Building a successful business online is no easy feat. With fierce competition, constantly changing algorithms, and the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, it can be difficult to get your brand noticed.
And if you’re in the CBD or cannabis industry, there are additional challenges to navigate. While the market for CBD and cannabis products is growing rapidly, advertising and marketing restrictions can make it difficult for businesses to connect with their target audience.
Anyone who has decided to build a cannabis brand might have noticed that they can’t run paid ads on almost all of the paid channels.
And when it comes to content, many website charge a premium to host content from cannabis brands. But saying that, there are still plenty of ways to build a strong content strategy for a cannabis brand, wherever you’re based. You just need to know how…
In this article, we’ll explore six strategies for building a successful cannabis or CBD brand on the internet.
Develop a high-quality website
Your website is the foundation of your online presence, so it’s important to get it right. A well-designed and informative website is crucial for any website and this goes double for your cannabis brand.
Your website should provide information about your products, their benefits, and any relevant certifications. It should also be easy to navigate and mobile-friendly.
WordPress is obviously one of the most popular ways to build a website, and is perfectly suited to cannabis brands. Other options include Wix, Joolma and Webflow.
Leverage SEO
Since paid advertising is not an option for most CBD brands, search engine optimization (SEO) is critical for driving organic traffic to your website. SEO involves optimizing your website for relevant keywords so that it ranks higher on search engine results pages. This can be done through on-page optimization, such as optimizing your website’s content and metadata, as well as off-page optimization, such as building backlinks from other websites.
SEO is a long term strategy, especially for brands on a budget. While tools such as Chat GPT have made it much easier for brands to create content for SEO, there is a lot to be said for properly planning an SEO strategy.
Look at answering specific questions your audience are answering, with relation to your product, and build a consistent posting strategy.
Create high-quality content
Building a blog or resource center on your website can help establish your brand as an authority in the industry. Create informative and educational content that speaks to the needs of your target audience.
This can include articles on the benefits of CBD, product reviews, and how-to guides. People increasingly respond to videos too, especially for CBD and cannabis.
The theory is that by providing value to your audience, you can build trust and establish a loyal following. So focus on useful and engaging content (or at least funny stuff).
Build a social media presence
While social media platforms have restrictions on cannabis-related content, there are still ways to build a presence. Focus on creating engaging content that highlights the lifestyle benefits of CBD, rather than explicitly promoting your products.
Many CBD brands such as Foria Wellness or ShelleySupply focus their content on their social media content on helping their audience. In the case of these brands, it’s usually women looking for pain relief or products such as CBD lubes.
You can also partner with influencers in your niche to promote your products and reach a wider audience. Talking of which…
Partner with influencers
Influencer marketing can be an effective way to reach your target audience, especially for cannabis brands. You’ll need to find influencers in your niche who align with your brand values and partner with them to promote your products. This can include sponsored posts, product reviews, and giveaways.
By leveraging the influencer’s existing audience, you can reach a wider audience and build brand awareness.
The best way to find influencers who will work with cannabis brands is simply to search the related hashtags and see who pops up. If there is a good account that seems to have lots of engagement, you could reach out and ask them about partnering with your brand.
For pricing, there is no real guidelines. Influencers can charge as little or as much as they want, and may add a premium for cannabis or CBD brands. Others might simply be happy to get some recognition.
Nano influencers tend to have between 1,000 to 10,000 followers, while micro influencers will be between 10,000 to 100,000.
Use email marketing
Email marketing can be a powerful way to connect with your audience and promote your products. You’ll need to build a list of subscribers who are interested in your brand and send regular updates and promotions. This can include new product launches, special offers, and educational content.
Having a sign up form on your site is the best way to do this – definitely avoid buying lists as this is a fast lane to being marked as spam and possibly even getting your domain blacklisted.
The theory is that by staying in touch with your audience, you can build a loyal following and drive sales.
Partner with a cannabis marketing agency
While these strategies can be effective for building a successful CBD brand on the internet, it can be challenging to navigate the restrictions and regulations around advertising and marketing CBD and cannabis products.
That’s where partnering with a marketing agency that specializes in promoting cannabis brands can be valuable. An experienced CBD marketing agency can help you navigate the restrictions and leverage existing partnerships and relationships to promote your brand.
They can also provide useful strategies and insights to help you build a successful brand online.
To summarize
Building a successful CBD brand on the internet requires a multi-faceted approach that includes developing a high-quality website, leveraging SEO, creating high-quality content, building a social media presence, partnering with influencers, and using email marketing.
While there are challenges to overcome, by staying focused on your target audience and providing value through your content and products, you can build a loyal following and drive sales. And by partnering with an experienced marketing agency, you can navigate the challenges and build a successful brand in the growing CBD and cannabis market.
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