CBD & Why It is Valued

It’s no secret that CBD, otherwise known as cannabidiol, is surging in today’s marketplace. One of the primary compounds of the cannabis plant, CBD is highly prized for its medicinal value to users, while providing none of the psychoactive effects characteristic of THC, perhaps the more well-known compound in cannabis. Health professionals recommend CBD for its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsant, anti-depressant, anti-tumoral, and neuroprotective characteristics. Having such utility, it shouldn’t surprise that more and more businesses are entering the industry.

Limitations to CBD Marketing

Because demand is growing for CBD, it would seem businesses should have no issue attracting customers to their brands and products. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case, because the cannabis plant is still federally restricted, and as a result, businesses cannot advertise online in an ideal manner. Google and Facebook, which control most of online marketing, prohibit the explicit advertising of anything cannabis related. Same goes for Instagram. Perhaps this will change in the near future, as the cannabis plant enters the mainstream and becomes acceptable much in the way that alcohol is accepted, but for the time being, businesses have to deal with some limitations to what should be a free market.

As a result of the Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act, CBD businesses are not allowed to tell customers that their product is a dietary supplement. Of course, this would seem counterfactual to the increasing research being done in the field, but it is the law. As long as CBD is known as a “new drug” by the FDA, which means that it may be in legal limbo for a few more years, there will be hesitation on the part of online platforms like Facebook and Google to allow CBD businesses into their advertising fold. That being said, 47 states now allow some form of CBD production and sales, which means there is room for businesses to get creative with their digital marketing and expand their outreach.

Marketing Possibilities

Even with the limitations in place for CBD businesses, there are a number of ways to get the word out about their brands. Some of these methods include the use of newsletters; participating in social media to raise awareness without actually advertising; using investment boards such as Reddit, Stockhouse, and Stockwit; advertising in intra-industry publications such as High Times; or getting some form of sponsorship from a local or affiliated networks. Businesses can also utilize networks like FlexOffers or ShareASale, which offer online lead generation and and marketing services, but because these networks are so crowded, using them might not result in any directed traffic to your website.

Utilizing SEO Services

Although Google doesn’t allow CBD businesses to use Adwords to advertise their service or products, CBD businesses can still climb search engine results by working with Google’s algorithm, which is considered ranking organically. This is where Search Engine Optimization comes in.

A CBD business’ website can be optimized to rank higher in search results through on-page optimization and off-page optimization. On-page optimization refers to the way a website is structured and filled with content, and off-page optimization refers to how a website connects to the rest of the web. The more optimized a website is in these two categories, the more traffic it is going to receive.

Common SEO strategies include improving readability, creating backlinks, performing keyword research, conducting local SEO and data-driven research, in addition to much more. Having an SEO agency which specializes in CBD businesses conduct an audit of your website can provide a great opportunity for enhancing your online profile. SEO agencies specializing in cannabis and CBD can also help you design social media campaigns that can overcome the aforementioned limitations of those platforms.

The Power of SEO

When you’re trying to reach your target audience, you need your web content to be specific and effective. Common questions CBD SEO agencies will ask include who your target audience is, what their age is, and what specifically they are seeking in your product or service. The more nuance that can be provided, the better results you’ll achieve. For instance, if your CBD business is focused on developing oils or tinctures to supplement one’s nutritional profile, you’ll be looking for an audience specifically interested in nutritional benefits to CBD. This audience will want to know what CBD offers them that they can’t get somewhere else; they will want to know how reliable the results of your product are; they will want to know how one form of CBD differs from another. In the spectrum of these questions and answers are keywords and phrases that an SEO agency will help you utilize to build your website. Understanding exactly what your audience is searching for when they’re on Google allows you to customize a website that Google’s algorithm will reward.

Spreading Your Message Using SEO

One of the best things about using SEO is that you can use it limitlessly. You don’t have to stop once the main facets of your website are built; you can use information an SEO agency provides to grow a blog presence. Writing informative and engaging blog articles will widen your audience. You can become a leading voice in the industry while adhering to SEO practices which continue to work with search engine algorithms. Within these blogs you can include internal links to information present on your website, turning your site into a kind of wheel or engine which keeps web users close to your product longer. Additionally, an SEO agency can help you link up with affiliate businesses and networks, landing links to your website on their pages, drawing more and more people interested in CBD to your business. This is just a small portion of SEO’s utility.

Begin Utilizing SEO Today

Despite there being restrictions to online marketing for CBD businesses, SEO proves it is still possible for businesses to grow their brand and audience effectively. The best time to utilize SEO is now, because cannabis will become mainstream and eventually restrictions will be lifted, making competition increasingly fierce. SEO services can separate your CBD business from the pack today.