By Alexa Divett

If you’re one of the thousands of cannabusiness owners in full start-up mode, and you’re building your business on a shoestring budget, marketing and advertising can seem like an overwhelming expense.

However, with a little creativity and the willingness to put yourself out there you can grow your business and engage in strategic marketing activities for very little money.

The most important factor is the willingness to put yourself out there.

Here are four (4) easy ways to market your cannabusiness on a shoestring budget:

1. Article Marketing

Article marketing is one of the most effective and least expensive ways to market your business. There are many marijuana publications and websites such as this one that are looking for high quality content.

And as I’ve stated many times before, people do business with people they know, like, and trust, and building the credibility you need to be trusted is often easier if you position yourself as an expert and a leader.

Additionally, there is a huge need for high-quality information in this new industry, and having a blog where you can post content allows you to create a hub for people to come to to indoctrinate themselves to your brand and your mission.

2. Social Media Marketing

When done correctly, social media is a powerful and inexpensive way to market your cannabusiness. The key is to balance your posts between promotions and relevant, engaging information.

If your social media posts only have a one-way shouting dynamic, you may come across with a used-car salesman vibe, which will certainly be a turn-off to your prospects.

Social media is also a great platform for building your connections. Following and engaging with key industry influencers is an easy and effective way to get your cannabusiness noticed.

3. Community Service

Engaging in community service and public outreach campaigns is a great way for your cannabusiness to get noticed by the press.

Due to the federally illegal nature of the Cannabis Industry, you are unable to send samples of your products to various journalists to review. Therefore, you have to get creative.

A community service campaign is not only a great way to give back to the community; it’s also an inexpensive way to get the public to notice what you do.

The key is to engage with industry influencers across your social media channels and to reach out to the journalists covering the Cannabis Industry.

4. Public Speaking

Public speaking is not for everyone. However, it is an amazingly effective way to market your business and position yourself as a leader and an expert.

Most cannabis events are expensive. The cost of attending and/or having a booth on the trade show floor can be ridiculously high and well outside of a typical start-up budget.

If you are willing to put yourself out there and have knowledge to share, you can easily volunteer to speak and get into the events for free or at a reduced cost.

Additionally, there is no better way to build the credibility you need for success than to impart your wisdom on the masses.