Digital Marketing trends move FAST. For businesses that want to stay competitive in the cannabis niche in 2022 and beyond, we highly recommend staying up to date with what is trending as well as doubling down on what actually works. The Cannabiz industry currently has some restrictions on it when it comes to what and how you market online. We are going to cover what works and what you can expect when it comes to cannabis digital marketing in 2022.

Digital Marketing Strategies for Cannabis companies in 2022

There are plenty of ways to market your business both offline and online. Figuring out the best traffic source for your business (and your mental bandwidth) can be a pain though. Currently there are a number of restrictions on paid ads for cannabis stores, shops, and online retailers so you have to find a way to gain traffic through other sources. Organic traffic from a well optimized SEO campaign can generate consistent traffic to your website, but there are other options.

Social Media Marketing for Cannabis companies

There are free options (like social media pages) that are always a good idea for a newer business. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and other platforms aren’t going anywhere. There are a number of pro’s and con’s to just using social media. Let’s discuss below.

Pro’s

Free
Potential for massive growth
Easily shareable
Doesn’t require much technical skill

Con’s

You don’t own the platform
Growth is subject to algorithm changes
Some content might be throttled based on subject
Requires a good amount of time for engagement

We highly suggest that every business has at least some social media presence. From both an SEO and marketing standpoint, social media profiles help build brand trust. Social profiles are a great place to share updates, content and gain reviews and feedback from clients and customers.

We do not recommend this being your only digital marketing strategy, since your profile can be taken down, hacked or hidden by the platforms algorithm. Plus, who really wants to be in social media all day long sharing, messaging and interacting with comments?

Outbound Cold Email Campaigns for Cannabis Businesses

Email marketing still works, but there are some drawbacks as well. We are well aware that some programs online basically train their students to use cold email marketing as their main marketing tactic. While this can work well for early adopters, eventually your email headlines and topics are going to get drowned out by everyone else using these “done for you” email templates. This can quickly lead to your email address and IP address getting flagged for spam… and can cause problems with your deliverability when you want to email your real clients.

Email marketing is a great way to follow up with clients and people who have chosen to “opt-in” to your list. Email marketing is a great way to promote sales, product launches and other sales generating offers. Email isn’t going anywhere, so we recommend you utilize it as much as you can, properly.

Chatbots & SMS Messaging for Cannabis Businesses

Facebook Chatbots and SMS (Text) messaging are a great way to market your business. While emails can be lost in an endless inbox, most people will at least look at a text or chat message on their phone. It can be easier to get someone into you chat list than an email list as well. Chat messaging usually starts with someone from your social following opting in for a message bot for updates. The strategy works well in tandem with email promotions.

Video Marketing for Cannabis Businesses

Video Marketing is one of the best ways to connect with an audience that is already into what you are doing. Video can quickly help you gain trust and build brand recognition. It is also one of the best ways showcase your knowledge and skillsets while getting potential clients familiar with your and your company.

YouTube is the second largest search engine on the planet. TikTok recently surpassed YouTube in total amount of content viewed. Both are video platforms… obviously. Video works because it is one of the simplest ways to consume content and hopefully keeps the viewer entertained. Not all videos will be viral, but the right videos can easily convert viewers into customers.

We specialize in both organic video marketing as well as paid video marketing (ads).

Search Engine Optimization for Cannabis Companies

Search Engine Optimization, also known as SEO, for cannabiz can be the best option for generating qualified traffic, if you work with an SEO that knows what they are doing. Since we have been doing cannabis SEO for years now, we happen to know a thing or two about how to rank cannabis sites and generate conversions from the traffic. Local SEO for local services can deliver high quality traffic for businesses that are focused on local clients. E-commerce businesses can require a much bigger budget and more time to see results.

Depending on what you do and the services you offer, SEO may not be the best investment. CBD has only been on the market online for a few years. In that short time, it has become one of the most competitive niches to rank for. If you are a brand new site with a commonly sold product, like CBD oil, it’s really not worth the time or money to try and rank for “cbd oil.”

Having worked with a number of CBD companies, we can already tell you that you can look forward to having a 6 figure SEO link building budget just to stay competitive. Since CBD oil is so competitive, we have to be up front about this for new clients, and are very sure to set clear expectations. Online stores can generate 7 figures in sales, but require a good sized marketing budget to start seeing those results.

Local services, dispensaries, store front shops and other service providers can see a quicker turnaround from an active SEO campaign. Hiring on a skilled SEO team who can help you rank in both Maps and organic results will lead to steady traffic, leads and conversions.

SEO works great to bring the traffic in, and unlike paid ads you can continue to get free traffic from your positioning. Once someone visits your website, it’s a great idea to couple your marketing with chatbots, email follow-ups and social media follows. If you can keep your customers engaged, your business will continue to thrive.

What can Cannabis companies expect in 2022?

Cannabis Digital Marketing in 2022 will be an exciting experience. There will be a number of new players entering the scene as more states abolish prohibition and adopt a pro cannabis stance. With this being said, there will be a TON of rookie mistakes made by cannabiz owners in regards to what they can and cannot do with their marketing.

We predict that some of the most common mistakes (when it comes to digital marketing) are going to be hiring web design companies that no nothing about SEO optimization. This is common in just about every industry, but given the competitiveness of cannabis, poor web optimization can kill your momentum from the beginning. This also applies to hiring on copywriters for your website. Cannabis claims for health and cures as a BIG NO NO, but new business owners and over eager writers make this mistake over and over. Health claims for cannabis can result in all sorts of fines and penalties from the government.

Growing Your Cannabiz Business in 2022

Whether you work with us or not, we highly recommend that you do your research first before hiring on a digital marketing company for your cannabis business in 2022. Long term gains can be achieved by working with a NICHE agency and not just hiring on a friend or a couple freelancers. Combining SEO with a smart social strategy can lead to massive growth in a short period of time.

Cannabis Digital Marketing in 2022 and beyond