How To Write a Dispensary Marketing Plan + Template & Examples

In this article, we will describe what should be included in each component of your marketing plan and provide some marketing strategies that can help you generate leads, build credibility, and strengthen the brand of your dispensary.

 

Download our Ultimate Marketing Plan Template here

What is a Marketing Plan for a Dispensary?

A dispensary marketing plan is a written document that outlines the specific actions you’ll take to generate leads, convert prospects into customers, and retain customers over time. This document is a crucial component of your larger dispensary business plan, as it details how you’ll attract and retain customers.

Your marketing plan should be built around your unique selling proposition (USP), which is the one thing that sets you apart from other dispensary businesses in your market. From there, you’ll need to develop targeted marketing campaigns, create compelling offers, and craft a promotions strategy that will reach your ideal customers.

For example, if you specialize in organic cannabis products, your USP might be “organic marijuana products curated by knowledgeable staff” or something similar.

Once you have all of the pieces in place, you’ll need to track your progress and adjust your plan accordingly. The best way to do this is to set measurable goals and track your results regularly.

 

Why You Need a Dispensary Marketing Plan?

There are many reasons why you need a marketing plan to start your dispensary. First and foremost, it will help you focus your efforts and ensure that you’re making the best use of your time and money.

With a well-crafted marketing plan in place, you’ll be able to track your progress and make necessary adjustments along the way. This will help you fine-tune your marketing efforts and eventually achieve the results you’re looking for.

In addition, a marketing plan will also give you a written record of your marketing activities. This can come in handy if you ever need to justify your marketing expenditures or prove the ROI of your efforts.

Finally, a marketing plan can help you avoid common mistakes that many dispensary businesses make. By taking the time to develop a comprehensive marketing plan, you’ll be in a much better position to avoid these pitfalls and set yourself up for success.

 

Marketing Plan Basics

A typical marketing plan includes the following components:

1. Executive Summary
2. Target Market Segments
3. Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
4. Pricing and Positioning Strategy
5. Offers
6. Marketing Materials
7. Promotions Strategy
8. Digital Marketing Plan
9. Conversion, Referral, and Retention Strategy
10. Financial Projections

 

How to Write a Dispensary Marketing Plan

Executive Summary

The first section of your dispensary marketing plan should be written as the final section of your marketing plan.

In two or three pages, summarize all of the information you have presented in the other sections and include a summary version of any graphs or charts you have included. You should also include your marketing goals, objectives, and success metrics for the first year of operations.

 

Target Market Segments

Begin by dividing your potential customers into segments based on their demographics, geography, lifestyle, behavior, or any other factors that are relevant to your organization’s cause. Be sure to explain how you determined these target market segments.

For example, a dispensary business that specializes in organic products may target health-conscious individuals who are 25–45 years old, live in urban areas, and have a disposable income of over $75,000.

Once you have identified your target market segments, you’ll need to create buyer personas for each one. A buyer persona is a fictional character that represents a specific type of customer that you’re trying to reach.

When creating buyer personas, be sure to include detailed information about their demographics, behaviors, needs, and goals. This will help you develop targeted marketing campaigns that are more likely to resonate with each segment.

If you’d like to quickly and easily complete your dispensary marketing plan, download Growthink’s Ultimate Marketing Plan Template and complete your marketing plan in hours.

Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Your USP is the one thing that sets you apart from other dispensary businesses in your market. It’s what makes you unique and it’s what will make prospective customers want to do business with you.

To develop your USP, start by brainstorming a list of all the things that make your dispensary business unique. Then, narrow down this list to the one or two things that are most important to your target market segments.

 

Pricing and Positioning Strategy

This section should cover your pricing strategy, how you determine pricing, and what sets your prices apart from those of competitors. If there are specific circumstances that might affect your pricing strategy for certain types of customers or in certain market conditions, be sure to mention them here.

For example, a dispensary business that specializes in organic products may be able to offer lower prices than its competitors due to the fact that it sources its products from local farmers.

