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Here's Why Your Cannabis Business Needs an Email Newsletter
Newsletters can be a great marketing tool for any company, but especially for cannabis companies looking to build their brand and increase sales. With industry limitations on advertising, newsletters are a resourceful and low-cost way to spread your message your way. You won't be stuck worrying about losing access to your audience or getting shadow-banned on social media.
Newsletters are an important part of your marketing strategy. It’s your primary way to communicate with your prospects and customers and guide them through your sales funnel. With a newsletter, you can call attention to products and services, announce promotions, and provide updates. Newsletters provide limitless opportunities to increase your sales and brand loyalty. In this article, I'll share the top three reasons your cannabis business needs a newsletter.
What is an email newsletter?
You may be wondering what exactly a newsletter is. A newsletter is an email sent to a list of subscribers who have opted in to receive news from your company. Newsletters can share industry news, share special promotions with current and potential customers, and build brand awareness- but overall, what they accomplish is establishing your cannabis company as an industry leader.
Most businesses use an email service provider (ESP) such as MailChimp or Constant Contact for their newsletters, which helps with compliance and avoiding spam folders.
Top 3 Reasons You Need a Newsletter for Your Cannabis Business
1) Newsletters bring customers into your marketing funnel.
Using a newsletter for your cannabis business should be a pillar of your marketing strategy. Your newsletter acts as a guide once your prospect is in your marketing funnel. With it, you can point them towards fresh and relevant content, encourage them to sign up for promotions, and highlight products on your website.
2) Newsletters can also help increase your sales.
There is no limit to using newsletters to increase your sales. One popular option is to include coupons or special offers for your newsletter subscribers. In the cannabis industry, product reviews or testimonials from existing customers are highly influential, so building a culture of sharing that feedback is crucial. Including these peer reviews and articles like a roundup of the Best Strains of The Month will significantly impact your sales.
3) Newsletters can also help increase brand loyalty for your cannabis company.
One of the best things about cannabis culture is the focus on community. A customer who receives a newsletter feels valued and included in what's going on with your company, keeping them engaged and invested over time. As long as the content isn't wholly promotional, they'll be excited to see your newsletter in their inbox.
Tips To Get Your Cannabis Newsletter Right
Keep it casual.
It's important to stress that the goal is not just to sell more products—if that were the case, email marketing would promote nothing but coupons and deals. Include a mixture of informational content that doesn't always relate directly to sales; this keeps it interesting for your readers while still driving engagement and increasing brand loyalty.
Be of service.
The content you share in your cannabis company's newsletter should be valuable to your readers. It should provide relevant and helpful information that is interesting and engaging. You can do this by including the following types of content:
Timely news stories, either local or national (or both)
How-to guides for using your products
Guides to help people choose the right CBD or flower strain for them
Tips on how to grow cannabis at home
Create an eye-catching design.
Make sure your email newsletter gets noticed by creating graphic designs that feature eye-catching images and easy-to-read text. Your email service provider typically has basic templates. However, you can use an online graphic design tool like Canva (which is free) or Stencil for some real razzle-dazzle. The key is to create a design that fits your brand's colors, messaging, etc.
Make it easy to sign up for your newsletter.
Make it easy for customers to sign up when they visit your site by prominently placing the newsletter signup form on your website. A common method is having a subscription form popup when someone visits your website. Placing the form above the fold (the area you first see on a webpage) is another popular method.
Grab the information you need to adequately market to your new subscriber, but don't ask for too much, or they will shut down. Hot tip: in cannabis marketing, gathering birthdates is an excellent way to increase sales and brand loyalty- be sure to include that on your signup form.
Keep Your Newsletter Mailing List Clean.
Remember that your newsletter is only as effective as the list you send it to. Having a solid and engaged subscriber list is paramount to your newsletter's success.
Fortunately, there are innovative ways to encourage people to sign up for your email newsletter and join your list. Popups on social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook work well. And QR codes that lead directly to the subscription page will successfully grow your newsletter mailing list as well.
Test your subject lines.
You've got a mailing list, and you have your stylishly designed content. Now comes the hard part: getting your subscribers to OPEN your newsletter.
It all comes down to the subject line.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you're crafting your subject line:
Make it catchy and attractive. You want to grab the reader's attention so they will open the email, but don't make it seem like clickbait or a scam.
Try to include the recipient's name in your subject line.
Keep it short. Around 30 characters are good, but definitely no more than 50.
Test different ideas. A good subject line will work for most users, but there is always room for trial and error to see what works best with your audience. Not only that, you should try different subject lines with each newsletter to keep your readers interested!
For example: "Pharmaceutical companies are trying to stop our research," or "This study
could change everything about cannabis."
Start a newsletter for your cannabis business today, and start reaping the rewards.
As you can see, a company's newsletter is a powerful vehicle for building brand awareness and loyalty, increasing sales, and establishing your business as a leader in the industry.
Perhaps you've attempted a newsletter in the past or find the concept overwhelming. Or maybe you’re excited and want to get your next money-maker going now.
No matter your situation, Dunlavey Solutions has you covered. Reach out to learn more about my newsletter service, so we can get your sales funnel roaring!