Are you tasked with managing a dispensary and looking to bring in more customers and patients through your doors? You're not alone. As the cannabis market continues to expand and become more competitive, dispensaries all over the country are struggling to find ways to stand out from the competition. With the right strategies, however, it’s possible to bring in more customers and grow your dispensary business quickly and efficiently. Here are seven effective ways to do just that.
1. Create a Social Media Presence
Customers expect dispensaries to have a social media presence on popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Designate a content team who will regularly post images, discounts, deals and product information that will interest potential customers. Collaborating with the brands on your shelves to re-purpose their existing product marketing can make this an easier lift. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for dispensary social media accounts to get shut down or shadow-banned, which is why it's important to employ multiple cannabis marketing techniques simultaneously to ensure if one channel closes down, there are other ways for customers to find you.
2. Advertise in Local Publications
Consider advertising in local publications to attract new customers into your dispensary. This includes newspapers, magazines, and online directories like Yelp and Google. Make sure that your ad or prrofile is well-designed and that it includes information about your dispensary and what you have to offer and what benefits you offer first time customers to entice them to shop with you.
3. Host Your Own Events
Another way to bring new customers into your dispensary is to host events. Consider partnering with a local food truck or restaurant and DJ for a pop-up on special holidays. Consider hosting educational events with local community groups, such as a seminar on the benefits of cannabis use for pain-relief targeted towards senior or veteran populations. Events can be a great way to generate interest in your dispensary and get people talking about your products.
4. Offer Discounts and Specials
Discounts are always attractive to shoppers, especially those looking for value when shopping at dispensaries. Offering discounts or special deals on certain items can be a great way of enticing new customers into making their first purchase at your store—which could lead to repeat visits down the line if they enjoy their experience enough. Discounts also incentivize existing customers who might otherwise shop elsewhere due to price differences between competitors’ offerings and yours. It's important that discounts are conducted strategically; read more about When to Discount Your Inventory
5. Leverage Word-of-Mouth Advertising & Referrals
Word-of-mouth advertising is an age-old marketing technique still used today by many businesses. Encourage current customers to spread the word about their positive experiences at your store either through online reviews or simply telling their friends about it. Additionally, word-of-mouth advertising is free which makes it an especially cost effective way of reaching new potential customers without spending a dime on marketing costs. You can offer existing customers a discount for every new customer they refer to your business. This is a great way to incentivize people to spread the word about your dispensary and help you reach more potential customers.
6. Sponsor Existing Events & Festivals
Seek out local events and festivals to gain exposure for your dispensary business while also building relationships within the community itself. Many cities host festivals throughout the year focusing on different topics such as art, music, food etc. Getting involved with these events can help draw attention from those nearby who may not have heard of you before but are now interested due to seeing you there. Plus, these types of activities allow you engage directly with potential customers by talking with them face-to-face which helps create a stronger connection than just relying solely on digital methods alone – something that many consumers appreciate.
7. Utilize Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing content for search engines so that it appears near the top of search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO involves using certain keywords throughout webpages and blog posts in order to boost visibility and drive more traffic to your website or social media accounts. With careful research and analysis, you can identify the most relevant keywords for your business and use them strategically throughout your content.
Growing a cannabis dispensary business isn't easy—but with the right strategies in place it's possible to increase customer numbers quickly and efficiently over time. There’s no single solution to reach new customers, but all of these methods combined should greatly contribute towards helping bring more new faces into your dispensary soon enough. The key is having patience - but if done correctly these tactics should produce excellent results eventually if given enough time & effort put into them throughout each stage along the way.
For further reading, dig into all of our posts on Cannabis Marketing