You should also include your positioning strategy in this section. Positioning is how you want your dispensary business to be perceived by potential customers. For example, a dispensary business that specializes in organic products may want to position itself as a health-focused provider of natural remedies.

To develop your positioning strategy, start by thinking about the things that are most important to your target market segments. What needs do they have that you can address? What are their pain points? How can you position your business as the best choice to meet their needs?

 

Offers

Describe your company’s products and services in this section. Include any special offers, seasonal promotions, or plans to expand into new goods or services in the future. You will also want to include information about prices, discounts for bulk purchases, payment options, how frequently you offer sales, etc.

For example, dispensary businesses might offer discounts for the purchase of multiple products. Or, they might offer free consultations to discuss the best product combinations for specific health needs.

 

Marketing Materials

In this section, you’ll want to include information about the marketing materials you use to promote your business. This might include your website, brochures, business cards, email newsletters, and social media accounts.

You should also include information about how often you update your marketing materials and what kinds of content you include in them. For example, dispensary businesses might include educational blog posts, customer testimonials, special offers, and new product updates in their marketing materials.

 

Promotions Strategy

Your promotions strategy should detail how you plan to generate interest in your products and services. This might include trade shows, webinars, speaking engagements, press releases, or social media campaigns.

You should also include information about how often you run promotions and what kind of marketing budget you have for them. For example, a dispensary business might plan to run promotions twice a month with a budget of $500.

 

Digital Marketing Plan

In this section, you’ll want to detail your plans for reaching potential customers online. For a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, you should include search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, and email marketing.

You should also include information about how often you’ll update your website, blog, and social media accounts. For example, a dispensary might commit to posting two blog articles per week and updating its social media accounts daily.

 

Conversion, Referral, and Retention Strategy

Your conversion, referral, and retention strategy should detail how you plan to turn potential customers into paying customers and keep them coming back for more.

This might include offering incentives for referrals, providing discounts, providing personalized experiences, and offering a customer service experience that goes above and beyond.

Finally, it might include a loyalty program or other perks to thank your most loyal customers and keep them coming back.

 

Financial Projections

In this section, you should include your plans for generating revenue and growing your dispensary business. This might include information about your target customers, pricing strategy, distribution strategy, and promotions strategy. They should also include your dispensary startup costs.

You should also include financial statements for your dispensary business such as your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.

If you’d like to quickly and easily complete your dispensary marketing plan, download Growthink’s Ultimate Marketing Plan Template and complete your marketing plan in hours.

Common Marketing Strategies for a Dispensary Business

Although every dispensary business will need to develop a marketing plan that meets its own unique needs, here are some common strategies you may choose to implement.

 

Generating Leads with a Website

One of the best ways to generate leads as a dispensary business is to have a website that is optimized for search engine ranking. This means using keywords throughout your site that your target audience is likely to use when searching for someone in your field.

In addition to keyword-optimized content, your website should also include a strong call to action (CTA) that encourages visitors to take the next step, such as scheduling a consultation.

 

Generating Leads with Referrals

Referrals are one of the most effective ways to generate leads as a dispensary business. You can use a referral program, word-of-mouth marketing, or other tactics to encourage existing customers to spread the word about your business.

 

Generating Leads with Content Marketing

Content marketing is a great way to generate leads and build credibility for your dispensary business. You can use blogging, infographics, e-books, or other forms of content to educate customers about your services.

 

Generating Leads with Networking

Attending local networking events is a great way to generate leads and build relationships with likely customers. You can attend industry events, join relevant professional organizations, or connect with potential and current customers through social media marketing.

The marketing strategy that you choose will strictly depend on the ideal customer and where you are most likely to reach them. 

 

Generating Leads with SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a great way to generate leads and increase your visibility online. It involves optimizing your website content, metadata, images, and other elements so that they appear higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This will help you rank higher for relevant keywords, reach more potential customers, and drive more traffic to your website.

 

Sample Marketing Plan for a Dispensary Business

 

Additional Resources:

Business Plan for Dispensary