As we all know here in Colorado, the cannabis industry is one of the quickest growing industries in the United States. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is completely subjective.

However, observing the industry from a digital marketing standpoint is quite interesting as it’s vastly different than other industries. There’s not an overabundance of industries whose marketing strategies are dependant on the federal legality of a product.

Social media marketing

Nearly every other industry and brand has some form of opportunity to advertise on social media. One might assume advertising for the cannabis industry is virtually the same as other industries.

However, platforms like Facebook, Instagram and the like, are not proponents for advertising such touchy trades. Thus, social media marketing for the cannabis industry is nearly impossible.

Moreso, influencer marketing for the industry is completely regulated, resulting in the lack of a platform to influence on.

So how does one advertise their brand and products in a legalized state?

SEO

SEO and local SEO is the key to being found online. With social media marketing being out of the picture in the cannabis industry, a professional SEO strategist is worth the investment. As it is with any industry.

Without having the targeted reach of social media, understanding your audience and where to find them is crucial to online success. The better you understand your audience, the better your professional SEO can be when building a strategy.

Moreover, in a rapidly growing multibillion-dollar industry where a massive portion of your budget cannot go into traditional advertising tactics, proper SEO is the key to success.

Email marketing

Email marketing in the cannabis industry could potentially be your brand’s best friend. As with all industries, email marketing is a direct line to the audience wanting your information. Research shows consumers prefer to receive brand information through email.

When social media and other forms of paid advertising is out of the picture, having a quality list of email subscribers can be the ticket to an abundance of sales.

Email marketing can and should take on a variety of content forms. Be it through sharing popular products and promotions or through testimonials and reviews, each targeted email should serve a purpose. But know, the power is in your list of subscribers.

Digital marketing in the cannabis industry is fascinating to research. It’s competitive in kind of a classic, old-fashioned way, with a modern twist. It’s interesting to make a strategy that doesn’t utilize social media in a completely social media-driven world.