If you have a cannabis or CBD brand, it may be time for you to put your acting and directing hat on. According to a report from HubSpot Research, more than 50% of consumers want to see videos from brands more than any other type of content.
You don’t have to be Brad Pitt or Steven Spielberg, but video marketing is changing the game for brands online – and cannabis businesses can’t afford to miss it.
From classic YouTube videos to Instagram Reels and other creative uses, there is no shortage of video marketing ideas for cannabis brands. We’re breaking down exactly why video marketing has risen to fame and how you can use it in your cannabis marketing strategy:
Why is video marketing suddenly so popular?
The truth is video marketing has always been extremely powerful.
YouTube became an internet video giant upon its launch in 2005 and was one of the World Wide Web’s fastest-growing sites in 2006 with more than 65,000 new video uploads. Vloggers, creators, and brands quickly became a pillar of the platform, arguably birthing the “influencer”.
However, recent pandemic-driven changes in consumer behavior – particularly when it comes to online content – have propelled video to the forefront of marketing strategies. With the rise of TikTok, short-form vertical videos have taken over the social media landscape. Not only that, authentic, unfiltered video content has grown increasingly popular.
As platforms like Instagram and even OG YouTube follow close behind, it is essential to use video marketing strategically for your brand, rather than simply using it to stay trendy.
| To learn more about the Rise of Video Marketing, read our feature article in Rolling Stones Magazine.
Signs It’s Time to Invest in Video Marketing
Producing quality video content takes time, money, energy, and a unique set of skills. As a result, many brands and marketing teams are reluctant to embrace video.
Not many teams want to show their face in front of the camera and even without having to, it takes some heavy-lifting to produce consistent video content. However, the investment can be well worth it, especially if your brand could use the extra help.
Here are some signs it’s time for you to invest in video marketing for your cannabis brand:
Your target market lacks awareness of your brand.
If you are a newer brand in the industry, earning brand awareness can feel like a never-ending, uphill battle. (For tips and tricks on cannabis marketing as a new brand, download our FREE award-winning Secrets to Successful Cannabis Marketing e-book.)
Using video to tell your cannabis brand story can be a compelling way to increase brand awareness. Whether you choose to use custom animations or take real-time videos, your brand can find a style that boosts your values and messaging.
Your brand has a lot of competition.
Despite the federal legalization status of cannabis, the industry is a saturated one, particularly in more established states. From dispensaries popping up left and right to new products being released, your cannabis or CBD brand likely has to compete with a lot of other businesses for the attention of your target audience.
Video marketing gives you ample opportunity to stand out from the crowd. Just think about brands like Aflac or All-State: even the most “boring” of products and services can become interesting with creative video campaigns.
Your target audience isn’t engaging with your marketing efforts.
Social media is fast-paced. Trends come and go, feeds get refreshed multiple times in an hour, and you are constantly competing with other businesses and creators, let alone other cannabis brands.
Even if you are focused on more traditional forms of marketing, a target audience that is not engaged in your brand or your product is a target audience that won’t buy from you. Cannabis video marketing can help educate your audience more deeply about your products and your story, allowing them to build a relationship with your brand significantly faster.
While sticking to your graphics or photos or text-only posts may seem like the easier thing to do, cannabis video marketing can provide your content with a major lift in brand awareness and engagement.
3 Video Marketing Ideas for Your Cannabis Business
Video marketing can be used across a variety of channels in so many different ways. From in-store dispensary screens and social media LIVEs to websites, blogs, newsletters, and more, video can add a whole new dimension to your marketing strategy.
Better yet, you can repurpose one video across all channels in several different ways. Work smarter, not harder, right? You can:
- Transcribe a video into a blog post (or vice versa)
- Take out key quotes from a video for graphics on social media
- Break up a video into multiple parts and use it as the basis for an email sequence
- Cut up short, catchy clips to use as short-form video content
- Pull audio for podcasts, graphic/animated posts, etc.
- And more
Educational Videos
Videos that demonstrate your products and how they work are great ways to strengthen the relationship between your brand and your target audience. Tutorials, product demonstrations, and explainer videos are all great forms of cannabis educational video content.
Anything that you might publish on your blog or social media as educational content can be re-created as a video. For instance, you could film an instructional video on the different ways to consume cannabis or what to expect during a visit to your dispensary.
You could also capture expert interviews with thought leaders in the industry or internal experts at your company to build trust and authority with your potential customers. These videos are perfect for building your following on social media platforms, such as Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok. They can also be included in email campaigns or shared in press features.
Customer Testimonials
Potential customers want to know that you have quality products that will address their specific needs. Whether you’re a dispensary or a CBD brand, testimonial videos featuring our satisfied, loyal customers will speak volumes to on-the-fence or first-time customers.
You can even get creative and have your team film fun unboxing videos, putting a physical product to the test. These types of videos can be used on social media, landing pages, product listings, or even played in-store.
Behind-the-Scenes Videos
Videos that showcase your brand in full transparency give your customers a sense of intimacy with your brand. Showcasing your personality, mission, and high-level vision in a more unfiltered setting can create momentum for your brand in a way that other marketing efforts may not be able to achieve.
A great example of a behind-the-scenes video for a cannabis business might be a dispensary or grow facility tour. Live videos on social media are also perfect for this type of content, as it gives your viewers a closer look into your business (and drives engagement).
Get Started with Cannabis Video Marketing
Brands that want a successful digital presence are utilizing the power of video. As the cannabis industry grows and brands become more sophisticated, you can’t afford to miss this opportunity and take advantage of cannabis video marketing.
Cannabis Creative has helped brands like Fronto King strategize and film campaigns to meet their business goals. To get started on a cannabis video project, contact us today.
