9 Powerful Marketing Channels to Kickstart Your CBD E-Commerce Sales Share: Digitawise Date Published 18 March 2019 Categories Blog Reading Time 5-Minute Read With legalization passed in the last few months, it’s finally become legal to sell CBD products across the web in Europe and the USA. CBD is New and Booming The web is abuzz with talk about CBD. With a number of high profile media cases on the medical importance of CBD, combined with its legalization in other major parts of the world, as well as the many anecdotal posts online about its potency when it comes to treating all sorts, from eczema to depression, it’s really no wonder people are taking notice. That means there’s never been a better time to jump on the wave and get your CBD store up and running. What is CBD? Essentially a non-psychoactive compound extracted from the hemp plant, CBD or cannabidiol comes in a number of forms but is predominantly consumed and used as an oil. With anecdotal evidence as to its efficacy for treating a range of illnesses and conditions all over Reddit and the rest of the web, users claim to have effectively treated all sorts, including migraine, anxiety, and depression. Competition is Fierce to Ride the Initial Wave The chances of you being the first to come up with the idea of a CBD e-commerce store is very, very slim. While you’re definitely at an advantage getting on the initial wave early on, you’re still going to have plenty of competition to contend with. That means you need to be employing the best marketing techniques and channels you can in order to set your e-commerce store above the rest, as quickly as possible. In that spirit, here’s a range of proven, powerful marketing channels that you can put to good use for your e-commerce store. Search Engine Optimisation is Always Key As the old saying goes; if you’re not number one, you’re nowhere. Getting in one of those high spots on the search engine results page is absolutely key when it comes to getting ahead of the competition. You need to make sure your site is as optimized and refined as possible when it comes to SEO. That means using plugins like Yoast, mobile optimization, fresh regular content, and generally having a well-designed CBD site. Content marketing can be an effective part of this puzzle too. It can take a little while to get it perfect, but it definitely sets you apart. Influencers Can Be a Potent Marketing Strategy If you’re used to Instagram and other social media, you’ll know all about high profile accounts with tons of followers using their reach to sell products and services. Done right, this is a proven approach to digital marketing, and it can be done especially well if you utilize the right influencers. Influencers vs. Micro-Influencers Generally speaking, an influencer is someone with a lot of followers. A micro-influencer is someone with less than one-hundred thousand followers. You might question why you’d go for a smaller influencer. Well, for one, they’re cheaper, that’s going to allow you to stretch your marketing budget further. On top of that, they can be much more niche, so you can better target the groups you want to buy your product. Obviously, larger influencers can simply get more people to see your product, but it’s really a question of the sniper versus the shotgun approach. YouTube Influencers YouTube isn’t one of the more popular marketing avenues, but for selling a product like CBD, some of the health and wellness gurus boasting hundreds of thousands of subscribers can be absolutely perfect. It all comes down to picking an influencer with the right balance of integrity, authenticity, and relevance. You don’t want anyone who might dirty your businesses image either. Instagram Influencers Instagram influencers are plentiful and diverse, you’re sure to be able to find the perfect option for your needs, you just need to do some searching. Think about your customer profile, and who exactly they’re going to be trusting and listening to online. Classic Email Marketing Too often, classic email marketing is written off as dated and obsolete, but with the right approach, it can make for an extremely effective marketing channel. Initially, you do need to get people to subscribe to your emails, but beyond that, you’re able to directly reach out with offers, content, and information. With modern software making email marketing incredibly easy and straightforward, you’d be remiss not to have this feather in your marketing cap. Social Media Marketing Social media marketing, whether that’s sharing content, running a business page or being active in groups is always going to be a solid way to get your business out there. Facebook Business Page Having a solid business page for your CBD e-commerce site is a must. Simply being able to connect with and advise your customers and followers can hugely boost your sales and business. Facebook CBD Groups and Other Relevant Groups Facebook is also useful for specific groups, allowing you to target the right demographics and get the word about your business and products out there. Reddit’s Subreddits Reddit has only recently made its power for selling niche products apparent. With specialized Subreddits for all manner of hobbies, interests, and pursuits, you’ll be able to find the perfect groups to market your CBD products. There are plenty of groups that center on alternative therapies like CBD, as well as groups centering on conditions CBD can help with. The possibilities are endless. Industry Magazines and Blogs Lastly, there’s industry magazines and blogs. These can be key when it comes to building some authority within an industry, and posting both adverts and valuable, interesting content can really boost your website footfall and sales.