Navigating the complex world of CBD product marketing requires a careful balance of compliance, creativity, and clarity. As the industry continues to grow, understanding the dos and don'ts can help brands effectively reach their audience.
In this guide, we'll explore key strategies and common pitfalls to ensure your CBD marketing efforts are both successful and compliant.
Dos.
Understand your audience.
One of the most important tasks for any new business owner is to understand the customer base you want to serve.
After all, why waste endless resources and energy in the vain attempt to interest people in merchandise that they neither need nor want? For that reason, you need to make understanding your audience a high priority.
Accomplish this by taking a deep dive into the market. Do so by examining social media, industry statistics and your toughest competitors. If you already have a pool of customers, solicit their feedback to learn what they love and where any gaps or pain points exist that you could fill.
Then obtain the products that they are looking for, and find ways to let them know that your company, above all others, should be their go-to choice.
If you have any doubts about the importance of knowing your customers, consider a telling statistic about the people who use CBD products. While less than 33% of those aged 18 to 25 use these products, almost nine out of 10 people in one study who were 77 or older did.
Bearing this fact in mind will help you to target your advertisements appropriately to meet the existing needs of your senior customers while piquing the interest of younger people who may not previously have believed that CBD products were designed for them, too.
Highlight the benefits of CBD.
Once you have gauged the audience to whom you are speaking, you need to craft your message appropriately. Keep in mind that you cannot make unsubstantiated health claims about the CBD products you sell.
That being said, it is fine to carefully detail the benefits of your tinctures, ointments and beverages with evidence-based facts.
Harness the power of social media.
Social media sites such as YouTube, TikTok, X and Facebook provide excellent forums to get the word out about the CBD merchandise you sell. This is because they allow you to include various types of compelling content, including text, videos, how-to guides, customer testimonials and photos.
Additionally, each of these gives companies and their customers the perfect hub for dialogue and information exchange that leads to higher levels of buyer satisfaction and a greater affinity with your brand.
Social media is also important because participation on the pages that brands like yours host directly leads to sales. Since over 75% of consumers report that they translate their social media relationship with their preferred brands into actual sales, this underscores the value of putting your time and focus into a vibrant presence on the sites your customers prefer.
Social media does more than allow you to show off your product catalog. You can also use it to provide educational content that will convince wavering shoppers about the benefits of CBD products and their relevance in customers’ daily lives.
As you polish and expand your social media presence, never lose sight of the fact that the CBD industry within which you operate is subject to numerous state and federal regulations. In order to succeed in this sector, you must be aware of the complete array of requirements and constraints that have been put in place to protect consumers and merchants alike.
Use appropriate influencers.
As you work to expand the reach of your CBD business, the good news is that you don’t need to do it alone. As is the case in numerous other retail sectors, influencers, both micro and macro, are having a profound effect on the success of the entrepreneurs with whom they partner.
When you hitch your wagon to the star of someone who already has an established fan base, you can quickly gain the respect of their followers as well as additional sales and referrals.
This is thanks to a concept called social proof. When someone they trust publicly endorses another business or product, seven out of 10 people are more likely to follow that recommendation.
Optimize your website.
As part of mounting a robust social media campaign, you also need optimized website content. You will rise higher in the search engines if what you publish is authentic and authoritative.
The keywords you use should be directly related to what people are actually searching for and should be repeated and strategically linked to trustworthy sources. Perhaps most important, demonstrate your expertise in CBD so that your site is set apart from its numerous cookie-cutter and AI-generated competitors.
Make sure that you are using a CBD-friendly payment processor for any online sales.
Don’ts.
Don’t use misleading labels.
Don’t mislabel or exaggerate the qualities of the products you sell. Remember that earning customer trust is one of your most challenging and important tasks in this niche industry that is still struggling to gain footing in the conventional sales arena.
You cannot afford to misrepresent the merchandise you are selling.
Keep in mind that the FDA has not put its stamp of approval on CBD products. Therefore, you should not make any claims about the ability of anything you sell to cure or prevent health conditions or diseases.
In fact, it is best to state in no uncertain terms that the products you sell are not FDA-approved as treatments so that you don’t run afoul of federal regulations.
Don’t use inappropriate language.
As we stated above, CBD products are relative newcomers to the wellness arena. Since they still bear the taint of the illicit drug sector, be sure that the language you use to market your merchandise is professional and clear. Jargon and slang will only serve to make potential customers wary and will diminish your credibility.
Furthermore, you always win when you provide transparency. Don’t make opaque claims or appear obtuse or shady in describing your products or in interactions with customers.
Don’t overuse ads.
Additionally, bombarding potential or existing customers with advertising will actually harm your chances of getting sales and increasing retention. People do not want to drown in a sea of marketing initiatives.
Instead, make the few campaigns that you launch high-quality and expertly targeted to meet the demands and preferences of your intended audience.
Don’t underestimate competitors.
At all stages of your marketing campaigns, keep an eye on your competitors. Focus on what they are doing right as well as where the gaps are in their offerings. Emulate the positive, and work hard to relieve un-addressed customer pain points.
But just how do you get a handle on your rivals? A good competitor analysis involves understanding who is competing with your CBD business, both directly and indirectly. What’s more, you need to find out who is meeting your customers’ demands for CBD but with alternative products.
After identifying where your rivals are excelling as well as their weaknesses, complete a written analysis that specifies how your business can pivot or expand to become a force against your opponents.
Don’t misuse data privacy.
As you strive to make a name for yourself in the CBD sphere, don’t lose sight of data privacy. When customers’ sensitive information is compromised, your sales, brand and reputation can take a hit from which it can be very difficult to recover.
The best strategy is to be proactive by safeguarding shopper information. To that end, adhere to all standards, including PCI DSS, and ensure that any third-party vendor with whom you work also does.
Don’t ignore customer feedback.
Ignore client reviews at your peril. Even negative testimonials can provide you with opportunities for constructive engagement and a public demonstration that you care about resolving any concerns or issues that arise.
Use social media forums and popular review sites to showcase your customer-facing focus and willingness to go the extra mile to make your valued clients happy.
Today’s customers expect fast responses. For example, over half of the consumers surveyed thought it was reasonable for businesses to react to negative feedback or reviews within a week. Failing to do so can suggest that you don’t care about your patrons.
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