Understanding The Consumer Journey For Cannabis Users
Great news for cannabis businesses: more Americans are consuming marijuana than ever before.
In states where it’s legal, an average of 43% of adults consumed marijuana in 2020, up from 38% in 2019, according to Forbes.
It’s not entirely shocking then that cannabis sales hit a record-shattering $17.5 billion in 2020, a 46% increase from 2019.
Most of these new consumers are not your stereotypical tie-dye-shirt-wearing potheads who reek of a patchouli-marijuana blend. They are as diverse as America itself, and their preferences and behaviors vary across demographics.
Simply opening a dispensary and expecting all marijuana users in a 20-mile radius to flock to your store may be successful in the short-term, but that strategy is likely to fail as more dispensaries open and competition gets stiffer.
Businesses that focus on understanding modern cannabis consumers and positioning their brand to meet the needs and preferences of their target audience are more likely to grow long-term success.
One of the most effective ways to stand out and build your brand is with a digital marketing strategy that addresses each stage of the consumer journey. As canna-curious strangers become aware of your business, your marketing should move them along to the next stage of their journey until they ultimately become loyal, repeat customers.
There are five stages of the consumer journey: awareness, research, consideration, conversion and re-purchase. Let’s dive deeper into each stage.
AWARENESS
In the awareness stage, consumers are learning about your business or industry. They might have seen an ad announcing your grand opening or driven by your location near their home or workplace. Their interest is piqued and they’re curious.
At this stage, businesses should have a broad display ad campaign focused on branding their business to potential target audiences of new consumers. Make sure your ads are captivating and have a single call-to-action leading consumers to your website for more information. The goal is to create an ad that catches their attention and makes them curious to learn more. Most people likely won’t click on that ad, but the most qualified potential customers will move on to the next stage.
RESEARCH
Once consumers are curious about making a purchase, they start their research. Consumers have a lot of questions about marijuana — especially consumers who have little or no experience with it.
When they’re searching for information, it’s important that your business provides them with answers. This is your opportunity to show off your expertise with a series of informative blog posts and engaging social media posts. Build trust with prospective customers by sharing your knowledge and they will consider making a purchase.
Using keyword and contextual retargeting, a digital marketing agency can build an audience out of the consumers who are actively researching your products or services. These audiences can be targeted with your messaging for the next 30 days — or however long they’re in the research stage of the consumer journey.
CONSIDERATION
Now that consumers have researched, they’re ready to consider specific products that they could purchase. They are considering both objective factors like price and THC dosage and subjective factors like tastes and desired effects. Type of product is also important for cannabis consumers — while flower is still the product in highest demand, new consumers are curious about edibles, concentrates and vaporizers.
For cannabis businesses, it’s important to have a lot of information readily available about each of the products your business offers. For example, while budtenders can help provide guidance to in-person shoppers at a dispensary, online shoppers are only going off of what’s on your website.
Your menu is crucial in this step. Including vital information about strains, dosages, effects, flavors and even terpene profiles can go a long way to encouraging a consumer to convert into a paying customer.
CONVERSION
This is where the magic happens — the sale! It’s important to make the purchasing experience simple and free of glitches and technical issues for your consumers who have made it to this stage.
If you notice a lot of consumers are adding items to their online cart but not converting, examine the purchase page to find out if there’s an issue with the page or the design.
Retargeting ad campaigns can help nudge consumers along, subtly reminding them that they’re interested in your products and can still complete their purchase easily.
If you don’t offer online sales, you can still convert potential consumers online by asking them to call your business or fill out a form for more information so that you can help them complete their purchase.
RE-PURCHASE
Of course, you don’t want a customer to buy your product just once. You want to make sure your customers are so satisfied with both the products and their purchase experience that they become loyal customers. These customers are not only valuable for their repeat purchases, but also because they are highly likely to recommend your products or business to their friends and family.
Send a thank-you email to people who make a purchase online, so they know they’re appreciated. A loyalty program can encourage additional visits. An engaging social media strategy will keep long-term customers connected to your business when they’re not making a purchase.
Cannabis Digital Solutions can help grow your cannabis business with custom marketing that reaches people at every stage of the consumer journey. Contact us today to schedule a time so that our team can learn more about you and your business.
