Cannabis

Top Tips for Cannabis Product Launch

, , ,

Cannabis is finally having its day in the sun after years of ridicule. The lifted ban on cannabis use for medical purposes (and, in some states, recreational) breathed new life into the industry, with more companies registering and more cannabis-infused products (and more variety) than ever before. But that doesn’t mean that it’s easier to do a cannabis product launch. While this is excellent news for the industry as a whole, for those who are in the cannabis space, marketing their product or brand can be pretty challenging, even with so many options readily available these days.
However, there are some innovative ways in which you can spread the word when you’re launching a cannabis brand.

Why Is Cannabis Industry PR Important?

Just like any other form of marketing, cannabis marketing helps your cannabis brand. Because it is aimed mainly at them, it naturally draws more excellent leads and potential customers. Nowadays, it’s usual to see marketing for cannabis products on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram Stories, and SEO-optimized campaigns.

While promoting cannabis products, it’s crucial to use caution. As reported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), all cannabis products must adhere to any rules that may be in force. According to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision, manufacturers cannot add cannabis to food, supplements, or pet food. This prohibition is valid regardless of whether the product is marked as containing hemp.

Since there is no evidence using cannabis has any real health advantages, cannabinoids cannot be sold as dietary supplements or added to the cleared goods by the FDA and sold legally.
Regardless, brands are not permitted to make medical claims about cannabis; if you do, they will suspend all your online marketing activities. You won’t experience any difficulties running your marketing initiatives as long as you adhere to the local laws and regulations.

Understand the Demographic

Many cannabis firms are unaware of the hazards of modern content marketing and cannabis industry PR when selling cannabis oil or goods or are adopting non-compliant or old-fashioned marketing techniques.
Due to the high volume of incoming cannabis business, your branding needs careful preparation, original thinking, and consistency to stand out in an emerging market. To effectively engage with local consumers, they should provide your cannabis marketing plans with ways to connect through various channels, including SMS marketing, native applications, and cannabis-focused blogs and press releases.
The age of a target demographic will undoubtedly affect the digital marketing channel they use the most. It is expected for influencer marketing and loyalty programs to be favorably received by cannabis consumers between the ages of 19 and 29. On the other hand, people in the 30 to 60 age range are more inclined to look for reviews and videos instead. While customers over the age of 60 are more likely to connect with a marketing campaign through the platforms that they are familiar with utilizing and respond to emails addressed to them.
Your cannabis firm may improve its marketing strategy by using an omnichannel marketing solution and preferably one that targets customers according to their chosen communication channel. Your open rates and other essential metrics covered below can be influenced by targeting by medium and the proper age.
Know Your USP

Your cannabis product’s USP or Unique Selling Proposition will give value to your brand, and there’s only one way of ensuring others know what you have to offer. Cannabis products have evolved into a panacea, making it more difficult for businesses to enter the market and determine their position precisely.
Should your primary goal be to manage pain or edibles or offer products for the pet industry? To position your cannabis brand effectively, finding the right match is crucial. Most cannabis companies lack a distinctive viewpoint or brand objective and cannot determine their brand fit. They sell the same things and don’t attract new customers.
Brand fit is a vital component that can make or destroy your cannabis brand’s marketing plan. Given the variety of health advantages that cannabis offers, the market must be uniform. Position your brand such that it closely links to your target customers. Create your company and your products to appeal to their personalities, meet their needs, and address their issues.
Focus on User Experience

The eCommerce user experience is essential to any online purchasing process. As a result, it is vital to investigate the entire user experience of your website. There are several strategies for enhancing the user experience on your website, but when buying a product like cannabis, discoverability, legitimacy, and usability are crucial.
You can hire a company to conduct surveys, make adjustments, and perform your informal study. Additionally, you may ask visitors to your website who have just made a purchase how their experience was and if they have any particular recommendations for enhancements.
Don’t Forget the Press Release

