The cannabis industry is booming with legalization being achieved in more and more US states and it's never too early to start promoting for the biggest cannabis holiday of the year. The 420 holiday is a huge boost in sales for most dispensaries, but only if you've prepared well enough ahead of time.
This guide will breakdown all the essential actions you need to take in order to make this 420 the best you've ever had.
Stock Up Early
It is critical that you are appropriately stocked up for this big holiday. None of the promotional ideas given in this article are going to help if you didn't stock up properly.
You need to have all the inventory you plan on having by the beginning of April because there has been a major shift in the way consumers are buying products.
Instead of waiting for the big sales days of the year to show up, consumers are starting earlier than ever for their holiday shopping. The main reason is that shipping problems have caused millions to miss out on time-sensitive gifts so instead of waiting for a single day, people are starting weeks in advance.
Not only that, but most of your recurring customers aren't going to wait in huge lines and packed dispensaries if they can help it. They'll start their shopping a week or two in advance so if you don't have the product available you could be missing out on some major sales.
Start Your Promotions Early
Since people will be out shopping earlier than they have in previous years, it's important to get your promotions started early too. Start strategizing around March to decide which promotions you're going to run and when you will be running them.
You should also increase the urgency of each promotion the closer it gets to 420. You could run pre-420 promotions that end before the actual day and would be aimed towards the early birds that get their stock ahead of time.
Make sure you know which marketing channels you’ll be turning to and which promotions would be best for each channel. If you are marketing to an email list, it might make more sense to offer an online promotion rather than an in-store one since people will already be at their computer.
Create Bundle Deals for Excess Inventory
Do you have a bunch of old product you can't get rid of? The best way to clear your shelves is by creating specific bundle deals that include your excess stock.
Let's say there’s a strain that is your most popular that you know will sell like crazy around 420. Create a buy one get one half off deal that includes the popular strain along with the less popular one you can't get rid of.
That way, at the end of the holiday you'll be able to clear the old product and make way for new inventory that could possibly sell better. You could get creative too and target the bundle for pain relief or sleep aid.
A bundle for couples would be romantic and you could include something special like customized papers with heart symbols on them.
Host an Event
There's no better way to celebrate than by hosting your own event. This is a great way to get people in the door and increase brand awareness.
Your 420 event doesn't have to be extravagant, it could simply be a party or celebration at the dispensary itself. You can offer discounts and deals on products for the day and even have some fun games or activities planned out. Make it festive too and decorate the dispensary as much as you can. You could also give out freebies to the first few people that show up.
Of course, no party ever had guests if it wasn't promoted first so you'll want to make sure you start early and promote the party on all social media channels. If you can, add something to your website that let's everyone know when the party will be happening.
Giveaways are a perfect way to get people to show up and in order to enter for the prize you could require people to share the party on social media. That way you get people in the door and you spread the message as much as possible.
Create Reasons to Return
The big day is going to be enough to get people in the door but what's going to happen after the day is over?
You need to think of creative ways you can take the momentum of your 420 holiday and use it to get new customers to keep coming back. You can create a small special for anyone who purchased a certain amount on 420 for their next visit.
A loyalty program is a great way to get people coming back for more. If they buy a certain amount of product or visit the store a certain number of times they can qualify for a special discount.
Your Complete 420 Promotional Guide
Don't go into your 420 holiday without doing the proper promotions because even if you do have a decent day it could be so much bigger with the proper preparation. Start your promotions early and get creative with the specials and deals you offer to not only make an impact on 420, but for the rest of the year too. It’s important your inventory shows up when you need it so you can execute on all these ideas. We offer lightning fast turnaround times and some of the lowest prices possible so reach out if you have any questions about our products or process.
