Dispensary numbers are on the rise, and that’s not going to stop anytime soon. In this post, we’re covering 8 tips to improve your cannabis dispensary customer retention with dispensary POS software. California to Connecticut, these tips will help your dispensary remain competitive as the cannabis industry expands. Let’s get started.
Tip #1: Understand your customers
You can’t expect your customers to stick around if you don’t know who they are. Intimately understanding your target market is essential to Cannabis dispensary customer retention.
Segment customers within your dispensary POS into personas. Does a large percentage of your customers prefer one cannabis form above others? If so, you can tailor your marketing and loyalty to that preference.
Tip #2: Nail your customer experience
Next, we have the customer experience. If you want strong cannabis dispensary customer retention to come back for more, you need to make the cannabis dispensary shopping experience pleasant and hassle-free. A huge part of this is making your customers feel safe, especially amidst the Covid-19 aftermath.
Opportunities for advancing your customer experience will depend on regulations in your area, but here are some ideas to get you started:
- Implement curbside pickup and/or delivery
- Create an eCommerce option
- Reduce wait times and social distance using virtual queues and/or self-service kiosks
- Offer online consultations for inexperienced users
Tip #3: Customer loyalty programs
The key here is to make your dispensary stand out. You need to offer something that your customers can’t get from other dispensaries. One way to do so is by personalizing your loyalty programs according to the preferences of your most popular customer segments. That way, you’re catering directly to your niche market.
Use your dispensary POS software to track your customers’ loyalty points. What your dispensary POS offers in return for loyalty will depend on the regulations in your area.
Tip #4: Follow-up marketing
Sending a follow-up survey not only shows your customers you care about their experience and opinions– it also provides valuable feedback you can use to improve your customer experience overall.
Additionally, you can boost retention by sending follow-ups informing your customers about the loyalty perks they have available.
Tip #5: Engage on social
Use your social media accounts to advertise available products, events, and deals. This content helps with brand awareness and customer engagement. If your customers continue to think about your brand and are intrigued by what you have to offer, they’ll soon be walking through your doors again.
You can make use of social media even if your audience is still small. In fact, Instagram Live and Facebook Live are two great ways to boost brand awareness and promote engagement. Since these features are relatively new, the platforms tend to give live streams an extra push within the algorithm. You can use these features to connect with your current customers while growing your audience at the same time.
Social media ads are another great way to reach your target audience, even if they aren’t following you yet. Your ads will be shown to a tailored audience filled with users already interested in purchasing cannabis. Rules pertaining to social media advertising for cannabis dispensaries vary from state to state. Take advantage of this advertising method if it’s open to you.
Tip #6: Ask for reviews
Reviews are a great way to get current customers engaged with your brand while spreading awareness and gaining new customers. Asking for a review after a purchase will get your customers contemplating what they appreciate about your dispensary, and the reviews will highlight areas that need improvement.
Tip #7: SMS campaigns
Let your customers know about upcoming promotions, events, and offers. Sending text messages literally puts your dispensary in the hands of your customers. SMS campaigns using cannabis point of sale software require a careful balance. The goal here is to engage your customers without appearing spammy.
Tip #8: Remember to stay compliant
Not all promotions, offers, and loyalty programs are legally permitted in the cannabis industry. As a dispensary, you’re subject to a different set of marketing limitations than the average coffee shop or retail establishment.
With these tips and the right cannabis point of sale software to implement them, your customer retention rate will be up in no time. Ready to level up your cannabis dispensary? You can turn to Blaze as a seed-to-sale software solution that provides everything you need to grow your cannabis business.