You may use a press release to introduce new products or services since it is simple to disseminate to journalists, news sources, and all of the main search engines and social media platforms. Press release allows the business to reach a wider audience.
Additionally, businesses may send out several press releases as needed because the press release is simple to write and distribute. Press release hyperlinks that direct readers to other firm websites are only one of the numerous additional elements publishers may include in digital press releases. Businesses also frequently use highly particular keywords when discussing their goods, including those related to the brand. The press release may be made even more search engine-friendly by including relevant keywords related to the business.
A press release is a permanent part of a business’s public record because it is so readily available that people can find and reread it in the future. A neatly carved-out press release can also double as a direct communication tool, enabling businesses to quickly communicate with the general public and the target demographic on critical areas such as the benefits of said cannabis product.
Suppose the brand can provide a PR agency with all the information required to spread the word through a press release, including accurate information, comprehensive data, and pictures, and provide access to the brand’s spokesperson. In that case, you will add value and enhance your reputation through strategic PR.
It is the main reason brand awareness is combined with the expertise and objectivity of a reputable journalist or newspaper who wouldn’t spread false information for financial gain. The general people can tell the difference when someone has this type of credibility. 420 PR can be complex, so you should hire experts to draft the press release and all other marketing collateral.
Use Social Media

The advertising of cannabis products through promoted tweets or ad spaces is presently not permitted on Twitter. Retweeting or sharing links that aim to raise awareness of the items is the most effective way to promote them on the Twitter network.
Facebook and Instagram both have relatively similar policies; however, Instagram accounts run the possibility of being deactivated if they are detected. Instead of attempting to sell straight to the audience, the emphasis should be on educating them about cannabis products for Instagram promotion. The Instagram account trying to advertise the items should link to authority posts or share cannabis material from other pages rather than running sponsored advertisements.
Facebook has loosened its restrictions on marketing goods containing cannabis, but only for topically applied treatments. The advertising should point to a landing page with the FDA’s disclaimers indicated earlier and age limitations for optimum performance. It is important to note that both inhalants are still illegal.
One of the ways to attract new consumers and boost sales is to promote products on social media. You can include platforms like Facebook and Twitter in your marketing plan to help you establish an online presence and interact with the target market warmly and welcomingly. So while promoting cannabis goods, be sure to leverage the power of social media entirely.

Affiliate Marketing

The world can learn about your product thanks to affiliate marketers, who can do it all without you having to do a thing. Industry statistics predict a 10% increase in affiliate marketing spending over the next five years. Note that online users clicked on affiliate marketing links more than five billion times, generating an astounding $12 billion income.
One of the best methods to keep your cannabis business current with market developments is participating in industry events. Participating in such events offers brands invaluable knowledge about trends, laws, and other vital issues and provides a great chance to network with possible clients and rivals. Attending industry events is a fantastic opportunity to show your dedication to your cannabis brand and stand out from the competition.

Have a Plan

Your cannabis product launch will stand out to potential clients if you properly design an efficient marketing strategy. As a cannabis company, developing an efficient marketing strategy is crucial to connect with your target market and conveying the appropriate message.
Start by identifying the characteristics of your prospective clients, such as their age, interests, geography, etc. After establishing these fundamentals are established, pinpoint the platforms they frequent and create a thorough approach that delivers information that appeals to them and best showcases your cannabis goods. It involves using influencer alliances, email marketing, social media campaigns, and other techniques that get you recognized.
Follow the Rules

Even if the cannabis industry is still in its infancy, you must familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations before your cannabis product launch. For instance, a few California cannabis firms and manufacturers have started selling their goods to clients online, avoiding the conventional brick-and-mortar retail stores and delivery services that have long served as the industry’s gatekeepers.
Some of the top marijuana firms in the state, such as Roach, Old Pal, and Kiva Confections, are using the direct-to-consumer strategy. Still, practicing this new method of reaching customers is only done in California.
What About SEO?

