The market for CBD products has become one of the fastest-growing in recent years. In fact, leading analysts anticipate that CBD sales in the U.S. will explode to $16 billion by 2025 — and that’s one of the more conservative estimates.
CBD promises to improve sleep, mitigate muscle pain, reduce anxiety and even treat epilepsy without any intoxicating side effects. Does it come as a surprise, then, that you can find CBD in just about everything from gummies to bath-bombs, lotions, beer and more?
As entrepreneurs build lucrative CBD-specific businesses and existing brands expand their product lines to include the compound, having a streamlined and robust marketing plan is critical to stand out amidst the noise. While there are some ways to advertise your CBD brand, with major platforms such as Google, Instagram, Amazon and Facebook blocking paid ads, a strong SEO and content strategy will be the foundation for organic growth. Simply put – your CBD brand needs a blog!
Evergreen Content Is Still King
The adage holds truer than ever before. Having a blog gives your brand a collection of owned media that occupies permanent real estate on your site. In other words, evergreen content on your blog can drive consistent organic traffic to your website for years to come. You can use the pieces on your blog to position your brand as a thought leader in the CBD space, showcase your brand’s personality and narrative, and share industry updates, customer testimonials and behind-the-scenes sneak-peaks.
In a space that’s becoming increasingly saturated with near-identical products and price-points, your ability to distinguish your brand with a unique story and message can make all the difference. Posting original content on your blog allows you to hone your brand identity, engage top-of-funnel customers and nurture customer loyalty.
Build SEO Presence and Educate Your Customers
Blog pieces are a great way to land eyeballs on your site organically and develop a strong SEO strategy. Working with an agency that has access to tools such as Ahrefs, Buzzsumo and BrightEdge can give your brand the upper hand when it comes to identifying high-volume, long-tail keyword phrases that give you a better chance of ranking for specific search terms.
General keyword phrases like “CBD oil benefits” or “what is CBD” have become far too competitive to rank for. Understanding current keyword opportunities and crafting articles around niche search queries which may have lower search volume but higher purchase or engagement intent will position you as a unique thought leader and attract greater (and more loyal) readership. Don’t be afraid to link to your products in these pieces or include language that highlights why your brand is different from the rest!
Content Wears Many Marketing “Hats”
While your blog pieces live on your site and passively garner organic traffic, you can actively incorporate them into broader campaigns. After all, blog posts are well-suited for platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, where the right headline and caption can capture readers who might not have even heard of your brand. You can also integrate blog content into email campaigns, pushing out new posts (or republishing older pieces) through weekly newsletters or automated nurturing sequences that remind readers of CBD benefits, present the latest scientific research or announce a new product launch.
You can also leverage the audiences of digital publishers and third-party sites by investing in native advertising and content syndication efforts. With this approach, you can place strategic ads that take readers to your own evergreen content pieces.
Conclusion
Though CBD is becoming a crowded space with a number of impositions and restrictions from major ad-spend platforms, there’s still plenty of room for you to grow your brand, develop a voice and attract organic traffic and conversions. With a blog, you can vastly increase your brand’s visibility, craft a unique narrative that resonates with consumers and augment your marketing strategy.