If you are a cannabis dispensary owner, you know how competitive and challenging the cannabis industry is. You have to deal with strict regulations, fierce competition, and changing customer preferences. You also have to find effective ways to market your dispensary, and attract more traffic, customers, and revenue. But how can you do that, when you can’t use Google Ads? This is when having a solid dispensary marketing plan comes into play.

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Don’t worry, because in this blog post, I will share with you 10 dispensary marketing hacks alongside a full dispensary marketing plan that you can use to grow your dispensary business in 2024. These hacks are based on the latest trends, strategies, and techniques in the cannabis marketing industry, and they will help you stand out from the crowd, beat your competitors, and increase your sales. So, let’s get started.

1. Optimize Your Dispensary Website for Conversion

The first dispensary marketing plan hack that you need to implement is to optimize your dispensary website for conversion. Your website is your online storefront, and it is the first impression that your potential customers will have of your dispensary. You want to make sure that your website is fast, user-friendly, and appealing, and that it can convert your visitors into customers.

Some of the things that you need to optimize on your website are:

• Your visitor conversion rate, which is the percentage of your visitors who take a desired action, such as signing up, calling, or buying. You want to increase your conversion rate by using clear and compelling call-to-actions, such as “Shop Now”, “Call Us”, or “Get Directions”.
• Your authentic photos, which are the images that showcase your dispensary, your products, and your team. You want to use high-quality and original photos that reflect your brand personality, and that can build trust and credibility with your customers.
• Your page speed, which is the time that it takes for your website to load. You want to reduce your page speed to less than three seconds, because if your website takes too long to load, your visitors will lose interest and leave. You can improve your page speed by using a fast hosting service, compressing your images, and minimizing your code.

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2. Fill in Content Gaps with Optimized Content

The second dispensary marketing hack that you need to implement is to fill in content gaps with optimized content. Content is the king of online marketing, and it is the way that you can provide value, information, and education to your customers. You want to create and publish relevant and engaging content that can answer your customers’ questions, solve their problems, and persuade them to buy from you.

Some of the things that you need to create content for are:

• Your service areas, which are the locations that you serve and deliver to. You want to create separate pages for each of your service areas, and optimize them for local SEO. For example, if you have a dispensary in Denver, you also want to have pages for Lakewood, Federal Heights, LoDo, and other nearby areas. You want to include information about what to look for in a dispensary in each area, and why your dispensary is the best choice. You also want to include your name, address, and phone number (NAP) on each page, and link to your main website and other service area pages.
• Your keywords, which are the words and phrases that your customers use to search for your dispensary and products online. You want to do keyword research and find out what your customers are looking for, and what your competitors are ranking for. You want to create content that targets the most relevant and profitable keywords for your dispensary, and optimize them for SEO. You want to include your keywords in your titles, headings, URLs, meta descriptions, and body text, and use them naturally and strategically.
• Your backlinks, which are the links that point to your website from other websites. You want to get more backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites, because they can boost your ranking, traffic, and reputation. You want to create content that is valuable and shareable, and that can attract backlinks from other websites. You can also reach out to other websites and ask them to link to your content, or offer to write guest posts or product reviews for them.

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3. Create Your Own Safe Paid Traffic System

The third dispensary marketing plan hack that you need to implement is to create your own safe paid traffic system. Paid traffic is the traffic that you get from paying for ads on online platforms, such as Google, Facebook, or YouTube. Paid traffic can be a great way to get more exposure, leads, and sales for your dispensary, but it can also be risky and expensive, especially if you don’t know what you are doing.

One of the biggest challenges that you face as a cannabis dispensary owner is that you can’t use Google Ads, or other popular platforms, to advertise your dispensary, because they don’t allow cannabis-related ads. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get paid traffic at all. There are some alternative ways to get paid traffic for your dispensary, and here are some of them:

• Use CBD and Delta products to run PPC ads on Google. Google is becoming more lenient on CBD and Delta products, especially for topical CBD, and you can run PPC ads for these products on Google in 2024. You can create your own website and sell these products online, and then use PPC ads to drive traffic to your website. You can also use your website to promote your cannabis dispensary and educate your customers about the benefits of cannabis.
• Use parasite SEO to leverage the authority of other websites. Parasite SEO is a technique where you create SEO-optimized content on other websites that have high authority and traffic, and then use that content to link back to your own website. For example, you can write a guest post on a popular cannabis blog, or a product review on a reputable cannabis magazine, and then include a link to your website in the content. This way, you can take advantage of the audience and the ranking of these websites, and drive traffic to your own website.
• Use social media to build your brand and engage your customers. Social media is a great way to connect with your potential and existing customers, and to showcase your products, services, and values. You can create a Facebook page, an Instagram account, a YouTube channel, or a TikTok account, and post relevant and engaging content on a regular basis. You can also use social media to run ads, contests, giveaways, and live events, and to drive traffic to your website.