Search engine optimization, sometimes known as SEO, is one of the most natural ways to develop your business on the Internet. Since you will market and sell your brand online, it pays to ensure that you have an online presence and, more importantly, that others know of that presence. It is where SEO or Search Engine Optimization comes in.
The cost of using this strategy is typically much lower than other advertising tactics, even though it might be relatively challenging to implement. Hiring an SEO specialist who can do all the heavy lifting for you is the most innovative approach to ensure the effective spending of your time and money.
You also don’t have to worry about flouting cannabis marketing regulations. However, if the FDA looks into any health or illness claims, please be advised that SEO “keywords” will be seen as a marketing and promotional materials. By using effective SEO techniques, you may establish yourself as a respected thought leader in the cannabis industry.
Ending Note

Even though the cannabis industry is already enormous, it is still expanding swiftly due to consumers’ increased acceptance of it. According to conservative estimates, cannabis sales are likely to generate around $1.8 billion yearly, a remarkable increase from sales in previous years. Researchers have long expected that the consumer market will overtake the whole legal cannabis business, and that seems like it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.
However, a deeper examination of market patterns reveals that the legal marijuana sector in the US expects to reach a value of more than $23 billion in the next few years, setting the example for the cannabidiol industry in this country.
A lot goes into cannabis industry PR during a cannabis product launch. Still, it’s safe to say that the tips mentioned above are tried and tested to bring in the results you want when launching a cannabis brand.

by

Tips for Launching a Cannabis Brand Using PR

, ,

It’s safe to say that cannabis is no longer down “the weeds.” At least, not in many US states. Every year in April, cannabis enthusiasts all over the globe light up a joint to celebrate this recreational (legal) plant. Cannabis startups use PR, digital marketing, and social media to launch their cannabis brands; here we share our tips.

Launching a cannabis brand can be made easier as long as you follow some tried and tested marketing methods. So, if you are a cannabis business owner looking for cannabis startup PR ideas, 4/20 is the perfect time to show the world what you have to offer. But how about the rest of the year?

We’ve seen cannabis businesses continue to grow as an increasing percentage of the general population accepts cannabis as a part of their recreational and medicinal usage. The acceptance has grown increasingly ingrained in how people live because of expanding its consumption habits. A variety of cannabis-infused products are now widely available in local stores.

Tips to Launch a Cannabis Lifestyle Brand

The cannabis market is expanding at an unmatched rate, with US sales estimates reaching $31 billion, up 41% over previous years. Nevertheless, the future for cannabis is unsteady despite this encouraging sales rise.

As the sector struggled with rising competition and other side effects of its most recent boom cycle, mergers and acquisition (M&A) in the cannabis space has also seen a record rise, which spells good news for the industry. However, new startups and more established businesses within the cannabis space are finding it harder to reach out to new consumers.

By putting money into product innovation and expanding beyond the flower, cannabis firms can connect with more people. Approximately 80% of sales were attributable to flowers about ten years ago; today, that percentage is 47%. Consumers are becoming more drawn to edibles, infused items, and other produced cannabis products.

Although outdoor (OOH) advertising is a more conventional channel, cannabis firms continue to invest in billboards and other forms of outdoor advertising. This change enables companies operating in the sector to increase customer trust while de-stigmatizing the industry. Although OOH consumes a sizable percentage of advertising dollars for cannabis promotion, the channel has several drawbacks. A significant problem is performance measurement.

It’s All About Branding

In 2022, cannabis brands changed massively. The type of customers your product appeals to will influence the appearance and feel you select. Keep track of any themes or keywords you see in popular brands.

Nowadays, cannabis and cannabis-infused products are everywhere. Some of the major distributors have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since it became legal in some US states, and by 2028, they anticipate that the market will be worth more than 70 billion dollars.

The market has produced many goods, including pre-rolled joints and CBD edibles for medical and recreational purposes. There are also many alternative purchasing methods available.
New cannabis startups need to create a brand that sets them apart and aids in clearly defining their positioning. So, what do most of the top cannabis brands have in common? A name, and of course, a logo. When terms relate to cannabis in a sophisticated, subtle way, like Tokyo Smoke of Doja, they usually succeed. Brands have recognized it’s past time to stop using cannabis culture’s overused clichés.

Most contemporary cannabis company logos avoid the ganja leaf symbolism of the past unless it is soft or creative. While posters of Guns n Roses might have looked good next to pictures of enormous green foliage, the 1990s are long gone. However, the leaf is a symbol that has become a significant and distinctive industry emblem that, when applied wisely, may lead to excellent brand development.

