• Top 5 Ways to Build Your Digital Presence in the Cannabis Industry

    Top 5 Ways to Build Your Digital Presence in the Cannabis Industry

    It’s no secret that as more states legalize Cannabis here in the U.S., and other countries are embracing it as well, that there are hundreds if not thousands of new brands launching this year hoping to ride the wave of this red hot market. But to stand out and make a name for themselves, many of these startups don’t know where they should be investing first to elevate their brands and start spurring investment or sales.

    Although there are still restrictions on paid search and social as well as advertising for Cannabis companies, there are many ways to build a strong online presence. By acting now, you can ensure you start building awareness for your company and laying a strong foundation for the future.

    Build out your profile.

    While it may seem obvious, many organizations don’t full take advantage of all the ways to list their company and get better organic search results. For example, claim your Google and Bing listings and optimize them with as much information as possible about the company and executives; complete all contact info and add in compelling content such as photos. Do the same on reputable sites in the Cannabis industry such as Leafly and Ganjapreneur.

    Also, ensure your physical address is on all your web pages as well, and add a Google location map to your site. These may seem like simple aspects to add, but they are often overlooked.

    Content, content and more content.

    What are you offering that’s different or better? What is the real value and who is your target audience? It’s imperative to articulate your message and remain consistent across all your Owned channels, as well as any listings. Creating compelling content is crucial at this point and will only help boost your search results. Once you have your message, start a blog and be consistent.

    Also, look to related sites and publications to submit contributed content to sponsor. This will help drive traffic to your site as well as help to build your reputation in the Cannabis space. Another channel to explore is YouTube. By starting a channel and posting videos regularly, you can help drive even more clicks to your site.

    Reviews for your business.

    If you’re a retailer/dispensary especially, whether in CBD or marijuana, reviews are a great way to generate not only site visits but foot traffic. Encourage happy customers to post positive reviews on Google and Bing but also on apps such as WeedMaps and CBD Oil Maps, as well as websites like Leafly.

    Page titles and descriptions.

    To ensure searchers are getting the most relevant information to their search queries, keep page titles and meta descriptions optimized using relevant topic keywords and key phrases. Page titles are an accurate description of a page’s content or the topic that page covers, and they give the first impression to people about your brand and website, and can be used for social sharing as well. Descriptions allow you to capture your audience with a well optimized summary of the page’s topic and an enticing call to action.

    Take advantage of verified marijuana accounts.

    Although you cannot advertise on Facebook, the term marijuana has recently been allowed. It is now searchable and allows verified profiles to appear in search results for marijuana-related terms. This is a huge opportunity to take advantage of – and one way to do this is by finding those influencers and organizations who are verified and collaborating with them on different forms of content, from videos to blog posts, news articles and the like. This searchable content will help to drive brand awareness.

    Navigating the restrictions in Cannabis can be challenging. Why not tap a team of experts to help? Matter has a team dedicated to understanding the ins and outs of this industry and can help you build your presence no matter what stage of the process you may be in currently.

    Matter

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  • Key Takeaways from CWCBExpo 2018

    Key Takeaways from CWCBExpo 2018

    The excitement was palpable at last week’s Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo (CWCBExpo) in Boston. For three days, I had the chance to connect with the people and businesses pushing this emerging market forward. Everyone was informed and passionate about the industry. There was a real sense of community: businesses helping each other navigate this growing and complex space. The keynotes from New Frontier Data CEO, Giadha Aguirre De Carcer, Former Mass. Governor William (Bill) Weld and former TV personality and now founder of Lenitiv, and Montel Williams were all enlightening and inspiring. Each having their own unique take and reason for being in the cannabis space.

    While the news of the legalization of marijuana in the Canadian market almost stole the show, there was also much speculation around what will happen in Michigan come November. Those were the two regions with the most chatter, beyond our own state of Massachusetts. The evolution of the Cannabis industry will certainly be one to watch and we’re happy to help our clients and prospects navigate it successfully.

    Here are a few key takeaways worth sharing from a PR, creative and marketing perspective:

    The cannabis story will be a healthcare one at its core.

    According to those speaking at the show, as well as those attending, there’s a healthcare story within the cannabis industry. From helping to alleviate the opioid crisis and certain illnesses and conditions, among other applications, there’s a lot hope associated. This brings together the intersection of two markets – healthcare and cannabis – both that take an understanding of compliance and regulatory issues – but also require the right market message to differentiate and clearly position a business’ value.

    It’s already becoming a crowded market, especially CBD.

    There is a huge opportunity for companies just entering into cannabis, as well as for those who are more established, to build a strong foundation for their brand – both aesthetically and in their core messaging. In a sea of green and black, brands can still find ways to stand out. Many who approached us also expressed the need to understand their core audience – whether it’s B2B, consumer or both, and establish the right message for each. Additionally, many companies hadn’t yet established a PR strategy, approach or campaign which mean those who do first will have a head start on the competition.

    The restrictions in paid search and social are forcing content creation.

    While restrictions widely remain across SEM, as well as advertising, brands can build a strong organic strategy and plan. As keyword phrases and terminology usage evolves, it opens so many more doors organically to optimize websites, pages and content to rank organically. But you’ll have to tune into our next blog post to find out more around that.

    These represent just a few of the many learnings that I took away from the event. I look forward to attending another event, perhaps MJBizCon, given all the recommendations I received, and hope that it will continue to grow in popularity across the country. For anyone in the cannabis industry, I’d definitely recommend getting out there and talking with your peers. We can all help each other grow. Please don’t hesitate to drop me a note if you’d like to discuss any of these topics or if you’d like to connect soon.

    Matter