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4. List Your Dispensary on Local Directories and Platforms

The fourth dispensary marketing hack that you need to implement is to list your dispensary on local directories and platforms. Local directories and platforms are online places where you can showcase your dispensary information, such as your name, address, phone number, website, hours, products, and reviews. Some examples of local directories and platforms are Google My Business, Yelp, Bing Places, Foursquare, and Weedmaps.

Listing your dispensary on local directories and platforms can help you:

• Increase your online visibility and exposure, and reach more customers who are searching for dispensaries near them.
• Improve your local SEO and ranking, and get more organic traffic from search engines.
• Build your reputation and credibility, and get more reviews and ratings from your customers.

Some of the things that you need to do to list your dispensary on local directories and platforms are:

• Claim and verify your listings, and make sure that your information is accurate, consistent, and up-to-date across all platforms.
• Optimize your listings, and include relevant keywords, categories, descriptions, photos, and videos that showcase your dispensary and products.
• Encourage and respond to reviews, and ask your customers to leave feedback on your listings, and thank them and address any issues or complaints that they might have.

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5. External & Internal Link Building

The fifth dispensary marketing hack that you need to implement is to link your website to other relevant and authoritative websites. Simultaneously, receive backlinks to your website and listings. Linking your website to other websites is a way of creating connections and relationships with other online entities, such as blogs, magazines, news outlets, influencers, and organizations. Linking your website to other websites can help you:

• Boost your SEO and ranking, and get more authority and trust from search engines.
• Increase your traffic and referrals, and get more visitors from other websites that link to you.
• Expand your network and reach, and get more exposure and awareness from other websites’ audiences.

Some of the things that you need to do to link your website to other websites are:

• Create internal links, and link your website pages to each other, and create a logical and user-friendly structure and navigation for your website.
• Create external links, and link your website to other websites that are relevant and authoritative, and that can provide value and information to your customers.
• Avoid spammy and low-quality links, and link your website only to websites that are trustworthy and reputable, and that have a good reputation and ranking.

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6. Get Plenty of Reviews from Your Customers

The sixth dispensary marketing hack that you need to implement is to get plenty of reviews from your customers. Reviews are the feedback and opinions that your customers leave about your dispensary and products, either on your website, on your listings, or on other platforms. Reviews are very important for your dispensary marketing, because they can help you:

• Improve your customer satisfaction and loyalty, and understand what your customers like and dislike about your dispensary and products, and how you can improve them.
• Increase your conversion and sales, and persuade more customers to buy from you, because they trust the opinions and experiences of other customers.
• Enhance your reputation and credibility, and show that your dispensary and products are high-quality and reliable, and that you care about your customers.

Some of the things that you need to do to get plenty of reviews from your customers are:

• Ask for reviews, and remind your customers to leave feedback on your website, on your listings, or on other platforms, either in person, by email, by SMS, or by other means.
• Make it easy and convenient for reviews, and provide your customers with different options and channels to leave feedback, such as online forms, surveys, ratings, or testimonials.
• Reward and incentivize reviews, and offer your customers some benefits or perks for leaving feedback, such as discounts, coupons, freebies, or loyalty points.

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7. Communicate Consistently with Your Customers

The seventh dispensary marketing hack that you need to implement is to communicate consistently with your customers. Communication is the way that you interact and engage with your customers, and keep them informed and updated about your dispensary and products. Communication is essential for your dispensary marketing, because it can help you:

• Build and maintain relationships with your customers, and show them that you value and appreciate them, and that you are always available and responsive to their needs and queries.
• Educate and inform your customers, and provide them with useful and relevant information and content about your dispensary and products, and how they can benefit from them.
• Promote and market your dispensary and products, and let your customers know about your offers, deals, events, and news, and encourage them to visit your website, your store, or your social media.

Some of the things that you need to do to communicate consistently with your customers are:

• Use different channels and platforms, and communicate with your customers through various means, such as email, SMS, phone, chat, social media, or blog.
• Segment and personalize your communication, and communicate with your customers based on their preferences, interests, behaviors, and needs, and tailor your messages and content to suit them.
• Measure and optimize your communication, and monitor and analyze your communication performance and results, and improve your communication strategies and tactics.

