Cannabis Retargeting: 6 Strategies to Boost Sales

Want to increase your cannabis business sales? Here are 6 effective retargeting strategies:

Strategy	Description
1. Abandoned cart reminders	Remind customers about items left in their cart
2. Website visitor follow-ups	Show ads to people who visited your website
3. Email list retargeting	Target ads to your email subscribers
4. Lookalike audience targeting	Find new customers similar to your current ones
5. Location-based retargeting	Show ads to people in specific areas
6. Multi-device retargeting	Reach customers across different devices

These strategies help you:

Keep customers coming back
Stay in customers’ minds
Make advertising easier and more effective

Remember to follow legal rules, protect customer data, and advertise responsibly. Track your results and adjust your campaigns to maximize success.

How cannabis retargeting works

Retargeting basics

Cannabis retargeting shows ads to people who have shown interest in a cannabis business before. It uses small tracking codes called pixels to collect data on user actions. This data helps businesses show ads to these users as they browse the internet, use apps, or watch TV.

Legal rules and compliance

Cannabis retargeting must follow laws and rules. Businesses need to:

Be open about how they collect and use data
Keep user information safe
Get user permission before tracking them
Follow guidelines from cannabis industry groups

Advantages of retargeting

Advantage	Description
More sales	Targets people already interested in cannabis products
Brand awareness	Keeps the business in customers’ minds
Customer engagement	Shows relevant ads to interested users
Better ad spending	Focuses on users more likely to buy

Retargeting helps cannabis businesses reach customers who are more likely to buy their products. By showing ads to people who have already visited their website or shown interest, businesses can make their advertising more effective.

Strategy 1: Abandoned cart reminders

What are abandoned cart reminders?

Abandoned cart reminders are ads or emails sent to customers who left items in their online shopping cart without buying. This method works well for cannabis businesses, as some customers might hesitate to complete their purchase.

These reminders can be:

Emails
Social media ads

They usually include:

A personal message
A list of items left in the cart
A clear prompt to finish the purchase

How to set up cart reminders

Most online store platforms or marketing tools can help you set up cart reminders. Here’s how:

Find customers with abandoned carts
Make a reminder campaign
Choose when to send reminders
Check results and make changes

Tips for cannabis cart reminder ads

Tip	Description
Use customer’s name	Include the customer’s name and mention specific products
Clear call-to-action	Use phrases like "Finish Your Purchase" or "Go Back to Your Cart"
Eye-catching images	Use pictures or videos to grab attention
Offer deals	Consider giving discounts or free shipping
Check and improve	Look at how well your ads work and make them better

Strategy 2: Website visitor follow-ups

Tracking website visitors

To track website visitors, use pixels. These small code snippets gather data on:

Who visits your site
What they do there
Their interests
Basic info about them

Pixels help you collect:

Metric	Description
Page views	How many pages users see
Bounce rates	How often users leave after one page
Time on site	How long users stay
Conversion rates	How often users buy or sign up

This data helps you understand how people use your site and where to make it better.

Creating customer groups

After getting visitor data, sort users into groups. These groups share things like:

Age or location
What they like
How they act on your site

For example, you might make groups for:

People who visited in the last month
Those interested in a certain product

Grouping helps you aim your ads at the right people.

Making ads for each group

Once you have groups, make ads just for them. These ads should:

Speak to what the group cares about
Show products they might like
Use words that make sense to them

Here’s how you might make ads for different groups:

Group	Ad Message	How to Target
Recent visitors	"Come back for new deals"	Show to those who visited lately
Product fans	"Best prices on [product]"	Show to those who looked at the product
Cart abandoners	"Finish your order now"	Show to those who left items in cart

Strategy 3: Email list retargeting

Using your email list for ads

Email list retargeting helps you reach customers who like your products. Here’s how to do it:

Pick an email platform (e.g., Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Constant Contact)
Group your email list based on customer actions
Make ads for each group

Group	Ad Message	Who to Show It To
Recent buyers	"Thanks! Come back for more deals"	People who bought in the last 30 days
Left items in cart	"Finish your order now for 10% off"	People who didn’t finish buying
Product fans	"New items are here! Take a look"	People who liked certain products

Mixing emails with other ads

You can show ads to your email list on websites and social media:

Upload your email list to ad platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads
Pick the type of ad you want to use
Set how much you want to spend

Ad Type	What It Is	Why It’s Good
Picture ads	Images on websites	Easy to see, reaches the right people
Video ads	Videos on websites and social media	Gets attention, makes people want to buy
In-content ads	Ads that look like normal content	Fits in well, people interact more

Making email ads just for you

Personal email ads help you connect with customers better:

Use a platform that lets you change emails for each person
Group your list based on what people like and do
Make ads that speak to each group

Personal Touch	What It Is	Why It Works
Use names	Put customer names in emails	Makes people trust you more
Mention past buys	Talk about what they bought before	Makes ads more relevant
Use fitting pictures	Show images they’ll like	Makes people more interested

Strategy 4: Lookalike audience targeting

Finding similar customers

Lookalike audience targeting helps cannabis businesses find new customers who are like their current ones. Here’s how it works:

Upload your customer list to an ad platform (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook Ads)
Group customers based on things like age, location, and what they buy
The platform finds new people who match these groups

Customer Info	Examples
Age and location	25-45 years old, living in cities
Buying habits	Buys online, prefers certain products
Website behavior	Pages visited, time spent browsing

Reaching more people who might like your products

This method helps you:

Show ads to people who are likely to be interested
Find new customers who are similar to your best ones
Spend your ad money more wisely

For example, if you’re selling a new type of cannabis product, you can target people who have bought similar items before.

