You're no doubt familiar with the adage popularized by “Field of Dreams,” the classic baseball film starring Kevin Costner: “Build it, and they will come.” While that advice may work for building a baseball field, it doesn’t work in the cannabis industry (or any other highly competitive industry). If you're looking into how to market your cannabis business, you'll find there's a bit more to it than that. 

Like all entrepreneurs, dispensary owners need to promote and market. Promote or perish, as they say.

Because the Feds (frustratingly) continue to classify cannabis as a Schedule I drug (deemed as dangerous as heroin), most major media properties do not allow businesses in our industry to advertise on their sites.

Sure, that presents challenges. But, nothing a little persistence or creativity can't overcome. Even being in a tightly regulated industry, there are opportunities abound! Marketers are fortunate to have a wide array of digital marketing tools at their disposal.

Digital marketing encompasses all web-based or electronic communication between you -- the brand -- and your audience. Given the prominence of digital channels -- particularly the importance search, social media, and mobile -- people are consuming more digital media and less traditional media.

While traditional forms of promotion are unlikely to disappear (and many continue to be successful for dispensaries), it’s critical that digital strategies feature prominently in your overall marketing plan.

Digital marketing can help your dispensary by providing channels to attract and capture new customers, as well as engage with existing customers. Attract new customers by using search engines, directories, social media, display advertising, and other marketing tactics to drive foot traffic to your store. When a customer visits your store, it’s your responsibility to deliver satisfactory customer service, and capture them as a repeat customer.

It seems like common sense. And, it is! Communicate with your customers on a regular basis. The more you’re interacting with your consumers, the more they’ll remember who you are, and frequent your store. Use blogs, newsletters, social media, whatever you need to do to communicate on a regular basis with your customers.