CBD Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Brand in 2021

The CBD market is booming—but with so many brands entering the space, standing out takes more than a great product. You need a smart CBD marketing strategy that drives traffic, builds trust, and stays legally compliant. From SEO and content to email, social media, and paid ads, this guide covers everything you need to grow your CBD brand in 2021.

Although making your mark in the CBD world can be difficult, it is well worth it. And when done correctly, it could end up paying off for you.

Let’s take a look at the challenges your CBD brand will face and some tips to help you grow your CBD brand.

Why You Need to Market Your CBD Brand

Business owners need to market any product or store they run, and CBD is no exception. A well-thought-out and executed marketing strategy can help ensure you make a profit off your business.

Smart marketing will:

Help your CBD product stand out in a sea of options.
Help you reach new customers, a must for every growing business.
Help increase your profits.

CBD Marketing Challenges

While marketing is an essential part of having a CBD brand, you will face unique challenges when it comes to marketing your CBD products. Though they may require some creativity to plan around, they certainly should not deter you from trying to grow your CBD brand through marketing.

Challenges CBD face while marketing includes:

Different state laws. If you plan to expand your CBD business into other states, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with their requirements around everything from packaging to shipping. These laws can also change. Following the news in these areas will be essential to help you stay up to date on the CBD laws in each state.
Social media restrictions. Social media is an important marketing tool. When it comes to marketing CBD, though, you’ll face some restrictions. Facebook, for example, does not allow for paid ads. Instagram also has various restrictions on what you can post and even the type of contact information you can post. You’ll need to be aware of these limits to ensure your brand’s account doesn’t get locked or banned from social media platforms.
Claims laws. What you can and cannot say to promote your products is also something you’ll need to keep an eye on. The FDA does not allow you to make health or medical claims about your product and monitor it. Be mindful of what you can say as you craft your brand, packaging, and marketing messages.

These are just a few of the challenges CBD brands face when creating marketing strategies. Don’t let it scare you, though. You can still successfully market your CBD brand while staying within CBD marketing guidelines set forth by social media companies and the FDA.

How to Grow Your CBD Brand Through Marketing

Every brand’s CBD marketing starts at the same place: with the product. You’ll need to first ensure you have a quality product (or products) to sell to your customers.

What need are you fulfilling for them? How can you show them your product is the one they should buy out of all the options they have? How can your custom packaging stand out in the crowd?

Taking time to answer these questions can help guide you as you continue to market your CBD brand.

Once you have a solid grasp of your product and your brand’s voice, you are ready to get going. To grow your CBD brand, you should:

Create your brand’s identity and voice. This will drive the way you speak to and connect with your audience and customers. Your brand identity can help you stand out from all the other CBD brands on the market today.
Invest in an SEO strategy. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, helps you and your brand be seen on the internet. Although you still need to abide by the marketing guidelines set forth by the FDA, a solid SEO strategy can help you reach a broader audience by utilizing keywords in your content.
Grow your content. Speaking of content, you’ll want to make sure you have content to share. This content should be in blog form (with links), social media content, web content, and more. You’ll want to establish yourself as an authoritative voice on CBD by providing educational content that offers value to your readers (and customers). Again, just be mindful of the restrictions around what you can and cannot say about CBD and its benefits.
Don’t forget your email. Email is one of the oldest forms of online marketing, but it is also one of the most valuable. Email allows you to speak directly to your customers, improve your relationship with them, and can even increase your customer retention. You can also attract new customers while also rewarding loyal ones by using email to offer coupons and deals or even share an update on a new product.
Social media is important. While you’ll have restrictions on how you can use social media, it is still essential to do so. Share content regularly and interact with your fans and followers on your posts.
Don’t forget the value of loyal customers. Does your online CBD shop offer branded swag and accessories that bear your logo? If not, it should. Happy and loyal customers are some of your most effective marketing tools. Wearing a shirt with your logo or using accessories with it are easy ways to expand your reach.

CBD Marketing: A Summary

Though this is just a quick snapshot of what you can do to grow your CBD brand, it hopefully provides you with some food for thought to start planning your CBD marketing strategy.

Remember, you don’t have to navigate the CBD marketing world alone. You may find it helpful to bring in people to help you create your brand identity and even help you design your product’s packaging. Having experts with experience in the CBD field can help you launch your CBD brand and guide you as you work to grow your reach and find more customers.

Growing a CBD brand takes creativity, consistency, and compliance. By combining organic and paid strategies that work within legal boundaries, you can build a strong, trusted brand in a competitive market. For additional help navigating CBD marketing laws, check out FDA’s guidance on CBD products.