Email Marketing Tips For Dispensaries

Know the Rules

Before you start any email marketing campaign, make sure you understand the laws and regulations surrounding cannabis advertising in your state or country. This includes any restrictions on content, such as age-related messaging or product descriptions.

In California, for instance, businesses and organizations conducting email marketing campaigns related to cannabis products must comply with certain laws and regulations. This includes the state's Comprehensive Advertising and Marketing Rules for Cannabis Products, which require all advertisements to include warning labels that alert consumers of the intoxicating effects of cannabis.

Additionally, all product descriptions must be accurate and truthful without exaggerating their applications or benefits. Furthermore, age-restricted terms such as “marijuana” are not allowed in any communications targeting minors. Advertising campaigns may not portray the use of marijuana as a solution to health issues or suggest that it can replace prescription medication. Lastly, promotions should not encourage illegal activities and messages should be free of false information about marijuana's health benefits or risks.

Language matters too. When describing cannabis products in email marketing campaigns, it is important to use language that complies with regulations in your state or country. Here are some approved phrases and words to consider when creating product descriptions:

• Non-intoxicating
• Cannabinoid
• Active Ingredient
• Cannabis Plant Matter
• Cannabinoids
• Ethanol Extracts
• Legal for Purchase/Sale
• Cannabigerol Acid (CBGA)
• Cannabidiolic Acid (CBDA)
• Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid (THCA)
• Delta 9 THC
• Terpenes
• High Potency Concentrate

By familiarizing yourself with the specific rules and regulations surrounding cannabis advertising in your state or country, you can create effective and compliant email campaigns without running afoul of local laws. 

Get Permission

Make sure you have permission from the people you’re sending emails to before sending them any promotional materials. This means having a clear opt-in process where people can easily sign up for your emails and unsubscribe if they choose to do so.

The best way for cannabis businesses to get marketing permission for future emails is via mobile app registrations. Through mobile app registration, businesses can request and obtain permission from users to send them promotional emails. In order for this request to be legally compliant, the company must include a checkbox that allows the user to opt-in to receive promotional emails from the brand. Additionally, it should provide a clear explanation of what kind of content they will be receiving in the future, which could include cannabis product updates or offers.

Once the checkbox is checked, businesses should store customers' preferences in a secure database and keep records of all opt-in requests made through mobile app registrations. If a customer's preferences change in the future and they no longer wish to receive promotional emails, companies should offer them an easy way to unsubscribe at any time.

By obtaining marketing permission through their mobile apps and following legal requirements when sending out promotional emails, cannabis businesses will ensure that they remain compliant with applicable laws while also providing a positive experience for their customers.

There are other ways cannabis businesses can obtain permission for email marketing such as:

• Offering incentives such as discounts or store credit in exchange for signing up for the mailing list. This encourages people to opt in and provides an incentive for them to do so. 
• Including a checkbox on all physical forms or surveys that allows people to indicate whether they would like to receive emails from the dispensary.
• If you have a dispensary website, you can include a link on the website footer or other areas of the website where visitors can sign up for their mailing list.

Make sure to include opt-out options - It's important to give readers an easy way to opt out of receiving future emails if they're no longer interested in hearing from you. This helps ensure compliance with anti-spam laws and shows respect for your customer’s preferences.

Personalize Your Content

People like feeling special, so personalizing your emails is key when it comes to getting people engaged with your content. Include their name in the subject line of the email or use personalized images or videos that speak directly to them.

However, it's important to make sure that any personal data collected is done so in a secure manner and complies with relevant privacy laws.

Use Segmentation

Segmenting your list into different groups based on interests or demographics can help you send more targeted messages that will resonate better with each group of customers. This will also help ensure that everyone is receiving relevant information that pertains specifically to them instead of generic messages that may not be as engaging or interesting.

With access to the right softwares like an e-commerce site or a custom app for your dispensary, you can gain access to data that would enable you to tailor your emails to different types of customers based on their interests or purchase history. This will help you create more targeted messages that are more likely to be successful.

Optimize For Mobile Devices 

Many people now access their emails from mobile devices, so it's important to optimize your emails for these platforms. This includes making sure the design looks good on smaller screens and ensuring that all links work properly on mobile browsers. Here are ways to optimize your email for mobile:

• Keep the subject line short and sweet - Mobile users often have limited time and attention, so make sure your subject line is concise and clear.
• Use a responsive design - Responsive design allows your email to automatically adjust its layout depending on the device it is being viewed on. This ensures that all of your content is displayed correctly regardless of the device used.
• Include a call-to-action button - A call-to-action button makes it easy for mobile users to take action without having to scroll through long blocks of text or images.
• Stick with one-column layouts - Single-column layouts are easier to read on mobile devices as they don't require users to scroll horizontally in order to view your content.
• Keep images small - Large images can take longer to load on mobile devices, so keep them small and optimized for faster loading times.

Use Clear Call-To-Action

Make sure your call-to-action (CTA) stands out in the email by using clear language and making it easy for the reader to take action. You should also include a link directly to the page where they can take action, such as a product page, app download landing page or a sign-up form.

Monitor Your Results

Once you’ve sent out your emails, make sure you monitor the results so you can see what’s working and what isn’t working for your campaigns. This will help you adjust future campaigns accordingly so they’re more successful in reaching their intended audience and achieving desired results.

When monitoring email campaigns for cannabis businesses, there are several key metrics that should be looked at.

• Open rate is a metric that measures how many people opened an email after it was sent. This can give insight into how successful the content of the email was in engaging its recipients. 
• Click-through rate (CTR) is another metric that measures how many people clicked on a link or call-to-action within an email. This can help determine if the content was relevant and interesting enough to prompt readers to take action.
• Conversion rate is a metric that measures how many people completed a desired action after clicking on a link or call-to-action within an email, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. 
• Unsubscribe rate - Finally, the unsubscribe rate is a metric that measures how many people opted out of receiving emails from your business after receiving one or more emails from you.

By tracking these key metrics, cannabis businesses can gain valuable insights into their email campaigns and make adjustments accordingly to ensure maximum effectiveness and engagement with their customers.

Not sure what Cannabis-friendly Email Marketing software to use? 

Here are some good ones that will not only help you create amazing emails (+ automated sequences)  but look out for you in terms of compliance as well.

1. Klaviyo
2. Moosend
3. SendX
4. MailerLite
5. Omnisend