Operating a business in the cannabis industry presents a unique challenge. Running a successful company in any emerging market is bound to be difficult because you do not have the stability of knowing how many customers to expect through the door or have yardstick brands to emulate.
This means you are shooting into the dark, making every decision with no reference points or understanding of how large the market will be in the next year – let alone decade.
However, the cannabis industry takes this instability to a new level because of the connotations of the word. If you were to tell the average person on the street that there was a legal cannabis industry, they would still likely double-take.
Therefore, when it comes to marketing your cannabis brand, you have to tread carefully. You need to position yourself as a trustworthy brand that is totally above board and separate from the less savory connotations of the word cannabis.
This step is just as important for your customers as your own brand because people need to justify their purchases to potentially skeptical friends and family members.
To help you position your brand, here are some top tips for marketing your cannabis company:
Collaborate with a dedicated cannabis marketing company
A fantastic way to make your life easier as a business owner and enable you to market your cannabis company properly is to collaborate with an expert marketing company that specializes in the cannabis industry.
The last point is crucial. Your industry has its own unique challenges and is fast-moving, which is why you can’t rely on a run-of-the-mill marketer to handle your advertising campaigns for you.
They will simply damage your brand and position it incorrectly. Instead, you should reach out to a marketing firm that provides dedicated cannabis seo services.
Remember that public perception of the industry is evolving
As we have already touched upon, the public perception of the cannabis industry is constantly evolving as more and more people start to understand the potential benefits of cannabis-related products, and brands within the industry become more mainstream.
Of course, there is an element of first-mover advantage. If you can position your brand well enough, consumers will start to associate your area of the market with you rather than your competitors.
Naturally, this makes it significantly easier to sell your products, stand out in the marketplace, and scale your company in the long term.
Of course, you also need to remember that half your marketing battle is won simply by making people aware that your industry exists, so consider using bold techniques like guerrilla marketing.
Make sure you distinguish yourself from illicit services
Another challenge you will face that is unique to the cannabis industry is the association with more illicit services that have tarred the potential benefits of cannabis-related products.
Therefore, you should emphasize these potential benefits in your marketing message and position your products as clean, scientifically-backed, and mainstream – rather than something that is in any way shady or under the table.