Community Building

We all love to be part of a community, and when it comes to brands, some of the successful brands in the world thrive because of their communities. Cannabis brands can use social media as a beneficial tool to develop their community once they have established their presence on several platforms. They may also offer your clients the option to sign up for email newsletters that inform them of the most recent developments in the cannabis sector.

Building a community could assist in assembling a sizable group of worthwhile customers and well-wishers from the same sector, which is always good for business. You could sell your brand more effectively by locating like-minded people who share your interests at the end of the day.

Hire a Cannabis PR Service

Not every cannabis startup knows about cannabis public relations. Additionally, investing in efforts to improve your cannabis brand online is constant and impossible for one individual to manage alone.

As the sector develops, cannabis branding becomes a crucial marketing tactic for businesses competing for the majority or at least part of the market share. With that in mind, cannabis businesses must create an identity that resonates and caters to client demands if they want to connect with their target audience.

All of this will remove your focus from managing your firm, which is your area of expertise. In this situation, contacting a marijuana marketing firm can be the best course of action for you. By working with an agency, you can concentrate on running your company while it develops a digital advantage over your rivals.

Maintaining a website, posting content to social media, and formulating an effective digital marketing strategy are simple tasks in digital marketing. However, online company expansion is more challenging than it seems.

For instance, search engines continually update their algorithms to enhance search results and make it easier for users to locate what consumers are looking for. To appropriately know these changes and respond requires a full-time commitment by cannabis business owners, which is impossible when you’re running a new company.

A cannabis digital marketing company may help you avoid wasting time and money. These experts support themselves by remaining educated and anticipating developments that can have a detrimental effect on the exposure of your business.

Elevate Your Social Media Content

Social media platforms are where the party is at when branding these days. With more and more cannabis businesses entering the space, it is becoming exceedingly difficult to reach out, let alone attract new customers to your brand. It is why your brand needs to be where your customers are: FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok (yes, that too), and so on.

Since cannabis usage is still illegal in certain places, there are hazards associated with using social media to advertise your cannabis company. It’s crucial to exercise extreme caution while posting things online and to keep up with the most recent cannabis laws and regulations. As you maintain compliance, concentrate your social media marketing approach on client education.

Avoid making it clear that you are selling cannabis goods by avoiding language that indicates your items are available for purchase, trade, or delivery. Additionally, avoid including pricing or specific contact information for purchasing cannabis items. Nevertheless, you may still add a link to your website.

However, as we’ve already established, the cannabis sector is still strictly controlled, and social media sites follow their rules and regulations regarding sharing anything related to cannabis.

To advertise their cannabis businesses ethically and legally, as well as to avoid having their brand permanently banned from a social media site, cannabis brands must carefully research the policies of each social media network. Despite these restrictions, cannabis businesses can still use social media platforms; all you need is the right approach and some cannabis PR  startup savvy.

And how’s one to do that? You should conduct a considerable study to learn everything there is to know about the sector as one of your initial steps. Learn all there is to know about registering a cannabis brand in the state and any relevant local or federal laws so that you can abide by them. Most essential, to avoid compliance concerns, brands must get familiar with the specific rules and regulations for whichever state they plan to develop their business.

Additionally, it is vital to study the demographics that a particular cannabis brand is looking to target. You must know all there is to know about your target market, including their purchasing patterns and consumer behavior.

Meeting Challenges of Cannabis Startups

As the cannabis industry matures, there are multiple challenges that new business owners face. Luckily, these issues are nothing some out-of-the-box thinking can’t fix. While legalizing cannabis products may be several states across the US, one area that new business owners complain about is the marketing that’s still heavily regulated in many places. That’s why cannabis startup PR is so critical. Work with a PR agency alongside your cannabis branding agency and cannabis advertising to ensure a coordinated and successful cannabis product launch.

To compete for clients, cannabis firms need to develop methods to differentiate themselves. Additionally, the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency has rules for marketing that these companies must follow.

According to CRA laws, medical cannabis marketing cannot target people under 18, and recreational cannabis advertisements cannot target anyone under 21. Dispensaries must ensure that at least 30% of an advertisement’s overall viewership is within the specified age range. Scientific data must back up any agency-approved warnings in ads, and the FDA must approve any health advantages claims.

