If you’re a cannabis startup with a modest marketing budget, you’ve got to find ways to save money but still get your message across effectively.

And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Having limited resources can force you to be creative and innovative in your approach.

But if your budgetary woes are making it difficult for you to get your creative juices flowing, we can help you get the ball rolling.

Here are five low-budget marketing hacks for your cannabis startup!

1. Build Local Awareness

Are you familiar with the environmental slogan “Think global; act local?” It applies to business as well.

Even if you have dreams of becoming a global cannabis brand someday, you still have to build that dream brick by brick.

And the best place to start is with the communities that surround your business.

• Leverage any local connections you have. Ask friends and family to refer your business to their networks. Get your employees to do the same, and offer an incentive to whichever employee refers the most people. If you’re friendly with non-competitor businesses in your area, ask them if you can swap promotional materials and leave them on display at each other’s establishment.
• Host free events. You can offer a tour of your business, hand out non-infused product samples, or host educational workshops. Promote your events via social media (more on this later) and email.
• Build your website’s local SEO. This is the most critical, long-term marketing investment you can make. People do most of their shopping online, so your site needs to be easy to find. Check out our post on building local SEO for more info.

2. Content Marketing

Creating valuable content for your customers accomplishes two things:

• It improves your SEO.
• It provides people with free, high-quality information (and entertainment), which helps boost brand engagement and customer acquisition.

If you’re just starting out, you don’t need to spend big bucks on a massive content marketing plan.

Publishing a weekly blog/video or a sending out a monthly email newsletter can make a huge difference in terms of increasing your web traffic and sales. The key is to start small and build off of your successes.

3. Social Media Marketing

Most social media platforms allow you to create a business page for free. And since the majority of Americans use social media to connect with their friends, family, and favorite businesses, getting on social media should be a no-brainer.

But while social media marketing won’t cost you anything initially, it does require an investment of time. You’ll need someone to plan, manage, and publish content as well as respond to user comments and questions. Check out our post on social media for tips on how to do it right.

4. Charity Participation

Giving back to your community isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also good PR.

Find a reputable charity or another type of non-profit organization that’s in alignment with your company’s goals and values. Set up a partnership of some kind, whether that involves volunteering, fundraising, or sponsorship. Create a press release and send it out to your local publications so that the community knows what you’re doing.

5. Video Live Streaming

Live streaming has become an increasingly popular marketing tactic. And it’s relatively free to do.
Live streaming allows users to interact with your brand in real time, adding an element of improvisation and authenticity that can boost user engagement and make your calls-to-action more successful. 

What type of live streaming event should you do? Anything that encourages people to engage with you during the broadcast. 

A prime example would be a Q&A session about a new product you’re offering. You can invite users to post questions about the product, answer their questions in real time, and then direct them to your website to learn more or place an order.

Want to take your cannabis marketing strategy to the next level but feel weighed down by your budget?

 

At Hazy Marketing, we offer cost-effective marketing solutions that can help you get the results you’re looking for. Give us a call at (702)-600-9867 or email us at hello@hazymarketing for a consultation!