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Download PDFImplementing specific CBD advertising techniques is increasingly important for one key reason: the CBD market is one of the fastest growing consumer industries, and more and more players are hopping on board. To stand out from the competition, your business will need to establish a solid CBD marketing strategy, whether you are a new CBD startup or want to expand an existing product catalog with retail or wholesale cbd products. With 66 percent of CBD sales now taking place through ecommerce, a strong online presence combined with innovative marketing and proven strategies will be the path to success in this growing industry.
In this article, we discuss the current regulations around CBD marketing and how to effectively (and legally) promote your hemp products.
Increasing customer demand has turned the once underground world of CBD into a multi-billion dollar industry. By 2025, sales of CBD products are expected to reach $16 billion, with almost 40 percent of adults expressing interest in trying CBD products. This is a growingly lucrative market which will increasingly be targeted by CBD advertising campaigns.
Many CBD consumers look to the product to improve wellness, address health conditions, and promote relaxation. The diverse product applications for CBD have made it a hot commodity across multiple industries, including skincare products, mood-boosting supplements, and even pet care. Companies across all of these industries are jumping into these segments, making thoughtful CBD marketing more crucial than ever.
However, the road to success isn’t without a hitch—government regulations and advertising platform policies pose a challenge to CBD marketers.
While it may be tempting to promote CBD as a medicinal product, the FDA requires businesses to avoid unsubstantiated medical claims, especially since reputable research on the effectiveness of CBD is still limited. This limits the way sellers can describe their products in all advertising content, as well as product packaging. No matter what format of CBD advertising you create sponsored content for, these trade rules will apply.
Further complicating matters are the promotional restrictions in place on many popular advertising platforms. One of the services a dedicated CBD marketing agency might provide is sifting through the changing policies of each platform, letting you know if it's legal to advertise CBD at any given time. Here is a rundown of the advertising policies as of time of writing.
Promoting most types of CBD on Google Ads can lead to the closure of your ads account. However Google has finally indicated that it will be opening up some ad sales to topical FDA-approved pharmaceuticals containing CBD, and some low THC hemp-derived products.
Facebook is still a strict "no" on advertising of any cannabis or CBD products. However, Facebook's current CBD policy states that hemp products can be promoted, given them meet local legal requirements. Cannabis marketing strategies tend to evolve quickly, so be sure to check the most recent policy for any platform prior to deploying your ad spend.
The cannabis ad ban has been lifted at Twitter. CBD products and cannabis-derived products can be advertised on the platform, given they meet strict legal guidelines by state.
CBD marketing experts will tell you that the principles of all effective marketing also apply to CBD. Just like with any product, a successful CBD marketing strategy involves attracting customers to your products and keeping them interested in your brand. If you need a refresher on the core marketing concepts which help businesses grow revenue, read this comprehensive guide to marketing channels. The core elements of your CBD strategy should include:
The opportunity in the CBD market is huge. Sixty-eight percent of U.S. adults have never tried CBD products, giving businesses the opportunity to attract their attention, educate them about CBD, and extend their brand’s reach. CBD advertising is prime way to share this information with an all-new audience.
As more and more brands hop on the CBD bandwagon, brand differentiation will be the key to your success. Effective CBD digital marketing relies on creating a clear, unique, solution-oriented brand identity online. A strong brand gives your business credibility and provides something of value to your customers—this is especially important when selling CBD wholesale products, as B2B buyers are often well-versed in the industry and need thorough, compelling reasons to shop with your brand over another. For a detailed brand-building action plan, download this comprehensive whitepaper which specifically addresses how to create a profitable brand in the CBD space.
The lifetime spend of a customer is valuable to any ecommerce business. Repeat customers cost loss to acquire than new ones and they also spend more. Because CBD lends itself well to repeat business, successful customer retention means putting CBD marketing practices in place to build a brand that keeps customers coming back.
To attract and retain customers, you need to be able to win them over. Effective CBD advertising requires leveraging alternative channels and then appealing to customers with trust and quality.
Compelling content can set you apart in the eyes of customers. CBD marketing content might include comprehensive guides, videos, customer testimonials, and surveys to boost your reputation and create brand authority.
Blogs, in particular, are an effective medium to provide relevant information to your customers and establish a connection with them. Combined with a solid SEO strategy, your content can turn cold prospects into visitors and build trust, which is more important to customers than ever.
CBD brands can also consider producing or sponsoring a podcast. With 132 million predicted podcast listeners by 2022, podcast marketing offers a less saturated space for brands to invest in.
Give your brand more recognition by partnering with like-minded influencers. Finding the right influencer to promote your products can help increase brand awareness and drive more conversions from a loyal community of followers.
Athletes, fitness instructors, lifestyle gurus, and health experts are examples of influencers who help to promote the wellness and self-care qualities of your CBD products.
Discounts can be an effective tool to foster relationships with customers. Run special promotions like customer referrals to achieve better engagement and increase the chances of customers returning to your website.
We know—we just mentioned that CBD advertising is not permissible on ad platforms. However, you can still leverage the power of paid social platforms.
Rather than using pushing products and making claims, create ads that help to promote your content, provide product education, or hint at all the qualities that you offer. This helps to build brand awareness and create interest in your products without violating policies.
While there are still some stringent policies around CBD advertising, there are many ways you can generate interest in your products. Content marketing, social media, and a network of influencers and affiliates not only helps to bring a relevant and interested audience to your business, but also provides you the opportunity to foster their loyalty for the long term and gives them a reason to choose you over the growing number of CBD brands.
This blog was originally published on March 18, 2020 and updated on March 31, 2023.
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