The organization released new regulations last year that mandated modifications to any packaging that may appeal to minors. As a result, they are prohibiting cannabis-related firms from using cartoon characters or images of kid-friendly foods like fruit or candies. Products made from edible cannabis must resemble kid-friendly foods like gummy bears.

These are some severe problems that new business owners in the cannabis space will have to deal with, but there is always a way out. All you have to do is be creative with marketing your cannabis brand to the masses.

New Marketing Techniques on the Horizon

Since the beginning of the legalization of recreational use, the landscape of cannabis marketing has transformed. Highway travelers may now see cannabis billboards, but as choices like in-app advertisements and digital ads become more prevalent, marketing methods are beginning to move away from billboard promotion.

Businesses are assisting their brands to stop using social media as a source of income. Instead, cannabis firms could do better by highlighting the cannabis experience using social platforms and relying on their website to bring in money. The website of the cannabis brand may be the primary source of revenue, with fewer laws to manage by holding events and raising brand awareness.

More and more, affiliate marketing is becoming available to cannabis brands – it’s already available for hemp brands – and this is good for cannabis startup PR too.

Ending Note

There isn’t a single consumer product category that hasn’t led to the growth of a robust market for branded products, and cannabis is no exception. Numerous cannabis stores specialize in various products that consumers may include in their lifestyles. While some concentrate on creating a feminine line of luxurious cannabis goods, others are more interested in clothing and recreational use.

The cannabis industry has been thriving and expects to keep expanding in the upcoming years because of the variety of goods and services provided to enhance people’s lifestyles.

Those thinking of starting a cannabis lifestyle brand need to pay special attention to how they market their wares to the masses; this involves their marketing techniques and branding consistency. The good news is that cannabis startup PR services are readily available nowadays to help you grow your cannabis brand in what has turned out to be a highly competitive business space.

by

3 Must Have Tips to Improve Cannabis Digital Marketing in 2023

, , , , ,

Well-crafted content is so much more valuable than promotional content. What should cannabis brands focus on right now? When the 2019 Farm Act passed, the CBD industry widely celebrated it. But not long after, newcomers overran the CBD industry and even established brands found themselves surprised by the competitive environment. Despite the challenges, the biggest brands, the most well-known, continue to thrive. In fact, Charlotte’s Web recently became the first CBD brand to sponsor Major League Baseball.  There are a few reasons for this. The first is from the start, CW invested in branding and PR.  But there’s an even bigger reason – they immediately embraced the realities of DTC sales and their website had digital authority because they had been investing in it for years. That’s why it’s more important than ever for cannabis brands to commit to their online presence with these 3 tips to improve cannabis digital marketing with quality content that pays dividends for years to come.

When federal legalization happens – history will repeat itself. It will excite marketers in the industry that FINALLY Instagram can’t boot them. But social media sites come and go (apparently, IG is already “over”), and owning your own corner of the internet has never been more important. While it remains important to HAVE an Insta account, it isn’t a place where cannabis brands can maximize their digital marketing or their content. Once cannabis brands can sell online more directly or even advertise more freely, in a more DTC fashion, mature digital destinations will thrive.

Building an authoritative website takes time, and it takes strategy. You can not start too soon.  Make 2023 the year you invest in your cannabis digital marketing with these 3 digital marketing tips that supercharge digital PR.

Create Lifestyle, Not Medical Content

Historically, cannabis brands have built content to educate consumers. And that’s been a really important step in cannabis normalization. But between new formats that make cannabis more accessible to Google’s suppression of “fake news,” including non-authoritative sites providing anything akin to medical advice, you’re just wasting your time by creating anything that could be considered health advice, or expertise.

Unless you’re already a credible, published authority on these matters,  you’d be better off taking a page out of a publisher’s took kit and creating like “5 Games That Are Better When You’re High.”

The better you know your customer, the more dialed in you’ll be to creating content for them. Be disciplined. Be consistent. If you create 3 pieces of content a month, you are already miles ahead of 99% of cannabis brands. Not only does this help people find you today, but it will be a rich resource tomorrow. Creating content YOU own is still the most impactful marketing and PR tactic you can do.