Making your campaigns better

To improve your lookalike campaigns:

What to Do	How to Do It
Check your data	Look at who your best customers are
Update your groups	Change your customer groups as you learn more
Make good ads	Use clear messages and pictures that fit your audience
Keep an eye on results	See what works and change what doesn’t

Strategy 5: Location-based retargeting

Setting up location-based ads

Location-based retargeting helps you show ads to people who’ve been near your cannabis store or at related events. Here’s how to set it up:

Pick your target areas
Choose a platform like Google Ads or Facebook Ads
Set up a virtual boundary around your chosen spots
Make and start your ad campaign

Using past location data

Past location data can help you make better ads. Here’s what to do:

Step	Action
1	Gather data on where people have been
2	Look for patterns in the data
3	Make ads based on what you learn
4	Keep checking and improving your ads

Mixing location ads with other strategies

Combining location-based ads with other methods can make your ads work better. Try these steps:

Pick strategies that work well together
Mix location ads with things like lookalike targeting or email ads
Watch how your ads do and make changes as needed

Strategy Combo	How It Works
Location + Lookalike	Show ads to people like your customers in specific areas
Location + Email	Send emails to people who’ve been near your store
Location + Website	Show ads to people who’ve been to your store and website

Strategy 6: Multi-device retargeting

Reaching customers on different devices

People use many devices like phones, tablets, and computers. To reach them, cannabis businesses need to show ads on all these devices. This is called multi-device retargeting.

Here’s how it works:

Track customers across devices
Show ads on all their devices
Keep your message the same everywhere

For example, if someone looks at your website on their computer, you can show them ads on their phone later.

Keeping messages the same on all devices

When you show ads on different devices, it’s important to keep your message the same. This means:

Using the same look and feel in all ads
Keeping the same tone in your writing
Using the same pictures or videos

By doing this, you help people remember your brand better.

Device	Ad Type	What to Keep the Same
Phone	App ads	Logo, colors, message
Tablet	Website ads	Brand style, tone
Computer	Social media ads	Product images, offers

Checking how well multi-device ads work

To see if your multi-device ads are working, look at these numbers:

What to Check	What It Means	Why It’s Important
Sales from each device	How many people buy on each device	Shows which devices work best
Cost for each sale	How much you spend to get one sale	Helps you save money
Money made vs. money spent	How much you earn compared to what you spend	Shows if ads are worth it
People seeing ads on multiple devices	How many people see your ads on more than one device	Helps you reach people better

Checking retargeting results

Important numbers to track

To see if your cannabis retargeting is working, keep an eye on these key numbers:

Number to Track	What It Means	Why It’s Important
Cost per 1,000 views (CPM)	How much you pay to show your ad 1,000 times	Helps you know how much you’re spending to reach people
Click rate (CTR)	How many people click your ad after seeing it	Shows if your ad catches people’s attention
Buy rate	How many people buy after clicking your ad	Tells you if your ad makes people want to buy
Customer value over time (CLV)	How much money a customer spends with you in total	Helps you see the long-term impact of your ads

Tools for measuring success

To track these numbers, you can use these tools:

Google Analytics: Tracks website visits and sales
Facebook Pixel: Watches how ads do on Facebook and Instagram
HubSpot: Keeps an eye on website traffic, emails, and new customers

Using data to improve future ads

After you gather information about your ads, use it to make them better:

1. Group your customers: Find groups of people who are more likely to buy. Make ads just for them.

2. Make better ad designs: See which pictures and words work best. Use those in your next ads.

3. Change how you pay for ads: Look at which way of paying for ads works best. Do more of that.

Following rules and best practices

Staying within advertising laws

Cannabis businesses must follow strict rules when advertising. Here are some key points:

Rule	Description
No health claims	Don’t say cannabis has medical benefits
Kid-friendly content	Avoid cartoons or anything that appeals to children
Honest ads	Don’t make false or misleading statements
No testimonials	Don’t use customer reviews or endorsements
No consumption	Don’t show people using cannabis products
No pricing or potency	Don’t mention prices or how strong products are
Adult use label	Infused products must say "For Adult Use Only"

Cannabis businesses also need to follow federal rules, like those from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about honest advertising.

Keeping customer information safe

Cannabis businesses must protect customer data. Here’s what they should do:

Ask customers before collecting their data
Use strong security to protect customer information
Be clear about how they use and share customer data
Let customers opt-out of data collection and ads

By doing these things, cannabis businesses can build trust and avoid legal problems.

Ethical advertising in cannabis

Cannabis businesses should advertise responsibly. This means:

Not targeting kids or vulnerable groups
Not making health claims without proof
Being honest in all ads
Being open about the risks and benefits of cannabis
Promoting safe cannabis use

Wrap-up

Quick review of 6 strategies

Here’s a summary of the six cannabis retargeting strategies we covered:

Strategy	Description
1. Abandoned cart reminders	Send ads to customers who left items in their carts
2. Website visitor follow-ups	Reach out to people who visited your site but didn’t buy
3. Email list retargeting	Use your email list to show personalized ads
4. Lookalike audience targeting	Find new customers similar to your current ones
5. Location-based retargeting	Show ads based on where people are or have been
6. Multi-device retargeting	Reach customers on their phones, tablets, and computers

What’s next for cannabis retargeting

As the cannabis industry grows, retargeting will become more important. New tools and platforms will likely bring new ways to reach customers and boost sales.

Final advice

To make the most of cannabis retargeting:

Keep up with new trends
Watch how your ads perform
Change your plans when needed