Market research indicates that the vaping industry is on track to earn $61 billion by 2025. That’s six years away, but you need a marketing strategy now.
Chances are that your vape shop is not the only one in town. In order to get a jump on your competition, there are a few strategies that you can try.
Organic Search
Even if you have a brick and mortar store, your website will undoubtedly be one of your biggest selling tools. However, because laws vary from state to state and country to country, paying to advertise on Facebook or Google may not be a viable option. So, you’ll want to optimize the best keywords so that Google knows where you’re at. Look out for keyword stuffing, because Google’s getting hip to that. Try alternating some of these popular keywords: vaping, vaper, e-juice, ejuice, vape juice, e-cigs, vaping mods, etc.
Social Media
Just because you can’t buy paid advertising on Facebook doesn’t mean you can’t use it. You can create a brand or a store page and garner a following. Twitter and Instagram can work towards your favour this way, too.
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Old Fashioned E-Mail Marketing
If you think that e-mail marketing is passe, then take another look. People will often readily give their email address at checkout if they know they’ll be getting engaging content or special offers or freebies. E-mail marketing doesn’t take long to set up and can continue paying off down the road.
Industry Magazines
The many restrictions placed on the vaping industry brought up an industry that takes care of itself. Vape magazines, available both on and off-line can be instrumental in getting your brand out there. Many of them take paid advertising, and more often, they have influence in the industry.
Vape Review Sites
There are many of these online. A lot of vapers are tech-savvy people who read reviews online or watch YouTube reviews before they buy. If you don’t necessarily want to get on a review site, allow a spot on your website for people to leave their reviews and testimonials.
Employ a Trickster or Two
You’ve probably seen them on Instagram and YouTube. There are vaping tricksters that blow shaped clouds or really large clouds. They also readily work to promote a brand in exchange for free product.
Quit Smoking
Tapping into this niche can really work out for your store. Most smokers want to quit, and they need to know that vaping can help. Join the conversation on various channels.
Vape Expos
It seems like every industry has an expo or a show and vaping is no exception. Presenting your wares as well as getting your name out there to customers, other businesses, and such are worth the price of a ticket. It’ll even give a glimpse into the competition.
Guest Blogging
People in the vaping industry are all about vaping culture. Many vapers turn to blogs to get information about juices, mods, vape pens, and dry herb vaporizers that they want. Here is where you get a win-win. You get a platform to promote your store to a larger audience and the blog gets content that interests their readers for free.
Rewards Program
A tried-and-true marketing program is the rewards program. Offering freebies, discounts, or special offers to them when they come into your brick and mortar store or visit your website can create a line of returning customers.
There are plenty of marketing strategies out there that can help promote your vaping business. Putting just a few of these suggestions into practice can help begin growing your customer base.