Trigger The Seeking Hormone

A while back, I wrote about creating Instagram content that would trigger anticipation while also solving some of the Instagram violation problems by using anticipation triggers in cannabis digital marketing.

Use can use that to your advantage right now while circumventing Instagram challenges, and even advertising challenges while ALSO adding authority to your website. Use unexpected prompts, both audio and visual, to keep consumers on your site longer. And while we’re at it, if you aren’t already, you MUST incentivize people to join your email list. Again, owning your list is an actual asset, while Instagram followers are so fluid, and Instagram itself so unreliable, it’s questionable whether there is any long-term value there at all. And believe me, as one of the earliest adopters of social media for brands, it truly pains me to say that.

But there are lessons to be learned from Instagram. The scrolling feed, for example, is an outstanding example of a “seeking hormone” trigger. In the early days, it was genius. The way it scrolled felt like a slot machine, juuuust enough of the next post would appear on the phone screen. It was nearly impossible to stop scrolling. TikTok’s interface triggers that too. The latest digital website designs use a similar approach. Your cannabis digital marketing can mimic some of the most tried and true digital best practices used by today’s leading consumer brands.

QUALITY Inbound Links Still Matter

 

Your current and past coverage from respected, authoritative sites is your hedge against link inflation.

Google says it’s deprioritizing inbound links, but that’s only compared to how much they’re increasing the value of trusted content. Simply having inbound links isn’t enough. Gone are the days when thousands of low-value affiliate links could stack up to a credible website in Google’s eyes.

Today, Google wants to improve its search algorithm by presenting trusted answers. The recipe to trust is a closely guarded Google, but what we DO know is credible content = trust. And Publishers have Google’s trust. And when Google presents it, consumers trust it more too, so your site gets a super boost. Customers who trust you buy faster and stay longer, so incorporating quality inbound links is a triple home run for your cannabis brand.

Preparing for federal cannabis legalization is THE business strategy for 2023 and digital marketing and PR are the levers to pull your brand along. Since our earliest days, we’ve been the best cannabis PR agency for digitally savvy brands. We know successful cannabis digital marketing and PR advice of today is the backbone of tomorrow’s most successful cannabis brands. Today, it’s more important than ever to coordinate cannabis digital marketing with cannabis digital PR.

by

The Secret to Captivating Cannabis Marketing Content

, ,

There’s a secret hidden in ALL our brains that you can use for cannabis content marketing.

Did you know that we’re all ruled by a super powerful hormone? It’s true. This hormone dominates decision-making, especially split-second choices like the ones digital users are making every day. Decisions like “click,” “like,” “retweet,” and “buy” and “subscribe” are all significantly impacted by this hormone. Savvy marketing strategists have been triggering this hormone for years, some knowingly, some stumbling upon it.

You’ve undoubtedly heard of this hormone. You’ve heard about in the context of drugs, sex, and even food. But what does this hormone do for cannabis marketers? I’ll get to that in a minute.

First, a little more about this hormone: dopamine. See? I told you you’ve heard of it. Dopamine is best known as the “pleasure hormone.” It’s the hormone that creates the surge of euphoria that we feel after a satisfying cannabis session. But, the surge of satisfaction is not actually the most powerful tool in a marketer’s arsenal.

The most powerful tool for the marketer is anticipation.

And it turns out that dopamine is actually more aptly described as the “wanting and seeking” hormone.
Ah. Now you get it right?
It turns out that the “wanting and seeking” trigger is MORE powerful than the “satisfaction.” Which means, we’re hardwired to keep looking, keep seeking until we satisfy our wanting and seeking. And then, we’re hard-wired to do it all again.

Think for just a moment about the advantage to your content and overall cannabis marketing strategy if you can trigger this motivation. Images can trigger our wanting and seeking. Ever seen a really great close-up shot of your favorite food and found yourself searching for how to have it delivered at lunch that.very.day? Images of just about anything we want can trigger our “wanting and seeking” hormone. This means you really need to think about the images you’re using in marketing and advertising, because images are incredibly key to the top of the funnel.
While we see food and sex all the time in marketing, maybe those images aren’t appropriate for your brand. Although this knowledge is particularly useful for the cannabis industry – imagine using a cupcake instead of a joint in everyone one of your Instagram posts. Not only would this spark some word-of-mouth PR, but it solves many of the problems cannabis brands have with their own Instagram presence. Imagine how much harder it would be for Instagram to punish a pro-cupcake brand. Not only does this stike at the consumers’ anticipation in two different ways, it also creates another type of seeking.

