Operating a small smoke or vape shop business requires determination in braving the competition against bigger companies, which have large budgets for promoting and advertising their products. You don’t have to worry though, as here are some intelligent vape shop marketing tips that entrepreneurs can do in order to grow their small business without breaking the bank.
Effectively use social media platforms
A lot of people in Australia and New Zealand, even around the world, have social media accounts these days, so make use of these social platforms to promote your products and grow your vape shop even for free. Take note though that most of these platforms have strict policies about explicitly selling vaping devices and other products related to cigarettes or smoking, so you might want to read about them in detail. However, there are still ways to safely promote your products on social media.
- Post regular updates about the availability of your products or the special deals you’re offering
- Engage your audience by posting images of your products with captions asking questions that promote discussions e.g. which flavour brings back your childhood memories and why?
- Encourage people to follow your social media accounts and share your posts
Connect with bloggers and influencers
Bloggers/influencers especially those with a large fan base can promote your product and establish your brand image.
- Influencers who are already smokers or vapers can simply promote your products since they are already trusted personalities in the industry. They can also give honest reviews, demonstrate how to use your products or perform vapour cloud tricks for their audience.
- Comedy content creators can introduce your products, whether subtly or directly, in their comic skit.
- Travel, gadget and even fashion bloggers can discuss about your products on their websites.
Maintain a blog section on your website
Do not underestimate the importance of having a blog on your official website as one of your vape marketing practices. This is not just for search engine optimisation (SEO) purposes, but also an opportunity for you to build an authoritative image by regularly providing insightful and helpful vape-related articles that your audience can use or relate to.
Don’t forget to add the appropriate keywords into your content but avoid cramming all of them in one article. Perform (or hire a specialist to perform) keyword research to know the actual phrases related to your products that people use on search engines. This will also help you understand what stage of the buying process that your target market is currently in (e.g. getting basic information, comparing devices, and ready to buy) and will serve as your guide in planning the topics of your articles.
Optimise your product pages with appropriate images and descriptions
Just like making your blog articles as part of your marketing an online vape shop, your product pages (if you have your own ecommerce site) must each have unique, well-written text descriptions with appropriate keywords. Add product images for your shoppers’ convenience and if possible, write their “image alt text” codes for search engine robots to further correctly identify what each page is about.
Encourage people to join your email newsletter
Many may think that email marketing is becoming obsolete in this constantly evolving technological age. But according to a 2020 survey, 94% of the 2,000 marketers/respondents disclosed that email is in their top three most effective marketing channels. So, as part of your vape shop marketing strategies, encourage your target market and your current customers to share their email addresses so that they can receive your emailed updates about your products and specials. You can use email marketing to provide exclusive updates to your subscribers e.g. opportunity to be the first people to know of new or arriving stocks in your shop. You can also provide incentives for them such as providing discounts in exchange for their contact details.
Learn more about vape shop marketing by browsing through our blog. For vape shop supplies, you can count on us here at Vape HQ. We’re your trusted vape distributor partner in Australia and New Zealand.
