First: Share Info
If you don’t have an email list, send a text or write a blog post to showcase how your dispensary is dealing with the pandemic (are your budtenders wearing gloves? are you limiting the number of people inside?), how customers can stay on top of your hours (will you be sharing them on Facebook? updating your website?), and what they can expect if they order online.
Times are uncertain, provide some relief to your customers by giving them whatever answers you can about your business.
Also, be prepared to receive more calls than usual. Change your voicemail message so that it also shares crucial info with your customers and have someone manning the phone.
Advertise Your Delivery & Order Pickup
People are concerned with being in close proximity to each other—it goes against the tenet of social distancing. After an initial bump in foot traffic, you may find that fewer people are stopping by your store than normal. One way you can ensure that your customers feel comfortable about still stocking up on their medicine or favorite products is to make it clear that you offer delivery or expedited order pickup.
Note that while you may generally have a pickup order ready within 30 minutes, you may need to give your budtenders extra time to deal with what may be an influx in orders. As more shoppers turn to convenience services like delivery and pickup, those services are going to need to scale to keep up. Change your default delivery time anywhere it’s listed. While fewer in-store shoppers may mean that some budtenders are freed up to package up orders, do your best to provide your customers with an accurate window of when their orders may actually be ready.
Here are some examples. Feel free to use them.
Thanks for your order! Because of an increase in online orders, we expect your order to be ready in one hour. We’ll text you when yours is ready.
We’re getting your order ready! Right now, we expect it to take an hour. We’ll text you when it’s ready for you.
Thank you for your order. Due to increased demand, we currently need an hour to prep orders. We’ll text you when yours is ready for pickup.
Even if your pickup service isn’t as fast as it usually is, customers will appreciate the convenience and honesty.
Reach New Customers with Digital Marketing
Using Google Ads and Geo-Ads, you can share info about your services and easily reach potential customers.
More people are online than ever before. Whether they’re working from home or just wiling away time, they’re on their phones and laptops. Reach them where they are.
Google Ads and geo-advertising will allow you to get your message in front of people who want to grab their favorite products. By highlighting your online ordering or delivery, you can drive them right to your menu and make it easy for them to place their order.
Engage Current Customers With SMS
Reach your current customers to let them know about any changes.
SMS is great for sharing a quick update or alert. Right now, plenty of people are stocking up. If you’re increasing your delivery area, dropping delivery fees, expanding your order pickup windows, or making other changes that can make it easier for your customers to get their hands on the good stuff, let them know.
You can also create specials just for your current loyalty members to entice them to place an online order.
Find New Ways to Complete Customer-Facing Tasks
Some medical dispensaries have canceled consultations out of an abundance of caution. Rather than just canceling, though, there’s an opportunity to still provide a valuable service to customers that need it.
For example, pharmacists and in-store medical professionals can use Zoom, Skype, Facetime, or another video platform to confer with patients.
These times call for creativity. Have your team brainstorm solutions before completely canceling plans. By providing alternatives, you may be better able to serve your customer base and maintain a steady business.
Coronavirus marketing is new to all of us, but together, we can find a way to propel our businesses forward. For help, give us a call at 925-393-0444.
