How Do I Market My Cannabis Business on a Budget?

How Do I Market My Cannabis Business on a Budget?

A great poet once said: C.R.E.A.M. – cash rules everything around me.

🤔 Did they work in the cannabis business too?

Getting started in the cannabis industry is extremely expensive.

As a cannabis entrepreneur, you may be bootstrapping your company and working with limited resources as you’re working to get your business off the ground. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a successful digital marketing strategy.

The cannabis digital marketing gurus at Kush Media Group put together some tips on how to Michelin-level market your cannabis business on a McDonald’s budget:

Learn to look at marketing in a new way.

A lot of people think marketing is just ads. But ads are not an option when you work in the cannabis industry. Yeah, you could totally be like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, “Guess I can’t market now!” But nah, homie. You’re not off the hook.

Marketing is more than ads. It’s everything from product packaging, logo, and branding design to your website, social media, and the way you answer your phone. It’s how you make people feel when they interact with your brand.

In the cannabis industry, marketing is about relationships. You’re building relationships with your customers, your patients, your dispensary owners, and your growers. And those relationships are built on trust and credibility.

Time to self-audit. Where are you at with your efforts so far? Is your packaging attractive and well-designed? Is your website mobile-friendly, easy to use, and up-to-date?

What marketing opportunities are you missing? Usually, it’s easy to find a few easy-to-solve and affordable marketing opportunities that you’re missing. Sometimes it’s as simple as posting to social media more often or ordering a bigger, bolder sign that passersby can see from the street.

Get creative with your content.

There are endless ways to get creative with your content and engage your audience without breaking the bank. 

Listen, there are people out there with millions of followers from doing this:

✨ Anything is possible. ✨

Think outside the cannabis jar.

Let’s take social media, for example. You could share the latest cannabis industry news with your followers, share your thoughts, or create polls in your Stories for engagement. You could share cannabis recipes, talk about where your products are sourced, and share interesting cannabis facts. You could take a daily photo challenge and post a cannabis business photo every day for a month – and honestly, that’s just scratching the surface.

The options are endless when it comes to content. I bet you have some creative ideas already!

Utilize your special skills.

If your mama didn’t tell you how special you are – I got you. 

You’re special. And, chances are, you have a particular set of skills.

Maybe you’re a total foodie and love to cook. Or maybe you’re super crafty and love DIY projects.

Utilize your skills to create content that will engage your audience and set you apart from the competition.

For example, let’s say you love to cook. You could start a weekly cannabis cooking show on Instagram Live or YouTube. You could post recipes to your blog or social media. You could even write a cookbook!

Do you have a fancy camera or drone? Use it! Are you funny AF? Hello, you could be one joke away from a viral Meme or hilarious TikTok vid.

Save money and work with what ya mama gave you.

Be seen.

This is so simple. But so easy to miss.

I’m walking or driving by your cannabis dispensary. Do I know it’s there? No, really, can I see it? Does it stand out? Does it draw my eye?

Make sure your dispensary is visible and easy to find. This means having a big, bold sign that is easy to see and read from a distance. You could add flags, lights, or inflatable air dancers. (Seriously, I can’t pass a place with an air dancer without my kids pointing it out!)

If you don’t have a storefront, no worries! You can still be seen online with a strong social media presence and active blog.

Being seen also means being active in your community. Attend local events or volunteer at a shelter.

Whew! We’ve covered a lot of ideas on how to market your cannabis business on a budget. But, I want you to think about one more aspect – TIME.

Time is money.

Sure, you’re saving $$ by DIY-ing social media, your website, and packaging… but if you spend all your time doing those things, you’re not making money.

It’s important to find a balance and spend your time wisely. If it takes you two hours a day to think up social media ideas, create the content, and get it posted, that’s 10 hours a week.

Is that time spent best on social media? Or could you be using that time to make sales or meet with clients?

That’s where hiring experts comes in. At Kush Media Group, we can take care of your social media, website, and even packaging design – so you can focus on making money and growing your business.

We have over a decade of industry experience and know what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to marketing a cannabis business.

If you’re ready to take your cannabis business higher, we’re here to help. Contact us to get started.