5 Ways to Earn Customer Loyalty for Your Cannabis Business

In a constantly evolving market, it can be easy for your business to get lost in the shuffle. This is especially true of cannabis businesses because of the difficulty of advertising on most major platforms, which only exacerbates the problem.[1] On top of it all, because of the growing cannabis trend across the country, there are already a high number of cannabis products saturating stores.

With all these factors, what’s the best way to become a market mainstay? The answer is customer loyalty. Satisfied and loyal customers help build a strong reputation for your business, which in turn drives sales. With consistent consumers who not only swear by your business but recommend it to others, you’re guaranteed to find success despite the difficulties. Here are our top tips to build customer loyalty to grow your cannabis business.

Consistent Quality

The first step to building customer loyalty is having a great product—nobody will make a repeat purchase if your product is low quality, ineffective, or has unintended side effects. With many shoddy cannabis products on the market trying to capitalize on the cannabis craze, having a strong product will set your business apart. Make sure your product is made with high quality ingredients, has consistent results, and is clearly labeled and packaged. Consider extending a satisfaction guarantee and include contact information on the product packaging so customers can call in with questions or comments. Transparency is key to a quality product: only make promises you can deliver on and be clear about what goes into your product. Building customer trust is the first step to building customer loyalty. Ultimately, quality and transparency are prerequisites to creating a following for your business.

Strong Socials

Another important ingredient in customer loyalty is a strong social media presence. Customers who love your brand are customers who will return again and again. Use your social platforms to help bring your branding to life and keep customers engaged. Your accounts can focus on humor, art, education, or lifestyle posts to show what your business is all about and give it some personality. Social media doubles as an advertising opportunity, and your accounts can give brand fans a place to connect over shared love for your products. It also creates a space for user generated content like testimonials and reviews, which help drive sales and create social media buzz. Customer loyalty is all about believing in your company and connecting with your brand. Sharing instagrammable moments from your business or posting a clever tweet about current events encourages engagement from your followers—and if you’re lucky, you could even go viral.

No News is Bad News

To really build customer loyalty and set yourself apart from other brands, you have to offer customers extra value beyond your product line. A great way to do this is through a weekly or monthly newsletter. Particularly in the cannabis industry, with its ever-evolving trends and changing legislation, it’s important to stay on top of all the latest news. Sending a newsletter out to your email list helps your customers stay connected with your brand and current with all the newest in the cannabis industry. It establishes your business as a trusted source of information and helps create a reputation of expertise that your brand will definitely benefit from over time. Providing this extra value makes customers loyal to your business and makes switching to another cannabis competitor without these benefits difficult. Overall, combining education and regular contact with your customers through periodic newsletters is a great way to build—or boost—your customer loyalty.

Sharing is Caring

One way to help your brand stand out is to involve it in something bigger than itself. Donating a percentage of sales to a good cause or charity makes your product stand for more than just your brand. For example, many consumers today are increasingly conscious of the disastrous effects of climate change. Using eco-friendly packaging and sponsoring a charity that helps plant trees or protect rainforests is a great way to appeal to those eco-conscious consumers and connect them to your brand. The charities you donate to can be anything from animal conservation to female empowerment to assistance for rural farmers—as long as it’s a reputable charity and something your brand believes in, it’s a great idea to sponsor. Not only does this do good in the world but it also attracts loyal consumers who love what your brand supports and the work it does. If customers believe in your cause, they’ll believe in your product too and stay loyal to your brand.

Keep the Coupons Coming

It’s no secret that everyone loves a good sale. Giving a discount is actually a great way to increase your profits, because it convinces more people to buy. Having your product regularly go on some kind of special sale not only helps attract new customers but builds brand loyalty for repeat shoppers. Why switch to a competitor if their product is more expensive? Reasonable prices and regular sales will help create customer loyalty like almost nothing else. Another strategy is to offer special coupons only to previous customers. These customer-only coupons encourage consumers to purchase your product again, remind them of your newest offerings, and make them feel valued. Driving repeat sales is both less expensive than creating new conversions and helps build loyalty—two birds with one stone!

With the saturated market and difficult advertising restrictions, the key to success for any cannabis business is to build customer loyalty. Offering some kind of value to your customers–whether it be through social media, a newsletter, charitable giving, or just a good sale—is the best way to keep customers returning to your brand again and again. By offering a quality product and following these tips, your business can boost its customer loyalty to increase its reputation and help drive sales.

Want a cannabis brand customers will stay loyal to? Contact Herban Creative today for all your cannabis marketing needs, from planning to project completion.

[1] “Facebook and Other Marketing Platforms Continue to Stifle Cannabis Ads.” High Times, 10 Sep. 2019, https://hightimes.com/business/facebook-other-marketing-platforms-continue-stifle-cannabis-ads/