Cannabis Dispensary Branding and Marketing Guide
On March 10, 2023 — By Dispensemore.com
Starting your own cannabis dispensary involves a lot of moving parts. With so many regulatory and compliance hoops to jump through (not to mention the influx of competition), it can make it difficult to get your business off the ground. As such, it’s important to have a good cannabis dispensary business plan in place, along with dispensary branding and marketing goals, to build toward long-term success.
In this article, we will share some tips on how to set up your own cannabis dispensary, market your dispensary and build your dispensary brand.
9 Tips for Building a Cannabis Dispensary Business Plan
So you’ve decided you want to open a cannabis dispensary, but do you have any idea where to start? It’s essential that you have a strong marijuana dispensary business plan in place to help guide you. Below, we will share nine tips on things to consider before you start the process of building your business.
1. Establish Your Target Audience
In spite of rapid growth, it is still possible to target a specific audience and craft your dispensary branding to appeal to them. For example, some dispensaries focus on more recreational users, while others may focus more on health and wellness. Or, maybe you sell locally grown cannabis and want to target users in your area who are interested in buying local. Whatever path you choose, having a defined target audience makes it easier to build a marketing plan and grow your business.
2. Location
In real estate, they say the three most important things are location, location, location. While it may not be the only important thing in the cannabis industry, choosing the right location and understanding how to use it are very important. You should plan your dispensary advertising and marketing based on your location. For example, you can highlight products that are grown locally. Or, if your location is near the border of a state that does not have legalized cannabis, you can focus on consumers in your neighboring state who may be wanting to cross state lines.
3. Define What Makes Your Dispensary Unique
What do you offer that makes your dispensary stand out from the crowd? Whether it’s a type of product or a level of expertise, you need to focus your dispensary marketing plan on the unique value you can give to your customers. That is what will attract new customers to your dispensary.
4. Stay Up to Date With Regulations
As the legislation surrounding cannabis continues to change, it’s important to be aware of all rules and laws related to your business at the local, state and federal level. Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, so there are some instances where you need to be cautious about what you say and how you say it. You don’t want to create headaches for yourself and your business by being caught unaware by a change in what is allowed in your locale.
5. Name Your Dispensary
With any business, choosing a name is an important step. Dispensary names should be informative, memorable and unique. A good, effective dispensary name can set the tone for your brand and attract customers, so choose wisely.
6. Develop a Thoughtful Branding Strategy
Brand development is essential for your cannabis dispensary business plan. Everything from your dispensary’s name to your logo to the language your company uses on social media are part of dispensary branding. Your brand should convey the feelings that you want people to associate with your dispensary. Many consumers make purchases based on emotions they associate with a brand, not just product attributes. If you have never developed a brand, consider hiring a branding expert to help you get started.
7. Build a Good Website
It’s the 21st century, so having a modern, user-friendly website is essential. This is especially true in the cannabis industry, as most of your consumers are digital natives. That’s why you need a well-built site that is visually appealing and easy to use.
8. Create and Provide Merchandise
Creating a merchandise line should be a no-brainer for any cannabis dispensary advertising and marketing plan. Why is a promotional merchandise line important for dispensaries?
- Anyone wearing your apparel or other merchandise is a walking advertisement for your dispensary.
- Cannabis “tourists” may be interested in a souvenir from their out-of-state trip.
- Merchandise makes great giveaway material for promotional events.
- Adds another revenue line for your business
9. Have Strong Marketing and Advertising
Many of the previous eight tips have revolved around this idea, but creating a dispensary marketing plan must be one of the cornerstones of your cannabis dispensary business plan. For a cannabis dispensary, email marketing, social media marketing, billboard advertising and even traditional print advertising can all provide a leg up against the competition.
Because of the varying laws mentioned earlier, be sure to use the right language so you don’t get your social media profiles shut down or your ads blocked.
Let DispenseMore.com Help With Your Dispensary Marketing Plan
DispenseMore.com is focused on providing cannabis dispensaries with the marketing supplies they need to succeed. From bags and stickers to magnets and business cards, we have the promotional materials you need to help spread the word about your business.
If you have questions about our products or how we can help your cannabis dispensary advertising efforts, please contact us. Our team is always ready to answer your questions.