Cannabis Advertising: Integrating SMS & Email with Paid Ads

In the highly competitive cannabis industry, simply running paid ads isn't enough to maximize your marketing return on investment.

The most successful dispensaries are leveraging SMS and email marketing as powerful amplifiers that extend the reach and effectiveness of their paid media efforts.

These owned channels create ongoing touchpoints with potential customers who've shown interest through ad interactions, transforming one-time clicks into lasting relationships and repeat purchases.

Let's explore how implementing these retention tools can dramatically improve cannabis advertising performance and boost your dispensary's bottom line.

The cannabis customer journey rarely follows a straight line from awareness to purchase. Most consumers need multiple touchpoints across different channels before making a buying decision.

This is where a strategic combination of paid advertising, email, and SMS creates a cohesive marketing funnel:

Awareness Stage:

Paid ads introduce your dispensary to potential customers, highlighting your unique value proposition and offerings.

Interest Stage:

When someone clicks your ad, they've expressed initial interest. This is the perfect moment to invite them to join your email list or SMS program through landing pages offering valuable content, discounts, or exclusive access.

Consideration Stage:

Once they've opted in, you can nurture this relationship through targeted email campaigns that showcase your products, share educational content, and build trust.

Conversion Stage:

Timely SMS alerts about flash sales, limited drops, or personalized recommendations based on browsing behavior can create urgency and drive purchases.

Loyalty Stage:

Post-purchase email and SMS communications keep customers engaged with your brand, encouraging repeat visits and referrals.By connecting these channels, you're not just acquiring leads—you're building a sustainable audience you own and can communicate with directly, without paying for each interaction.

When someone clicks on your cannabis advertisement but doesn't immediately convert, you can continue the conversation through retargeting. Here's how to effectively use email and SMS for this purpose:

Click-Triggered Automations

Set up automated email sequences that trigger when someone clicks your ad and visits specific pages on your website. For example:

• A visitor browses your concentrates category > Sends an educational email about concentrates with product recommendations

• Someone views your loyalty program page > Delivers email explaining program benefits and sign-up incentives

• Visitor checks store locations > Triggers SMS with directions to nearest dispensary and current deals

Abandoned Cart Recovery

The average abandoned cart rate across e-commerce is nearly 70%, representing a significant revenue opportunity. Implement:

• Initial email reminder sent 1-2 hours after abandonment

• Follow-up SMS with limited-time discount to create urgency

• Final reminder email highlighting benefits of selected products

Strategic Segmentation

Divide your audience based on their ad interaction patterns:

• Product Interest: Target consumers based on specific product categories they viewed after clicking ads

• Geographic Location: Send different messages to customers near different dispensary locations

• Visit Frequency: Distinguish between first-time visitors and returning customers who clicked your ads

• Ad Source: Customize follow-up based on which platform or campaign brought them to your site

After capturing contacts through your paid media efforts, specific email and SMS campaign types have proven particularly effective for cannabis dispensaries:

Flash Sale Follow-Ups

When someone has shown interest by clicking your ad, they're primed for time-sensitive offers:

• "Your exclusive 24-hour access starts now," emails create FOMO

• SMS alerts for limited quantity drops build urgency

• Weekend specials announced via email on Thursday, reinforced via SMS Saturday morning

VIP Treatment for Ad Converters

People who take action on your ads deserve special recognition:

• Welcome series offering escalating discounts (10% first order, 15% second order)

• Early access to new products or limited releases

• "Skip-the-line" passes for in-store pickup sent via SMS

Behavior-Based Journeys

Create automated campaigns based on how customers initially engaged with your ads:

• First-time patients receive educational content about consumption methods

• Recreational customers get product spotlights and entertainment pairings

• Medical patients receive more clinical information and dosage guidance

• Deal-seekers get regular price alerts and loyalty point opportunities

Understanding how your channels work together requires thoughtful tracking and attribution practices:

Unified Tracking Systems

• Implement consistent UTM parameters across all campaigns

• Assign unique campaign IDs that follow customers across channels

• Use platform-specific tracking parameters that integrate with your analytics

Integrated Reporting

• Create dashboards showing the complete customer journey from ad click to email open to SMS response to purchase

• Track conversion rate differences between customers who receive only ads versus those who receive ads plus email/SMS

• Measure the incremental revenue generated by adding retention channels to ad campaigns

Multi-Touch Attribution

• Look beyond last-click attribution to understand the whole customer journey

• Implement weighted attribution models that give appropriate credit to each touchpoint

• Compare cohorts who received different channel combinations to identify the highest-performing sequences

Cannabis marketing requires specialized expertise that goes beyond general digital marketing knowledge:

Compliant Communication Practices

Working with cannabis-specific experts ensures:

• All messaging meets state-by-state regulatory requirements

• Age-gating is implemented correctly across channels

• Language and imagery remain compliant with platform policies

• Proper opt-in procedures protect you from legal liability

Cross-Channel Strategy Integration

A specialized cannabis agency brings:

• Experience connecting paid social, display, email, and SMS specifically for dispensaries

• Proven templates and automations tailored to cannabis customer behavior

• Strategic insights on which channel combinations work best for different objectives

Continuous Optimization

Expert cannabis marketers will:

• Regularly test and refine messaging across all channels

• Implement advanced segmentation strategies specific to cannabis consumers

• Grow your subscriber list through cannabis-compliant acquisition tactics

• Analyze engagement patterns unique to the cannabis audience

In an industry with significant advertising restrictions and high customer acquisition costs, dispensaries can't afford to let potential customers slip away after a single ad interaction. Implementing strategic email and SMS follow-up campaigns creates multiple opportunities to convert interested prospects into loyal customers.

The most successful cannabis businesses don't see channels as separate entities—they build integrated ecosystems where paid advertising drives awareness, while email and SMS nurture relationships and drive ongoing revenue.

Ready to maximize your marketing ROI? Combine your paid campaigns with personalized SMS and email flows explicitly designed for cannabis consumers. Explore full-funnel strategy with our Dispensary Email Marketing Team today.

Is SMS marketing compliant for cannabis businesses?

Yes, SMS marketing can be compliant for cannabis businesses when following proper protocols, including clear opt-in procedures, age verification, compliant messaging that avoids making medical claims, and respecting state-specific regulations. Working with a cannabis-specific marketing agency helps ensure all compliance requirements are met.

How often should dispensaries send marketing emails?

Most successful dispensaries find that 2-4 emails per month is optimal, with additional triggered emails based on customer behavior. The ideal frequency depends on your content quality, audience preferences, and business model. Testing different cadences with segments of your audience will help determine the sweet spot for your specific customers.

What's the best way to grow my dispensary email list?

The most effective way to grow your dispensary email list is through in-store sign-ups with staff training, website opt-in incentives, exclusive content offers, loyalty program integration, and paid advertising to drive traffic to landing pages with compelling opt-in offers. Always ensure compliance with both cannabis regulations and email marketing laws like CAN-SPAM.

How do I measure the ROI of combining paid ads with email and SMS?

To measure the ROI of your multi-channel approach, track metrics including ad click-to-opt-in conversion rate, email/SMS engagement rates, purchase rates from subscribers who came through ads versus other sources, customer lifetime value differences between single-channel and multi-channel customers, and incremental revenue attributed to email/SMS follow-up sequences after ad clicks.