Why You Should Be Targeting Existing Dispensary Customers with Ads

Targeting Existing Dispensary Customers: Fight Retention Deficit with Content

We write about customer loyalty and retention a lot here at MediaJel, and you shouldn’t expect this to change anytime soon. As we laid out earlier, your most loyal customers are the ones who will over time provide you the greatest value. And one of the simplest ways you can demonstrate your commitment to them is by sharing genuinely useful content.

Content marketing isn’t about making a sale. It’s about providing a different and more subtle kind of value to your customers, one that deepens that all-important bond by providing materials that supports their ongoing satisfaction. You’ll note that our clients maintain blogs in which they share educational, service-oriented content designed to help customers get the most value from their purchases.

This might take the form of an introduction to the most prevalent terpenes found in cannabis or a how-to about making cannabutter from fresh flower. It could be something that doesn’t explicitly relate to cannabis at all, like a guide to outdoor summer activities in their city.

The point is that all these types of content foster a deepening of the relationship. They signal that you understand that the relationship doesn’t end with the sale, it begins there. In an industry as fast-moving as cannabis, establishing a lasting relationship with your customers isn’t merely a nice add-on, it’s an essential stop in brand building.

If you’re new to the world of content creation and marketing, start your journey here. And if you’re wondering how to best advertise to your current customers. that’s simple. Start with a dedicated CRM system, like the kind we’re about to describe….

Get Analytical with CRM

Once upon a time, a shopkeeper kept track of his or her customers’ tastes and preferences on a cloth-bound ledger. Needless to say, those days are long gone. Time to fire up CRM instead.

“CRM” is short for “customer relationship management.” And while it’s a phrase that might not exactly roll off the tongue, it’s at the very heart of what you do as a retailer. Essentially, CRM is a tool dedicated to quantifying and analyzing every point of contact between you and any given customer.

This includes data points such as their purchase history, personal information such as their birthdate and marital status, frequency of visits, even reviews and comments they leave on your products and services. CRMs are big and all-seeing, and they're already playing a vital role in the success of dispensaries all over North America.

CRMs collect large amounts of data, but that information isn’t much good unless you can take actionable steps based on its findings. How can it help identify when (and how) to advertise to your current customers? Understanding a customer’s tastes and preferences can allow you to construct custom offers for them, based not only on their favorite products but on the most effective channels by which to reach them.

CRMs can also identify opportunities to upsell accessories or other products, or merely strengthen brand awareness with a “brand reminder” email or SMS. In short, CRM is about much more than reaching out to your current customers. But given how important this simple remarketing tactic is, it’s one of the best uses for CRM there is.

A Different Kind of Influencer Marketing

Implementing and harnessing the power of CRM is a high-tech endeavor, but one of the top reasons to advertise to your current customers is a very simple and low-tech one: They will become your best advocates.

We talk a lot about influencer marketing in social media, how a growing number of consumers are more readily swayed by testimonials from advocates or peers than they are by traditional “top-down” advertising. But here’s an important fact of marketing: The customers that you truly connect with—the ones who are passionate about your brand, your service, your vibe, and your mission—are incredibly potent spokespeople. Even more than paid influencers, these are the people who will go to bat for you and spread the word organically. They are the most valuable of your most valuable customers.

What can you do to nurture the relationship? That’s simple: Utilizing the tools we’ve outlined above, be sure you’re staying engaged with them. That includes making sure you’re sharing genuinely useful content, crafting special offers and incentives based on their likes and purchase habits (and of course letting them know how much you appreciate their business and support). Also, you can use retargeting to reconnect with individuals who have already shopped with you before.

When it comes down to it, in fact, advertising to your current customers is a lot simpler than finding new ones. You already know who they are, now it’s time to direct a little love their way. That way, you’ll be sure you’re making the most of this vital—and often untapped—resource.

Want to get started and increase the value of your current customer base? Contact us to learn how!