industry, where advertising options can be limited, making every dollar count is important. Focus on ad placements and messaging that have the highest potential to drive conversions and generate revenue.

3. Use reporting tools that allow associating conversion events with customers

Are these conversions new customers? Lost customers? Frequency customers? What are they buying? What should we be promoting to them? A great media partner will help provide clarity from the onset of your work together.

4. Stay Up-to-Date with Regulations

Finally, it’s crucial to stay up-to-date with the latest regulations and advertising guidelines in the cannabis industry. These can vary by state and even by platform, so it’s essential to do your research before launching any paid media campaign. Failure to comply with advertising regulations can result in fines and other penalties, so it’s essential to take this seriously.

Running a successful paid media campaign in the cannabis industry requires a plethora of considerations. By following these tips, you can optimize your campaigns for better performance and drive revenue for your dispensary, brand, or delivery service.

Want to learn more? Contact us today about streamlining your digital marketing campaign: sales@safe-reach.com

Benefits of Cannabis Beverages: Convenient, Discreet, and Euphoric

Cannabis-infused beverages are an increasingly popular trend in the world of cannabis consumption. These drinks are infused with cannabis compounds, typically THC or CBD, and come in a variety of forms, such as teas, sodas, coffee, and beer. They offer a convenient and discreet way to consume cannabis and are a great alternative to smoking or vaping.

One emerging trend is the shift from alcoholic beverages to THC-infused ones. Jason Reposa, founder of Good Feels, a cannabis-infused seltzer brand, says he hasn’t had alcohol in almost two years and has fully switched to cannabis. “One of the significant benefits of cannabis beverages is getting that great euphoric feeling without the hangover,” says Jason.

Beverages vs. Smoking or Vaping

With so many options available for consuming cannabis, some may find it overwhelming. Between pre-rolls, edibles, concentrates, and accessories, there’s something to be said about simply opening a beverage. “The great thing about beverages is that they’re frictionless. When you have someone over to your house, it’s common to offer them a drink, not share an edible (but that’s totally cool as well),” says Jason.

Cannabis beverages are an excellent option for people who don’t like the taste of cannabis or find smoking or vaping uncomfortable. Another benefit is that the effects of cannabis beverages can be felt in as little as 5 minutes and last up to 1-2 hours, making them a great choice for those who want to experience the effects of cannabis – without sacrificing control.

The global market for cannabis-infused drinks reached a valuation of $400 million in 2022 and is predicted to grow to $8.7 billion by 2032. According to Jason, “We’re only in the first inning of the beverage market, and our team is very optimistic about the future.”

Overall, cannabis beverages are an excellent option for people who want to experience the benefits of cannabis in a convenient and enjoyable way. 

Good Feels, a cannabis-infused seltzer brand based in Massachusetts, specializes in 0 sugar, 0 calorie cannabis drinks, and fast-acting beverage enhancers. Learn more about Good Feels at https://getgoodfeels.com/.

Is your brand (non-retail/delivery) considering testing paid Twitter to drive relevant engagement to interested shoppers in their market?

Below is our initial theory on how we are guiding brands to test spending those marketing dollars on Twitter.

1. Build a custom audience of known Cannabis Shoppers in your target markets (a few ways to do this)

2. Use Twitter Ads to run promoted image or video posts of your brand within your market

3. Build an on-brand, educational landing page

4. Retargeting all users who reach the page with branded programmatic ads

Benefits of this model:

1. Fluid spending, low minimums – the ability to test without spending your entire marketing budget on a single channel

2. Putting your brand in the middle of relevant conversations between known Cannabis shoppers in your market

3. Ability to build a retargeting pool to stay in front of active Cannabis shoppers with your brand

4. Ability to use content to differentiate your brand – images, Gifs, video – all fair game!

Ready to get your brand in front of a whole new audience and test how paid social media can drive brand recognition and growth? We’re here to help!

The cannabis industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, with the global market estimated to reach $73.6 billion by 2027 (Grand View Research). As the market continues to grow, it’s becoming increasingly important for cannabis businesses to stand out and differentiate themselves from the competition. One of the best ways to do this is through a strong digital marketing campaign.

Here are a few reasons why investing in a digital marketing campaign is critical for cannabis businesses in 2023:

1. Reach a Massive Audience

With 4.88 billion internet users and 3.14 billion active social media users worldwide (Global Digital Report 2020), digital marketing provides a huge audience for cannabis businesses to reach and engage with.

2. Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness

A study by Forrester Research found that programmatic advertising can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of digital advertising campaigns, allowing cannabis businesses to target specific audiences and adjust their campaigns in real-time based on performance data.

3. Drive Traffic and Sales

A study by Marin Software found that paid search ads can drive significant traffic and sales for e-commerce businesses, with paid search driving on average 50% of all e-commerce traffic and visitors referred from these ads being 50% more likely to make a purchase.

4. Investment > Expense

A well-managed campaign is an investment, not an expense. When you have quality reporting to showcase your customers’ behavior, you can make informed decisions on how to allocate your budget appropriately. In short, you should be seeing a return on every dollar spent if done correctly. Marketing campaigns should never be “set it and forget it, ” especially in a highly regulated, ever-changing industry like cannabis.

