Cannabis Marketing Jobs

The Fast Moving World of Cannabis Marketing Jobs

You may not be making the most revenue even if you have the best cannabis dispensary in town. Why? People cannot experience your brand if they are not aware it exists. Digital marketing is one of the best transferrable skills to have for a variety of cannabis jobs, from dispensary manager to marketing specialist. 

Competition is rising in the cannabis industry. 

Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, and Oklahoma are all looking to legalize adult-use cannabis. Not to mention, New York—which is predicted by experts to be bigger than California in the U.S. cannabis industry.

Digital cannabis brand marketing covers email marketing, SEO best practices, video marketing, podcasts, collaborating with online cannabis communities, and more. However, there are still plenty of strict regulations for the cannabis industry when it comes to digital marketing. Staying on top of what you can and cannot do is crucial.  

How to Get Cannabis Marketing Jobs

Marketing covers a wide array of skills. To be a marketing professional in the cannabis industry, you will need experience in copywriting, social media, events, graphic design, campaign management, and more. You will need to wear multiple hats to be successful consistently. Since the cannabis industry is younger compared to the rest, the marketing for cannabis is not as refined. Therefore, you’ll have more opportunities to get hired in a marketing role. Check out these steps for how to get a marketing job in cannabis.

Find Out What Marketing Role You Want

Present yourself as an expert in one marketing specialty. You can mention that you are also proficient in other aspects of marketing. However, focus on one specialty to decide the role you want. Here are some marketing specializations for cannabis that will help you figure out your area of focus:

• Email campaign marketing
• Social media content creation
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Brand marketing 
• Traditional marketing
• Product marketing
• Content creator 

Research Cannabis Marketing

Read job descriptions for cannabis roles you are interested in. What are most companies looking for? Follow marketing influencers to stay on top of what is trending. Also, keep up with what’s going on in the cannabis marketing landscape. There are still plenty of restrictions for marketing cannabis on certain social media outlets. 

When you find a marketing role you want to focus on, research the company.  What is the company’s voice and tone? How do they position themselves in the industry? Is their brand narrative attractive and effective? What’s their social media reach? Then, find ways your skills and experience in marketing can help optimize and evolve their company. 

Refine Your Marketing Skills for Cannabis

You may have a solid marketing portfolio and quantifiable success, but it’s always a good idea to continue learning. Yes, there are marketing concepts that don’t change much, making up the foundation of marketing. However, there are marketing trends and new approaches that change and evolve constantly. Always be learning. Learn new skills that align with your specialization. Also, studying cannabis brands that market well can be a huge help. 

By taking on temporary cannabis marketing jobs, you can build your portfolio further and gain experience in the industry. If you have marketing experience in a similar space, like the alcohol industry, find out how you can use that experience in cannabis. Also, if you do not know anything about cannabis beyond using it occasionally, learn about the plant. Learning about the main star of the show will help refine your marijuana marketing abilities. 

Grow Your Cannabis Network

Attend in-person and/or virtual cannabis industry events. While you’re at events, exchange contact information. Then reach out to find time to connect with them. You may find a cannabis professional who knows about a marketing role that needs to be filled. Or you can connect with a marketing professional who may become a mentor. 

Another efficient way of growing your network is by posting about marketing on your social media channels. You can post marketing news articles, blogs, or memes and provide commentary to position yourself as a thought leader. Also, you can comment on cannabis industry and marketing posts. Hiring managers may check your social media activity as one way to gauge your marketing ability.