How to Use Customer Journey Mapping in the Cannabis Industry

Stage 1: Awareness

The first stage of customer journey mapping is awareness. This is when consumers initially become aware of your brand. Naturally, you’ll want to enhance your brand visibility and regularly attract new consumers to convert into loyal customers. Using the right marketing methods can help with this.

Having an outstanding dispensary website design helps. You can use this as a promotional tool for your products and utilize digital marketing methods such as SEO to attract customers. You can even sell products via your website. You should also learn how to work with marijuana influencers – good influencer marketing can rapidly bolster your customer acquisition.

You should also utilize your brand name and logo as much as possible. Not only should you use these throughout your website, signage, and store displays, but you should also make custom products. If consumers see a friend or influencer using branded cannabis accessories such as lighters and grinders with your name and logo, they’ll want to find out more.

Stage 2: Consideration

Consumers often become aware of new businesses via Google, social media marketing, influencers, and even branded products. However, this isn’t necessarily enough to make them rush to the store and buy something. Many consumers take time to carefully consider whether to buy something from a business they’ve just learned about. As such, you’ll want to get them past the consideration stage.

Promoting your products will help with this. You should advertise your most popular products and enticing product deals via your website. You should also ensure that your storefront is as inviting as possible with plenty of cool products on display. Good customer service also helps turn window shoppers into customers.

You can also make their consideration a little easier by giving them extra incentives. Promotions and sales often encourage on-the-fence customers to finally buy something. You might even want to offer a first-time discount for new customers. Throwing in a bonus custom-branded lighter or another promotional accessory for your customers can also help.

Stage 3: Purchase

The next stage of customer journey mapping is when a consumer decides to purchase something from you. Naturally, this is a major milestone and you should work hard to get customers past the awareness and consideration stages to get here. As such, you should ensure the purchase process is as smooth and satisfying as possible.

You’ll want to make sure that you offer an excellent customer experience. Easy payment methods, friendly customer service, and protections such as refunds for damaged products will all help with this. Of course, you should also ensure you offer high-quality products. That way, your customers will walk away feeling satisfied.

Even after a customer buys something from your business for the first time, you’ll want to take them further. The next stage of customer mapping is retention, which involves keeping your customers coming back and repeatedly buying from your business. If you provide a good first experience, the next steps will be much easier.

Stage 4: Retention

While customer acquisition is important for cannabis businesses, retention is arguably even more important. The majority of business profits come from repeat customers who regularly buy from the same businesses. Building a loyal base of customers ensures that your business will continue to generate sales and ideally increase your revenue.

One of the best customer retention methods to keep customers coming back is to utilize email marketing. Ask your customers if they want to sign up for your email list for promotions, exclusive discounts, and other exciting offers. You can then send them regular emails encouraging them to buy from you again.

You also need to reward your regular customers with a dispensary loyalty program. Giving customers reward points or gifts for buying from your business makes them feel that they’re getting more value for their money. It also makes them more likely to buy from your business repeatedly.

Stage 5: Advocacy

Building a strong brand, attracting buyers, and turning them into regular customers is a sure sign of a successful business. However, once you’ve built a loyal customer base, they can also become advocates for your business. This will result in a regular cycle of new customers who you can impress with your products and also turn into advocates.

Offering an exemplary customer experience and high-quality products helps. If customers genuinely feel happy with what you offer, they’re much more likely to tell other people about you. Working with influencers in the cannabis industry is also incredibly helpful for boosting your brand reputation and enhancing your sales.

You should also reward customers for referring their friends. For instance, you might want to give them a 10% discount voucher for every new customer they refer. You can do this using referral marketing software that allows customers to refer their friends to your business via a link or code.

Conclusion

Using customer journey mapping is a highly effective way to gain more customers and boost your profits. Over time, you’ll see many new people buy from your business, become loyal customers, and even recommend your business to others. In the process, your brand reputation will become stronger and your loyal followers will help you gain new customers.

While these methods work particularly well for dispensaries, they can also be applied to various other kinds of cannabis businesses. You can use customer journey mapping to attract customers to your CBD store, head shop, or even a cannabis ancillary service. For more guidance and promotional products to get you started, visit Cannabis Promotions.