While a significant portion of cannabis consumers still prefer to purchase their products in-store, investing in a digital marketing campaign can help drive traffic to your store and increase sales. A study by BDS Analytics found that in the United States, roughly 80% of cannabis consumers still purchase their products in-store, while only 20% purchase online.
*Safe-Reach’s NOMAD analytics platform allows dispensaries the capability to track in-store sales and tie them back to the customers’ original online engagement via POS integrations and “cookie-less attribution” tools.

In conclusion, investing in a strong digital marketing campaign is critical for cannabis businesses in 2023. It provides a cost-effective way to reach a massive audience and drive sales online and at the retail level.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to differentiate yourself from the competition and grow your business!

Are you feeling frustrated with the lack of success in your programmatic marketing campaign? 

You’re not alone. Here are three common reasons why programmatic campaigns fall short and how to fix them:

1. Not advertising on the right platforms: 

Make sure you’re reaching your target audience by placing ads on the platforms/publishers they frequent. Research different platforms and audience demographics to find the best fit for your campaign and your business.

• Who is your target audience?
• What publishers are generating the best engagement? 
• What publishers and audiences AREN’t generating engagement?

 

2. Not reaching the ideal audience

Make sure you’re targeting the right people using demographic and interest-based targeting. Use data and analytics to refine your targeting and reach the people most likely interested in your product or service.

• Pro Tip: Cannabis consumers come in all shapes and sizes with widely varied reasons for why they consume. Using data tools to understand the demographic profiles of your audience based on shopping propensities will help you understand where to find more “best” customers.

 

3. Not having a platform to provide clear and detailed reporting

Without clear and detailed reporting, it’s challenging to know what’s working, what’s not, and where your money is even going. Partner with a platform that can provide detailed analytics and reporting to allocate your budget effectively and scale as needed.

• This goes without saying – you should know how marketing impacts your bottom line and your relationship with customers. This seemingly simple analysis is very complex to execute – work with a partner who made the difficult accessible and easy to understand. 

 

You’ll be well on your way to a successful programmatic marketing campaign by addressing these common issues

Preparing for the Future of Marketing: Cookieless Attribution

Ever heard of cookieless attribution? #Cookielessattribution is a way of tracking and measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaigns without relying on traditional cookies.

As privacy concerns continue to rise and regulations like GDPR and CCPA take effect, the use of cookies is becoming increasingly restricted.

Businesses must find new ways to track and measure customer behavior as a function of online advertising. We understand that the future of marketing is moving away from standard cookies, and the team at Safe-Reach want to ensure that we’re (our clients) prepared for the changes to come.

Benefits of working with a Cookieless Digital Marketing Provider:

• Improve your marketing campaigns by identifying areas of success and areas for improvement through non-impeded attribution tracking
• Understand the true influence of your ads online AND at the retail level
• Increase ROI by reaching and targeting ultra-specific audiences

Stop guessing if your marketing is working and connect with Safe-Reach to take your digital approach into 2023.

Maximizing Return on Ad Spend: Understanding the Impact of Programmatic Campaigns on New vs Returning Customers

Programmatic campaigns can be a great way to drive traffic and increase sales for your dispensary or delivery service. When evaluating performance reporting,  it’s essential to understand if your measured conversions are being driven by new or returning customers. Within the paradigm of returning customers – are these customers your loyal shoppers or lapsed customers?

Many ad companies use modeled numbers or very loose attribution logic to drive conversions and present their success to their buyers. This can be misleading as revenue numbers can be inflated by customers who are regularly purchasing anyway – effectively killing the margin on these customers and inflating performance reporting metrics for programmatic media.

To truly understand the impact of your ad campaigns, it’s crucial to track new vs returning customers (you can take it further by bucketing your existing customers and looking at frequency or time since the last purchase to maximize the utility of your programmatic budget.) 

Targeting New Customers in the Competitive Cannabis Industry: How to Optimize Your Programmatic Budget

In the cannabis industry, targeting new customers is even more critical. The industry is still relatively new and there is a lot of competition, so it’s crucial to make sure your ad campaigns are reaching the right audience and driving new customers to your business.

Programmatic media should be used as a tool to win new market share or reclaim lost market share – if your loyalty marketing efforts are successful in retaining your loyal shoppers and you include those customers in your programmatic campaign, you are simply increasing your cost to stay engaged with those shoppers.

Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of the Cannabis Industry: The Importance of a Comprehensive Marketing Strategy

Working with a marketing partner who understands the unique challenges and opportunities of the cannabis industry can help you maximize your return on ad spend and drive growth for your business. This requires some complicated data technology – your marketing partner should be able to distill this to easy-to-understand metrics.

Your programmatic ad campaigns are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to growing your business. To truly succeed, you need to have a comprehensive marketing strategy that includes a mix of tactics to reach new customers, retain existing ones and measure performance.

Give Safe-Reach a shout – Sales@safe-reach.com!