Any business owner, big or small, knows that utilizing online marketing channels is becoming more important now, especially that people are using the Internet more often than before. These days, and most especially with Coronavirus forcing everyone in Australia and worldwide to stay at home, people do their shopping online, communicate to their friends and loved ones on social media and instant messengers, and watch videos or browse through photos online for extended amounts of time to alleviate boredom or learn new skills.
As a vape shop owner, it makes sense that you will be promoting and advertising vape products through these online channels because it’s where most of your target customers can be found. Besides, why will you keep on investing in traditional channels such as billboards and newspapers when you know your actual target market will not be able to see your marketing materials? You may have the best vape brands Australia has to offer, but if you’re promoting them on the wrong channels, your efforts will be futile.
So without delay, here’s a list of online marketing channels to promote your vape shop whether it’s a purely online shop or a brick-and-mortar establishment.
Company website
Having an official website (with valuable information about your products and company) adds credibility to your vape shop business in the eyes of your target customers.
Your own blog
Provide contextual content on your blog covering topics that relate to your business, products and target market to ensure quality engagement and to establish an authoritative status in the industry.
Other people’s blogs
Connect with other bloggers and propose a written article that appeals to both your audiences. Examples of niche blogs with potential collaborations include health, fashion and consumer electronics.
Social media platforms
Facebook, the largest among online social platforms, is perfect for engaging your target audiences with photos, videos and textual content. Twitter is perfect for sending out short announcements and teasers, although the platform also supports videos and photos. Photo-focused Instagram is perfect to display aesthetic pictures of your products. Just remember though that these platforms have restrictions regarding promoting products that are closely similar to cigarettes or those that simulate tobacco smoking. So make sure to read the platforms’ policies for your vape shop social media marketing.
Video streaming/social sites
Youtube, TikTok and similar platforms are perfect for showcasing your products and demonstrating how they work. You can also showcase various cloud tricks or post a series of tutorials on how to do them.
Organic search results
Proper planning and implementation of search engine optimization on your website, social platforms and blogs will increase the online visibility of your brand when people search for vape products and related keywords online.
Paid online ads
This channel is quite tricky because for one, most platforms restrict the promotion of cigarettes, tobacco and other smoking products, which most likely include vape products. If your online or brick-and-mortar shop in Australia sells other things aside from vape items, however, you may want to focus on your store brand instead when using paid online ads. Let those who’ll click on your ads discover for themselves that you’re also selling vape products.
Online trade/industry magazines
You can submit your written articles on vape topics to these online channels to subtly promote your products and establish your authoritative status. These websites are relevant platforms to market your brand since they already target people who are vape enthusiasts, suppliers and vape distribution Australia companies.
Product review websites
There are niche review sites that focus on vape products, so try to contact them for a possible promotion on your items, too. This may involve sending the reviewers some free vape devices and/or juices to assess.
Other online marketing channels
Here are more online marketing channels you can consider for your online or brick-and-mortar shop in Australia:
- Online business directories for visibility on Google Maps
- Direct email marketing
- Smoking cessation online groups
- Collaboration with influencers
Final Words
There are many online channels you can use to promote your vape shop as evidenced in this list. But it doesn’t mean that you have to exhaust your resources on all of them. You shouldn’t, especially if you’re running a small vape business. There are many factors to consider to what extent you’ll use a marketing channel and these include:
- Where most of your target market can be found,
- At what point of the buying process your target customers are,
- Your budget and the actual promotional costs,
- And many others.
For more insightful tips on advertising vape products or to find wholesale solutions on vape supply in Australia, get in touch with us here at Vape HQ straight away.
