Online reviews are an incredibly valuable marijuana dispensary marketing tool for new and well-established dispensaries alike – but how exactly do you get them? In this post, we’re going to cover:

• Effective marketing and customer service practices to encourage positive reviews
• How to get more online business reviews for your dispensary
• The importance of dispensary reputation management

When you tap into the power of online reviews, you can build a solid reputation in the cannabis industry and increase traffic, all with the help of current loyal customers. People will nearly always trust other people, long before they believe what a brand has to say, so it’s not surprising to read the statistics on online reviews (Search Engine Journal):

• More than 90% of consumers state that positive reviews make them more likely to use a business.
• On average, a consumer reads ten reviews before deciding to trust a business.
• About 82% of consumers read online reviews, and more than 75% trust these reviews just as much as recommendations from friends and family.

It’s clear that you need a business listing with solid online reviews, and you need them now. But how do you get more regular customer reviews for your local dispensary marketing efforts? Marijuana Marketing Xperts offers some useful tips and practical strategies that you can start using in your business plan now.

Start with These Cannabis Marketing Tips

The most important thing you can do to generate online reviews is to provide an outstanding variety of products and exceptional customer service.

Your primary goal is to create a customer experience that inspires your customers to support your dispensary and advocate for you in the local community. The simplest way to do that is by doing good work and offering a range of products.

• Clearly communicate expectations to all cannabis connoisseurs and staff, ensure that they have proper training, and are held accountable for their quality of work.
• Take care to select high-quality products for your dispensary.
• Make sure that every staff member is knowledgeable about all products.
• Offer useful information through various methods, including email newsletters, your website, social media pages, etc.

Optimize the Google My Business Profile for Your Dispensary’s Location

When’s the last time you checked in on your dispensary’s Google My Business profile? If it’s been a while, now is the time. Make sure you’ve claimed the profile, and it contains as much information as possible (and that information is actually accurate). The more details, the better. If there are already reviews posted for your dispensary, confirm that you’ve responded to all of them (tips on that below).

Celebrate Your Community on Social Media

Social media for dispensaries can be a fabulous way to engage with existing customers and find new ones, all while strengthening your digital presence in a way that contributes to your overall brand. Your followers are people that considered your dispensary interesting enough to add to their social media feed, and that’s something worth celebrating.

Some ideas for using social media to increase online reviews:

• Give “shoutouts” to users that leave positive feedback for your dispensary, thanking them publicly for their kind words.
• Repost content your dispensary is tagged in, including photos, video, and text posts.
• Host a giveaway (or another promotion) for users who post dispensary reviews.

Reward Those Willing to Review You

It takes time and effort for a customer to leave a review, so why not give them a “thank you” gift as motivation? Something as simple as a 10% discount or a small free gift can be the gentle push they need.

There’s a thin line between incentivizing reviews and bribing customers, and it can come down to how you present the offer. Acknowledging the customer’s effort and positioning the gift as a token of appreciation is an ideal route.

Tips to Increase Online Reviews

Here are a few more quick tips for getting online reviews for your dispensary:

1. Just ask. That’s right; it really can be that simple. Sometimes, simply asking customers for reviews is the quickest way to start accumulating them. If you have longtime customers that you’re confident would have something positive to say, politely ask them if they would consider leaving a review.
2. Do an email campaign. A short and sweet automated email can be an inexpensive and effective way to drive reviews. Target customers that recently made a purchase and consider offering a promotional discount for their next shopping trip as a “thank you.”
3. Make the review process easy. The easier it is to leave a review, the more likely it is that customers will do it. Provide direct links to a review page or survey, skip overcomplicated platforms, and mention that a review only takes a few minutes.
4. Communicate the idea that you use feedback to build a better business. Customers appreciate knowing that their feedback results in positive changes, and rightfully so. When you can make it clear that honest reviews are appreciated, largely because they help you serve customers better, they’re often more willing to go that extra mile.
5. Incorporate review reminders during the online experience. Strategize specific points at which to “nudge” customers to leave a review. For example, after a customer completes a purchase, the order confirmation page can include a link to your review site.

Dispensary Reputation Management is Key

Reputation management is vital in staying ahead of online events that can impact your brand and proactively cultivating a positive presence. There are so many factors involved in reputation management online, which is why it’s a full-time job all its own.

Reputation management services typically involve:

• Online review generation
• Reputation monitoring
• Review marketing
• Online reputation repair
• Survey campaigns
• Social media follower growth
• Search engine optimization (SEO) reputation management

Marijuana Marketing Xperts has seen a marked increase in clients interested in reputation management for cannabis businesses, including dispensaries. For our clients, having a professional that can effectively navigate the complexities of cannabis digital marketing is usually well worth the investment.

Thoughtfully Respond to All Reviews

If a customer came up to you at your dispensary and provided you with feedback regarding a negative shopping experience they had, what would you do? Odds are, you wouldn’t simply ignore them and walk away. But when you fail to respond to an online review, you’re effectively doing just that.

Providing a thoughtful and professional response to all online reviews, both positive and negative, is a must. Consider it a part of your customer service efforts – really, the only difference is that you’re serving customers online rather than in-person.

When you’re responding to a positive online review, remember to:

• Thank the customer for their feedback.
• Briefly address how the customer’s experience is representative of the overall customer service experience your dispensary provides.
  • For example, “We are so happy to hear that you were able to get your questions answered by our budtenders. At our dispensary, we make it a priority to support all customers in their personal cannabis journeys.”

Figuring out how to respond to a negative online review takes a bit more finesse. Still, it can absolutely be done (and even have a positive impact on your overall brand reputation):

• Thank the customer for their honest feedback.
• Apologize for the negative experience.
• State how you will address and resolve the issue, both on an individual customer level and in general.
  • For example, “If you are willing, we would love to chat with you to find a solution you’re happy with. Also, we will be re-briefing all staff members on excellent customer service practices to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

Even a less-than-glowing review can be utilized as an opportunity to boost your online reputation as long as you handle the situation properly.

Drive Online Reviews with Reputation Management from MMX

Online reviews are just one brick in the foundation of your brand’s reputation. Make sure you’re building a strong, sustainable future for your business with professional reputation management and monitoring from Marijuana Marketing Xperts.

We’d love to talk about how we can help your dispensary flourish, so reach out to us, and we can start chatting today!

Featured Image: everything possible, The Cannabiz Agency, Blue Planet Studio, garagestock, and Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock