5 Reasons to Hire a Digital Marketing Consultant for your Cannabis Business

A digital marketing consultant can help your business go from surviving to thriving.

Are you struggling to get customers to your cannabis business? If you’re a new business, odds are you are.

According to Marijuana Business Daily, it’s taking longer for businesses to be profitable. In 2016, 70% of businesses were profitable in the first year.

In 2017, that number dropped to 55%.

There’s a reason for this drop in profitability. Recreation sales are exploding and more companies are getting into the cannabis market. That means it’s a highly competitive industry.

Whether you sell CBD products online or are a full-fledged retail store, a smart marketing strategy can help your business grow. That’s where a marketing consultant comes in.

Read on to find out how a digital marketing consultant can help your business.

Why You Need Digital Marketing

Before you understand why you need to hire a digital marketing consultant, you might want to know why you need digital marketing.

Cannabis companies are highly limited in advertising their products or services. Google, Facebook, Twitter and mainstream media outlets all have terms and conditions related to cannabis ads. Some media outlets don’t accept cannabis-related ads at all.

That’s why most cannabis businesses rely on word of mouth marketing and social media to promote their businesses.

1.) Digital Marketing Consultants Are Experts

You probably created your cannabis business because you’re a weed connoisseur and you wanted to help people get the best products out there. You also wanted to get paid well to do it.

A digital marketing consultant knows marketing as well as you know your product.

There’s an art to marketing cannabis, and a good consultant will help you develop a marketing strategy, and execute it.

Did you know that Google’s algorithm changes about 600 times a year? Facebook’s algorithms change just as often because both companies are driven to providing the best user experience possible.

A good consultant will also stay on top of marketing trends and legalities regarding marketing cannabis.

2.) They Can Create or Revamp Your Brand

Your brand is more than your logo. Your brand tells people what you sell in a way that makes an emotional connection.

A compelling brand will have consistent messages and a great story (think why you got into business). Not only that, the visual representation of your brand, logo, and social images will all be consistent.

That’s because a digital marketing consultant will understand who you’re trying to reach and what they like. They can create a brand, right down to the colors of your logo.

If you rely on word of mouth, a brand strategy will create relationships with customers online. They’ll turn into brand evangelists and promote your brand to their networks.

Marketing consultants can take that brand a step further in packaging your product.

3.) Digital Marketing Consultants Can See What You Can’t

You know your business very well. You know what your customers respond to. But there are blind spots that you can’t see that may cost you money.

You might invest in social media, but you’re not tracking results.

A digital marketing consultant will establish metrics and reports so you can make smart decisions off of data. That’s better than making gut decisions.

A great marketing consultant will have experience working in different industries. They can take what works in other industries and apply it to yours.

That alone can set you apart from the competition.

4.) Access to a Wide Network of Businesses

A digital marketing consultant relies on other businesses in their network. They can refer you to graphic designers, web designers, and other businesses that complement yours.

For example, you might be able to co-host events with other consulting clients. Other options include co-branded products, social media posts or newsletters that promote each other, or specials.

5.) Create a Content Strategy for Your Business

Great content is a necessary component of digital marketing. You may hate writing, or you don’t know what to write for your posts.

Digital marketing consultants work with you to plan out content that your target market will love.

For example, let’s say you sell CBD products. A smart digital consultant would create a post that outlines the reasons why people should be interested.

They can create a post such as CBD Oil Facts.

Not only is it of interest to people, but it’s optimized to rank in search engines.

That’s the type of work that can add value to your business.

What to Ask Hiring a Digital Marketing Consultant

If you’ve never hired a marketing consultant before, it helps to ask the right questions.

This way, you know what to expect from the consultant. It will also help you determine if the consultant can truly help your business.

Here are a few key questions to ask:

Do you charge by the hour or by time?

A good marketing consultant knows what value they can provide your business and they will charge accordingly.

Do you guarantee results?

A digital marketing consultant who guarantees results is probably lying to you. There are many variables as to what makes a successful campaign, there is no way to guarantee results.

The right consultant for your business will guarantee that they will deliver certain deliverables within a period of time. They’ll also refer to previous successes proving that they can be successful with your business.

Can you provide testimonials or references?

Don’t be afraid to ask for references. People who do solid work will have raving fans. You can also read reviews on Yelp, Facebook or Google or ask for a portfolio.

Finally, do not ask someone to work for a percentage of profit down the road. There’s no incentive for the marketer to make your project a priority. They’ll most likely put paying clients before you.