Just like weed not being all built the same, so it goes for the cannabis customer. They are real people with needs, problems, and issues that need solutions. And this is where you intervene! Because nobody buys a product just for the sake of it – we all make purchases that solve our problems. People buy solutions, not products.
In that case, you need to reverse engineer the thought process of whom you are selling your product. You need to ask yourself what problem am I helping people solve.
Medicinal
A segment of the market turns to cannabis for medical reasons. There are increasingly numerous studies that prove the therapeutic role weed can have (through its compounds CBD and yes, THC) for various affections (depression, anxiety, epilepsy or PTSD to name a few).Â
While this customer segment may have a particular goal in mind – like pain relief, or anxiety alleviation – that does not mean that their encounter with weed has to be boring. They can experience the benefits of the cannabis plant in a fun, colorful, flavorful way.Â
Plus, given the state of technology today, there are products that only offer the CBD extract, without the psychedelic effect of THC that might be keeping potential customers at bay – tap into that doubt and show the interested people how they can get the desired effects from weed without sacrificing their consciousness.
All they need is a bit of guidance to pick the best product for their needs in a format that enhances their personal experience. For instance, if the medicinal user is not a smoker, they could be guided into picking edibles or capsules.
Recreational
The key words in this case are fun and pleasure. The playground for this segment of consumers is as wide as the market. But that doesn’t mean anything goes. There is still the concept of preference at play for this sort of customer.
That is why having a wide array of different sativa, indica and hybrids to choose from is beneficial. People look to experience different effects of weed: from a focused state, to a mellow mood, or becoming a chatty Cathy. And that is why there might be a degree of difficulty in catering to the needs of this particular customer – you cannot please everybody if you don’t have something for everybody. And that is in fact fine. The best course of action is to stay true to your product and showcase it for what it is. There is somebody out there who is granted to love it. And that is your target audience.
The Newbies
Each year the cannabis market grows – more people coming of age start to consume, while for others the walls of stigma are finally coming down and they step quite unknowingly into a much more developed market than they could ever imagine. And everything may look quite overwhelming at first. But taking things step by step is key.
Education never goes out of style, and for some people there can never be enough before they finally take the leap and try weed for the first time. While for others, they cannot wait another second to finally try it.
For both these inexperienced prospects, information has to be clear cut, easy to remember and navigate through. Fear is something you have to mitigate both before consumption, and after – so that people can know what they can expect from their experience and avoid panic and paranoia.Â
If you succeed, the likelihood is that they will be returning customers, because they saw in you a trusted guide to hold their hand throughout the process.
The Experienced
At the other end of the spectrum, there are the consumers who remember the days of going to shady basements and never knowing what they were going to get to smoke. They are the ones who rode the emotions of the legalizing process and came victorious to the other side.Â
History aside, they are customers who know what they want, what is good for them, what’s the difference between strains, and who will definitely know how to distinguish indica from sativa.Â
They appreciate and recognize quality and high standards. Accurate and complete information about the product is something to be mindful of in their case. They don’t need stories, but facts.
The Conservatories
While there may be an overlap with the previous category, this may not always be the case. Conservatories are that segment of customers who are reluctant to try innovative forms of consuming cannabis.Â
And there is something to be said about their case as well. There is a particular appeal to cannabis in its most basic form – the flower, the bud – which comes with its stickiness, its smell, the fluffiness to the touch. While these are some aspects that keep some customers returning to weed’s classic form, it can also be a marketing cue to be tapped into.
The Experimental
Not to be confused with the experienced kind, and also called serial customers, they are the ones who will jump not only from flower to flower (pun intended), but will also be willing to test the potency of the cannabis plant in all the forms and shapes it comes in: wax, gummies, tinctures, chocolate, beverages and the list could go on.Â
Variety is one of the most important factors for this client, but novelty, and keeping things fresh is another key factor in having them come back to you time and again. Because this is an impossible to please customers, as they never settle for anything, your task is to keep their curiosity peaked.
Final Words
The types of customers outlined above can be taken as guidance, but it’s important to remember that these are not clear-cut categories, and in real life, there is an overlap between them.Â
The needs and desires of people change over time, with experience and knowledge. And that is perfectly normal. But it’s also definitely useful to imagine the intention behind a particular type of customer, and build your marketing story from there. At Clout Brands you can take the next step in your cannabis business and speak to the needs of real-life customers. Get in touch today!
