With more than 90% of Americans using email on a regular basis – and 61% checking their inbox every day – there are few better ways to get your message in front of the right people.

Email marketing can be an excellent method for connecting with your target audience, but there’s definitely a right and wrong way to go about it. We’ve all been on the receiving end of junk emails that are fast-tracked to our digital trash cans, and you’re probably on more than a few email lists that you’d like to opt out of. However, there are many brands and businesses that have mastered the art of email marketing, including more than a few in the cannabis industry.

For cannabis dispensaries, marketing via email offers a multitude of potential benefits. If you’re a dispensary owner that’s ready to revamp your digital marketing strategy, building a solid email network and plan can be a fabulous first step.

What is Dispensary Email Marketing?

First things first: let’s make sure we’re all on the same page when it comes to the definition of email marketing. In its broadest sense, email marketing is exactly what it sounds like: marketing via email.

But when you dig a little deeper, an email marketing campaign can take on a few different forms.

Types of Email-Marketing

Direct Emails

Often thought of as “email blasts,” direct emails are those that are sent to the members of your email subscriber list. You can send more general direct emails to the entire list (for example, a promotion or a new product announcement), or segment your email list to deliver a more tailored message and experience.

Email Newsletters

Dispensary newsletters are usually sent to the full list of subscribers on a regular basis; for example, once a month. Your newsletter might feature educational content, details about product specials, and other relevant information. While a newsletter should spur action, it should also serve as a useful and interesting piece of content.

Transactional Emails

A transactional email is “triggered” when a customer completes a specific action on your website, such as joining an email list or requesting additional information about your dispensary. These types of emails are generally the most relevant to the recipient since they are sent in response to a certain action. As a result, transactional emails have an impressive open rate and can be a great opportunity to reach a customer.

The Advantages of Email Marketing for Dispensaries

There are more than a few perks to marketing via email, including:

You can build brand awareness.

When you can maintain a presence in someone’s email inbox, you have an opportunity to keep your dispensary at the top of their mind. And once they open and actually read your emails, you’re establishing a more detailed brand identity and cementing your name as one they trust.

You can nurture customer loyalty.

From lead nurturing and conversion to onboarding and retention, every stage of the buyer’s journey can be enhanced by email marketing – and you can strengthen loyalty at the same time. Because emails help you build relationships with new and existing customers, they are a great method for building your community.

It’s cost-effective.

Email marketing is extremely flexible, so you can adapt your plan according to your budget. In general, using email for marketing is one of the more affordable methods out there. And because it can offer exceptional results, email marketing is usually more than worth the investment.

Tips for Setting Up Email Marketing Services for Your Cannabis Dispensary

With all of the benefits of email marketing, virtually every dispensary needs to put some sort of plan into action. Whether this is your first email marketing strategy, or you just want to refine the plan you already have in place, here are some handy tips and tricks to keep in mind.

First, get permission.

Few things will turn off a potential customer more than realizing they’re on an email list that they never meant to sign up for. When you request a user’s email address, be extremely clear about what they can expect to receive in their inbox. Your goal isn’t to spam users’ inboxes with as many emails as possible; it’s to connect them with the email content they’ll find most relevant.

Diversify your approach.

If you want to make sure you’re making the most of dispensary marketing emails, aim for a strategy that includes these key email types:

• Promotional: Promote a product/service
• New Inventory: Inform customers about new products
• Newsletters: Provide dispensary news and other relevant information
• Welcome email: Welcome new subscribers to your email list
• Educational: Offer industry knowledge, including advice about how to purchase/use certain products
• Testimonials: Highlighting positive customer feedback
• Survey requests: Collect information to improve the dispensary experience

Take the time to create a great newsletter.

Quality content is a must for virtually all forms of marketing, but especially for email. A well-written newsletter can be an outstanding way to build a great relationship with existing and potential customers, all while marketing your dispensary.

Try to be both consistent and creative, so readers know what to expect but also look forward to the new content. As you craft your newsletter, balance images, product updates, a personal message, and other elements. And even though newsletters are a form of email marketing, direct pitching isn’t really the way to go. Instead, focus on providing something of value to users (interesting content).

Use email sequences and segmented lists.

Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of emails you could be sending out right now? Email marketing can end up becoming pretty time-consuming, which is why it’s so important to use time-saving tools.

Email sequences, also called autoresponders, can make your marketing more efficient and personalized at the same time. With an email sequence, a subscriber is subtly guided through a “funnel” that ideally ends in them making a purchase at your dispensary. For example, a new subscriber might receive a welcome sequence that features a “thank you” email, followed by an email that introduces your dispensary and staff, and then an email that offers a new customer promotion.
Segmenting your email subscriber lists is also a smart way to streamline your efforts. By splitting your list into smaller, more targeted groups, you can better cater to those users’ wants and needs. For example, subscribers that have made a purchase at your dispensary can be placed in the “customer” segment. You might send those users a few emails that provide new product updates or promotional offers. You can even segment your lists according to user interests or behaviors, such as “customers who prefer edibles,” “medical marijuana patients,” and others.

Let MMX Launch a Digital Marketing Strategy that Boosts Your Business

As a cannabis dispensary owner, one of the smartest strategies you can have is to connect and engage with your existing and potential customers. Ultimately, the goal is for consumers to think of your dispensary whenever they think of “cannabis” – and that’s something you can achieve with effective marijuana marketing.

At Marijuana Marketing Xperts, we work with cannabusiness clients that want to invest in practical tactics that produce measurable results. Together, we can help you build a community of brand advocates using social media, create engaging content and a stellar website design, and help interested users find your dispensary online with search engine optimization and organic services. Add email marketing to that list, and we’ll get you set up with a well-rounded strategy for dispensary digital marketing.

Get more information about how to use email to market your dispensary when you contact our team today!

 

Featured Image: Michael Traitov, IRA_EVVA, Svietlieishyi Andrii, and mrmohock/Shutterstock