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8. Automate Your Email and SMS Follow Up and Retargeting

The eighth dispensary marketing hack that you need to implement is to automate your email and SMS follow up and retargeting. Email and SMS are two of the most effective and affordable ways to communicate with your customers, and to keep them engaged and loyal to your dispensary. Follow up and retargeting are two of the most powerful and profitable ways to increase your conversion and sales, and to get more repeat and referral customers. Automating your email and SMS follow up and retargeting can help you:

• Save time and money, and reduce your workload and expenses, by using software and tools that can automate and streamline your email and SMS campaigns and processes.
• Increase your efficiency and effectiveness, and improve your communication quality and consistency, by using templates and triggers that can automate and customize your email and SMS messages and content.
• Boost your results and ROI, and enhance your communication performance and outcomes, by using analytics and reports that can automate and optimize your email and SMS strategies and tactics.

Some of the things that you need to do to automate your email and SMS follow up and retargeting are:

• Create email and SMS lists, and collect and store your customers’ email addresses and phone numbers, either on your website, on your listings, or on other platforms, and segment them based on different criteria.
• Create email and SMS sequences, and design and write your email and SMS messages and content, and schedule them to be sent automatically at different times and intervals, based on different triggers and actions.
• Create email and SMS funnels, and plan and map out your email and SMS goals and objectives, and guide your customers through different stages and steps, from awareness, to interest, to decision, to action.

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9. Be Active on Your Listings and Manage Your Reviews

The ninth dispensary marketing hack that you need to implement is to be active on your listings and manage your reviews. As I mentioned before, listing your dispensary on local directories and platforms is a great way to increase your online visibility and exposure, and to improve your local SEO and ranking. However, listing your dispensary is not enough, you also need to be active on your listings and manage your reviews, and this can help you:

• Update and optimize your listings, and make sure that your information is accurate, consistent, and up-to-date across all platforms, and that you include relevant keywords, categories, descriptions, photos, and videos that showcase your dispensary and products.
• Respond and interact with your reviews, and make sure that you thank your customers for leaving positive feedback, and that you address any issues or complaints that they might have, and that you resolve them as soon as possible.
• Encourage and incentivize more reviews, and make sure that you ask your customers to leave feedback on your listings, and that you offer them some benefits or perks for doing so, such as discounts, coupons, freebies, or loyalty points.

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10. Use Online Parasite SEO Strategy

The tenth and final dispensary marketing hack that you need to implement is to use online parasite SEO strategy. Online parasite SEO strategy is a technique where you use other websites that have high authority and traffic, and that allow you to create and publish content on them, such as blogs, magazines, news outlets, influencers, and organizations, and then use that content to promote your dispensary and products, and to link back to your own website. Online parasite SEO strategy can help you:

• Leverage the authority and traffic of other websites, and take advantage of the audience and the ranking of these websites, and drive traffic to your own website.
• Create valuable and shareable content, and provide useful and relevant information and content to your customers, and to the audiences of other websites, and make them interested and curious about your dispensary and products.
• Build your reputation and credibility, and show that your dispensary and products are high-quality and reliable, and that you are an expert and a leader in the cannabis industry.

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Some of the things that you need to do to use online parasite SEO strategy are:

• Find and research other websites, and look for websites that are relevant and authoritative, and that have a lot of traffic and engagement, and that allow you to create and publish content on them, such as guest posts, product reviews, or sponsored posts.
• Create and optimize your content, and write and design your content for the websites that you choose, and make sure that your content is valuable and shareable, and that it includes relevant keywords

Ready To Get Started with a Proven Dispensary Marketing Plan in 2024?

These are the 10 dispensary marketing hacks that you can use to grow your dispensary business in 2024. By implementing these hacks, you can increase your online visibility and exposure, improve your local SEO and ranking, boost your conversion and sales, build your reputation and credibility, and expand your network and reach.

You can also save time and money, and reduce your risks and challenges, by using alternative and creative ways to get paid traffic for your dispensary, without relying on Google Ads, weed maps, or Leafly.

If you want to learn more about how to apply these hacks to your dispensary, and how to create a customized and effective marketing plan for your dispensary, I invite you to check out Green Dispensary Marketing. We have a proven system for helping cannabis dispensary owners get more traffic, more customers, and more revenue, using the latest trends, strategies, and techniques in the cannabis marketing industry.

>> Book a free dispensary site audit & marketing action plan