Why Is an Information Center Necessary?
A well-built cannabis education center can benefit both your brand and your SEO efforts.
From a branding perspective, providing your visitors with valuable and helpful information can work to position your dispensary as more than just a distributor. Content marketing tools such as blog posts and information pages connect with, and engage, potential customers, demonstrating your brand’s value in the process.
From a search-optimization perspective, building quality content will give your SEO efforts a serious boost. Addressing questions that your local customers are searching for will make it easier for them to find you on search engines like Google.
Moreover, well-informed customers are more likely to purchase a product that is right for them, thus increasing their satisfaction and increasing the likelihood that they will shop with you again.
Educating your dispensary’s customers online may also save your staff from having to do it in-house. This can free your budtenders from having to do repetitive customer service duties, allowing them to work on other tasks.
What Kind of Cannabis Education Topics Should You Cover?
The content you ultimately choose to cover in your knowledge base will primarily depend upon the needs of your target audience, and your content marketing budget. Content should be thought of in levels such as basic content, advanced content, and specialized content.
Basic Content
Basic content covers the fundamentals of cannabis use and cannabis products. The goal of this content is to get visitors familiar and comfortable with the basics of marijuana.
Basic or beginner content typically asks questions such as “What is the difference between Indica and Sativa?”, “What are THC and CBD?”, and “What is Vaporizing?”.
The goal of basic content is to inform without overwhelming. While many of your dispensary’s customers may be very familiar with marijuana, those who are newer to the world of cannabis will likely require some guidance.
Advanced Content
Advanced content is typically more technical than beginner/basic content. One of the primary differences is that more technical terminology can be used in this kind of content.
This level of content is where you can really educate your target audience on the products you sell, exactly how they work, and exactly why they should consider trying them. Some examples include topics such as “What are concentrates?”, “What is shatter?”, “What is distillate?”, “How do vape pens work?”, etc.
Specialized Content
The kind of specialized content that you feature in your knowledge base will depend almost entirely on your customer base.
For instance, medical marijuana dispensaries primarily choose to focus on the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis, and individual cannabinoids like THC and CBD. They usually also cover topics such as the legality of medical marijuana products, the various ways of safely consuming cannabis products, and technical information regarding legal limits and tax deductions.
A well-developed education center featuring all 3 kinds of content is crucial for medical cannabis dispensaries since many patients are likely to be very new to the world of modern cannabis, and may be quite overwhelmed.
However, dispensaries need to mindful of complying with local and federal regulations. Making speculative claims about how marijuana can improve your health or lifestyle is never recommended.
