Organic Marketing Channels for Dispensaries
The owned and organic channels that bring dispensary shoppers in and bring them back.
Key Takeaways
- Search brings most new shoppers to your dispensary, through the map pack, location pages and branded searches.
- Email, SMS and loyalty programs bring shoppers back, which is where most dispensary revenue comes from.
- Community events and partnerships earn local mentions that support search.
- Measure each channel by what it's meant to do: new shoppers for search, repeat visits for retention channels.
On This Page
The organic channels that matter most for your dispensary split into two jobs. Search, through your Google Business Profile, location pages and a site Google can read, brings in new shoppers. Email, SMS and loyalty programs bring the shoppers you already have back more often. Community events and local partnerships help both by earning mentions and word of mouth. Plan each channel around its job and measure it that way.
Search for New Shoppers
Most first-time dispensary shoppers find a store through Google, usually the map pack. The core pieces are a complete Business Profile, a strong page for each store, category pages Google can index and a steady flow of reviews. Our guide to dispensary SEO covers each one.
Email and SMS for Repeat Visits
Collect contact details at checkout and through online ordering, with clear permission. Send deals, new arrivals, events and loyalty updates at a steady pace your shoppers find useful. Segment by what people buy, so an edibles customer hears about edibles. Then track repeat visits and revenue from each campaign.
Loyalty Programs
A points or tier program gives shoppers a reason to come back to you instead of the nearest alternative. Keep the rewards simple, make sign-up quick at the counter and connect the program to email and SMS so members hear about their balance.
Community and Events
Education nights, brand meet-and-greets, local charity drives and neighborhood sponsorships build goodwill and earn mentions from local news and community sites. Those mentions help your local search too. Publish each event on your website and your Business Profile.
Organic Social
Social accounts help your existing customers keep up with deals and events, and they show new shoppers what the store is like. Treat social as a support channel, and push followers toward email, SMS and loyalty sign-ups, which you control.
Measuring Each Channel
| Channel | Main job | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Search | New shoppers | Direction requests, calls, orders from organic search, first-time customers |
| Email and SMS | Repeat visits | Visits and revenue per campaign, opt-out rates |
| Loyalty | Retention | Visit frequency and spend of members compared with non-members |
| Community | Awareness and mentions | Event attendance, local links and mentions |
From a search to a regular customer
- SearchNew shoppers find the store
- First visitProfile, location page and menu did their job
- Opt-inEmail, text or loyalty signup
- Repeat visitsWhere most revenue comes from
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most effective marketing for a dispensary?
For new shoppers, local search. For revenue over time, retention through email, SMS and loyalty.
How often should a dispensary send texts?
Often enough to stay useful, and not so often that people opt out. Watch your opt-out rate and adjust.
Does social media help dispensary SEO?
Indirectly, by building awareness and brand searches. The direct drivers are your Business Profile, your website and reviews.
Build a Dispensary Marketing Mix That Works
Request a free proposal and we'll review your channels with you.