The ripple effect of advancements in technology is quickly shaking up the marketing scene in a big way. Companies and marketing consultancy firms have been at the forefront of ushering in the new technology era through embracing AI in marketing. However, not all are well versed with the idea of artificial...

When I wrote this post nearly two years ago, it was with the expectation that I would be able to update it with “good news”, that cannabis businesses are able to take advantage of the powerful AdWords platform, running ads on Facebook, Instagram and the like, and the rest of us...

The 8 “SIMPLE” questions every Brand Marketer or Product Manager needs to ask themselves about their strategy in order to build proper tactics.  When it comes to digital marketing & strategy - the best flashlight is a well-formed question. Below are a few “simple questions” that cross both product and business...

Transactions Come in All Sizes & Shapes and Are All Motivated by Customer Pains and Where They Are in Their Buying Cycle Understanding the motivation of your most valuable target personas is essential to developing the strategies needed to define tactics to execute. Marketing or advertising without considering these crucial factors...

In order to effectively market to your target audience, it’s vital you first learn all that you can about what they think of your product or service. Their motivations, their reservations, their concerns, etc. We’ve found that one of the best ways to do this is through focus groups. What Are...

Unfortunately far too many businesses tend to dismiss the need for market research when making business decisions. We’re not sure why this feeling not only exists, but seems more companies are willing to make sizable investments without fully understanding the opportunity or potential risks. Fundamentally, success in business is about mitigating...

When developing your digital marketing strategy be aware of traps. These traps can result in a strategy that won’t deliver the results you’re seeking.  Development of your strategy must start with clearly defined goals. We like to recommend crafting your goals using the S.M.A.R.T. approach.  Specific: target a specific area for improvement. Example:...

When it comes to establishing a digital marketing presence, cannabis companies can’t follow the typical route of mainstream or less regulated industries. In addition to age restrictions, many of the most popular advertising channels are unavailable. Specifically we’re referring to paid search and social ads dominated by Google and Facebook.  Sure,...

Okay, we're going to be blunt here. Fellow marketers time to “get over” the artificial intelligence (AI) hype. Time to stop thinking it’s all about “disruptive,” complex technology on the bleeding edges of a new frontier. The unfamiliar terminology. The unseeable interactions between variables lead to discovering solutions. The ridiculous and...

Artificial Intelligence(AI) has recently been integrated into marketing and is still in its early stages. It makes automated decisions based on available data and audience observations or economic trends that impact marketing. By doing so, it enables marketers to gain more insight and understanding of their target audiences.  However, a business...

Digital transformation is the process of implementing workflows and technologies that leverage data into your business operations. From using AI for marketing purposes to replacing paper invoices with billing apps, companies all over the world are changing their business processes, customer relations techniques, and marketing tactics. While it may be obvious...

The digital space is an extremely important channel for businesses today, especially businesses in the cannabis industry. Your website is really your digital storefront so to speak; in many cases, it’s the first (or only) touch point many of your customers have with your business. And because it’s almost Halloween, we...

Many traditional forms of advertising are unavailable or too costly for many cannabis businesses today. This is perhaps why so many of them have turned to social media to engage with their customers and expand their overall reach. However, many of these businesses are also realizing that just being on social media isn’t enough....

One of the most important aspects of a Content Playbook is the Content Calendar. The Content Calendar is really the meat of the content strategy which is developed from the Content Audit. A Content Calendar typically includes format, topics, target keyword phrases, due dates, etc. We’ve found that more effective programs have calendars that...

In its simplest terms, marketing is the communication bridge between your target audience and your brand. So once you’ve taken the critical first step and nailed down what you stand for as a brand, you then need to determine how you want to engage with your target market. This process of consumer engagement...

Advertising cannabis and CBD brands present their own unique set of challenges, and we blogged about this some here and here. But if you’re beginning to think about advertising your product/service, let’s talk a bit about what a brand should consider first. Or, put another way, let’s have at least thought about the factors...

Okay, it’s time for your cannabis business’s digital marketing program to get serious. Hopefully, you already have Google Analytics installed on your cannabis website. Unfortunately in 9 of 10 digital marketing programs we audit the implementation of Google Analytics is minimal if implemented at all. To take the next step with...

Editor's Note: this article was lightly updated in May 2020. We hope Google sees the light and opens up more of its platform to legal cannabis, CBD and hemp companies.  Marketers in the cannabis industry have an interesting environment in which to work. The product is in demand and audiences want to...

A content playbook is somewhat like an extended campaign brief, it sets the direction and strategy for the content campaign and it’s designed to serve as a resource for the content team members to reference back to as the campaign is executed. Simply put, the content playbook asks these three questions:...

Content marketing is made up of two parts: content and marketing. Once you have developed original content and optimized it for search, it’s time to start thinking beyond inbound traffic to promotion and outreach for that content. Not everyone uses the internet the same way, and so while many people may be finding your...