But we have to remember that without the ancillary cannabis businesses, the industry could never sustain itself in the long run. And there are even more of them than their more obvious dispensary and provisioning center cousins and kin.

As such, these business-to-business brands face fierce competition when it comes to getting noticed. So what’s a B2B brand to do?

We’ve got four pretty solid B2B cannabis marketing strategies.

1. Embrace Public Relations

When you’re looking to drive credibility and awareness on a large scale, public relations is the most effective way to go. You may not be aware of it, but there are dozens of cannabis-specific media outlets.

Plus, nearly ever cannabis-legal state has advocacy and professional associations, as well as regular trade shows that draw tens of thousands of industry insiders.

If you don’t have the time to sniff out and research these opportunities, you can’t go wrong bringing in a cannabis public relations specialist. He or she has already done the footwork, made the connections, and knows which paths will best serve your company’s needs resources, budget, and goals.

2. Take Advantage of Content Marketing

Misinformation abounds on the internet.

This is especially true when it comes to cannabis. The myths and stories surrounding marijuana rival those involving conspiracy theories about little green men.

As such, you have the perfect opportunity to rectify this and position yourself as an expert in your field. How? With content marketing.

If you don’t have a blog on your website, get one. And if you do have one, then use it! Connecting with your audience by regularly contributing educational/informative articles and compelling storytelling will not only establish you as an industry leader, but will build trust and boost your website’s SEO (search engine optimization) to boot.

You can also write and publish whitepapers and case studies to highlight your company’s expertise and successes your clients have experienced. Video will also draw significant traffic since they’re an entertaining way to simplify complex issues.

3. Use Social Media… Mindfully

With all of the rules and regulations surrounding cannabis, it’s easy to shy away from marketing yourself on social media. But that’s a huge mistake. More than 70% of Americans use it as a means to make connections, get their news, or tune into entertainment.

Multiple cannabusinesses have found ways around the rules and regulations associated with what continues to be (stupidly) considered a Schedule I drug in Uncle Sam’s eyes. It’s really just a matter of being very mindful and conscious about what they choose to post while staying within the legal confines.

If this still makes you nervous, that’s understandable. That’s what makes it so worthwhile to seek out the services of an experienced cannabis marketing team. They understand the rules of social media and how to creatively work with them to help your company thrive.

4. Be a Presence at Cannabis Events

This one is a no-brainer.

Yet, how often do you make it a priority to attend cannabis events? They’re easily one of the best ways to connect with others in the industry while gaining critical intel and education. If the national conferences seem like too much to tackle, then seek out local events that serve up a more intimate and focused experience.

And if you have something to share, then consider setting up a booth or even going as a presenter rather than merely an attendee. In terms of networking and meeting potential customers face-to-face, this is gold. Still, showing up as an attendee is better than not showing up at all.

Make Your B2B Cannabis Marketing Strategies a Priority

As an ancillary company with less visibility, it’s doubly important you put the most effective B2B cannabis marketing strategies into play. And you want to do them well for the best results.

Otherwise, you could end up damaging your brand.

So don’t hesitate to turn to cannabis public relations and marketing specialists to navigate this sometimes tricky terrain. Contact us today to see how we can help put your cannabis business in the spotlight.

The post The Four Best B2B Cannabis Marketing Strategies appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

Getting connected with cannabis marketing specialists to build awareness of your brand is going to help your business go far.

There are numerous tactics they use to grow your business, however. Some are more expensive than others. And some are more effective than others.

Piggyback marketing checks both the affordable and efficient boxes.

So What Is Piggyback Marketing?

By now, you’ve heard of influencer marketing. Piggyback marketing is similar.

Yet rather than paying some superstar with oodles of connections to promote you, piggyback marketing relies on your shared work and vision with a partner brand or organization. It’s taking advantage of the commonality of your audiences and interests, but swapping out popularity for solidarity.

Coming together to collaborate on a project such as a promotion, event, or new product, for example, leverages the power of your shared audiences. And in the long run, it results in a more creative, authentic, and community-driven experience.

This is especially important in an industry that relies heavily on trust, while being simultaneously prohibited from traditional marketing avenues.

Given these two factors, cannabis marketing and public relations experts know well the power of piggyback marketing.

How Piggyback Marketing Works for Cannabis

It all starts with an interesting idea.

You need to come up with either an event, promotion, or some sort of other finished product that will appeal to your customers, as well as those of your partner’s brand. Whatever the case, it should have value to all of them.

One of the biggest mistakes rookies make is buying into the notion that the collaborative project must be complex. Forget that noise.

You want people to understand your project so they can talk it up. Otherwise, they won’t be on board. And they certainly won’t talk about it with others.

Know What Makes a Good Partner

You want to ensure first and foremost that the company with which you choose to collaborate should not be in direct competition with you. Duh.

Nor should they be your polar opposite. Your customer demographics should be compatible with those of their business.

For instance, if your company is on the cool and edgy side, you may not fare well at a clinical corporate type event. In fact, the two different demographics could become horrifyingly antagonistic factions. Then again, probably not.

But you get the point.

Finding a complementary business doesn’t necessarily mean success though. You have to consider the people involved as well.

If your partner is not as passionate or invested in the idea as you are, that can lead to failure. Or if you pair up with someone who has similar strengths and weaknesses, there won’t be much room for growth. So take the time to suss all of these out.

Bottom line?

If you have a sound idea and you’re respected in the industry (i.e. have played by the rules and haven’t burnt a bunch of bridges) then you’ll likely find someone in the cannabis space who’s ready to partner with you on that idea.

The Pitch

Once you’ve found the ideal partner, it’s time to execute the product. Rule number one – don’t skimp on development. Also, have some idea of how you wish to measure the success of your launch by setting up some objectives. Then be prepared to track that success.

For example, perhaps you’re hoping for more followers on your social channels to show that you’re a respected company. Or maybe you’re looking for more signups for your mailing list. You may have a goal to get media coverage.

Whatever the case, you want your proposed project/final deliverable to be polished and professional. That’s the only way people are going to get excited about it.

Copy and photos must be relevant and the organization of the process should flow seamlessly.

In other words, you want your final deliverable to be something of which both you and your partner can be proud. Because even if the launch doesn’t end up being as huge as you hope, the process of creating a polished final product will help out both brands in the long run.

Hopefully your project will be a huge success. But even if it falls flat, you can analyze where things went south so you can tweak your approach for the next time.

In the end, you can view it as an important learning experience.

Could Piggyback Marketing Work for You?

If you’re trying to grow your cannabis business, it’s a good idea to take advantage of piggyback marketing.

Not sure you want to tackle it yourself? Then contact us today.

We have the expertise to put your brand in front of audiences who are already proven to be interested in products or services similar to yours, while helping you partner with brands that your audience already respects.

All of this will boost authenticity for your cannabis business. And that’s priceless.

The post Using Piggyback Marketing to Grow Your Cannabis Business appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.