In the times of COVID-19, it can be a bit tough to get excited about the 420 holiday... especially if your essential business is facing hardship. However, if you're still providing services online or your a dispensary that's still opening its doors everyday, a 420 sale may be just what you need to give your business a jumpstart. Today, we’re spending some time looking at your digital marketing approach so you can finetune it to get the most from your 420 sale. While most of the businesses we work with are brick-and-mortar shops, it’s hard to find stores that don’t have some sort of online presence these days. That’s because there’s big money to be made in the digital world… if you’re doing it right, of course. And with COVID-19 leaving many businesses shuttered for an unspecified amount of time, digital marketing might be your only option. So, whether you're new to digital marketing or simply want some fresh ideas, here are a few ways you can use it to get the word out about your big 420 sale.
Using Social Media for Optimal Reach
How often do you post to your social media accounts? It may seem like there’s no science to how you use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and everything in between. However, analysts have looked into it and, though they don’t always agree, it’s still easy to find hard data that supports the best days and times to post to your social media accounts. If only it were so simple. While this is a great generalization and can point you to a good place to start, you should be considering your specific audience and when they’d most likely be checking into their accounts. Not to mention the fact that COVID-19 has stranded a lot more people at home in states of quarantine so these stats are likely no longer accurate. If you haven’t already developed your own schedule for posting to social media, we recommend testing different days and times and figuring out for yourself when your customers are most prone to engagement. You may even want to purchase ads on social media to get the word out about your big sale or event, though this can require a bit of finesse in this industry. Regardless of your scenario, if you’re not using social media to get the word out about your event, you’re blowing a major opportunity.
Your Blog Should Be Must-Read Material
Does your shop have a dedicated blog? It absolutely should! Not only that but you should be updating it no less than 2 times a week with keyword-rich original content. It’s SEO 101 and your 420 business thrives off of it just as much as businesses in any other industry. We can’t stress the importance of original content enough. This shouldn’t be something that you just copy from another source… Google algorithms are wise to that. Take the time to draft genuine original blog posts that keep the flavor of your brand while hyping your upcoming event and sale or simply use it to provide a hot tip that you feel would benefit your customers. You want your 420 blog to be must-read material that reinforces your knowledge and authority and, therefore, trustworthiness as a business.
They Call It an Email Blast for a Reason
A well-written email blast can give you a nice sales spike for the 420 holiday (or really any day). An enticing subject line is key and there are plenty of blogs devoted to how to craft an irresistible email subject. Your email blasts should be short and catchy but give plenty of details about your 420 sale or event. Visuals within the email can really help it pop too so you may want to work with a graphic designer if you don’t quite trust your own skills. Of course, all of this is assuming you have a decent email list already collected. If you haven’t built an email list of customer emails, there are plenty of blogs devoted to showing you where to start.
420 Ad Space
If you want to put some serious money into advertising your 420 event online, you could always purchase ad space on major industry sites like Leafly, High Times or Weedmaps. This can run up a pretty serious tab, so don’t expect to go into this method with a modest investment; nor should you expect a guaranteed return. Digital advertising is a risk that can pay off big or find you face down in the mud, so if you’re planning to go this route, make sure you’re providing a fire ad that has your sincere belief behind it. It should be unique, radiate the essence of your brand and give the hottest details about your 420 promotion.
Since digital marketing doesn’t necessarily require any fees or software purchases, nothing should be holding you back from taking any or all of these vital steps toward promoting your 420 sale. While these techniques can definitely give you a nice surge for the 420 holiday, you should be practicing SEO and other forms of digital marketing on an ongoing basis… especially with so much business being driven online while the country is in quarantine. The benefits still translate to brand awareness and sales. Best of all, you can do this kind of marketing from your quarantine spot as long as you have a solid internet connection. It doesn’t get more convenient than that!