Guess what else fuels our anticipation?

Just guess.
This is super important because not all businesses and campaigns are suitable for triggering the food, sex and drug urges.
Curiosity.
The brain experiences dopamine rushes when we’re curious for more information.
Think about the last Google search you did. Ever been sucked down the rabbit hole of Google and found yourself coming out of the other side 45 minutes later? That’s your insatiable, hormone-driven seeking and wanting trigger. That’s your brain on the anticipation train.

Our quest for information is basically never-ending. We’re hard-wired that way, and from an evolutionary perspective, this is a very, very good thing. Now, WHAT information triggers this is the key. This is where we circle back around to audience identification and personalization.
We’re inundated with information, so we have to be very clear on our audience so we understand WHAT kind of information or curiosity triggers our target audience. Motivational triggers work on all people, but what triggers the motivation is where your marketing research and strategy come in.

Unexpected prompts, audio and visual also trigger our wanting and seeking hormone. You know what does this exceptionally well?
Your phone.

It beeps or vibrates or a message pops up and you almost ALWAYS stop what you are doing to look at it don’t you? This is why SMS messaging is so powerful.  If you do manage to ignore your phone’s notifications, it takes an active and conscious effort on your part.
This is why my most hated and dreaded marketing tactic, pop-up messaging, is so powerful. I drop right out of a page when I get a pop-up because I feel like it’s insensitive to the reader, but the truth is, it works on the vast majority of people because the surprise triggers the wanting and seeking. Novelty and unpredictability also trigger our seeking behavior. Therefore, “New and Improved” works. It’s also why the above cupcake example works.

The Counter-Intuitive Path

You’ve probably heard over and over again to simplify. The message is too long. The funnel is too long.
Overall, this is good advice.
However, once you really understand the “seeking and wanting” hormone, your path can actually be quite long, so long as it keeps triggering curiosity and gives information in small bits and pieces if it gives anything until it offers the solution. Cannabis marketers can use this hunting and seeking trigger on their own websites too. And this is really important, because as federal legalization looms, cannabis brands will need to have a digital presence that is in control of them.

As cannabis education to a larger base becomes more important, you may find this technique particularly relevant in your cannabis marketing.

Have you ever found yourself reading a really ugly landing page with all text? Really awesome copywriters understand how to use this tactic in writing to move you through the process. Interestingly enough, the more time you spend on something, the more committed you are. So long copy, long funnels, they have a purpose and in the right situation, the right circumstance, the right audience, they work. You can use this strategy in your digital cannabis marketing to your benefit, particularly for product launches and blogs.

In A Nutshell:

Here it is in a nutshell, for fast and motivational results: trigger the wanting and seeking hormone.
Make your audience curious.
Lead them down a path that satisfies in bits and pieces.
Experiment with what triggers curiosity in your audience, experiment with the strength of their curiosity with funnel length.
Triggering the “wanting and seeking” hormone is the very premise behind free information in content cannabis marketing and the internet in general.

This article has been slightly edited from the original version on poodlemafia.com

About the Captivation Motivations:

The Captivation Motivations are all built around what I call our “other 90%” of our brain. The part of our brain that is the oldest and most developed part of our brain.
I didn’t make up the Captivation Motivations, I’ve simply been studying them and their effects for the last four years. I’ve been testing them in my strategies and tactics, reading and writing about them.
Simply put, these motivations are not some flash-in-the-pan-do-whats-trendy-now strategy, these are strategies which trigger reactions from the oldest part of our brain.  More and more is now understood about these motivations. But one thing is clear: despite the fact that these motivations developed in the earliest days of humanity’s survival of the fittest experiences, these motivations are very much alive and well today. What triggers them in the modern world is just different than what triggered them in our earliest evolutionary days.

by