Are Expensive Listing Sites Worth It For Dispensaries?

If you’re a marijuana retailer, odds are you have been eyeing investments in some of the major dispensary listing sites for the industry. These websites allow dispensaries to literally put themselves on the map, establishing a “home base” online with detailed menus that can be browsed by consumers in the area – even on mobile devices.

It’s true that these listing databases get feet in the door of your dispensary. But at what cost? 

We’re diving into the world of high-priced listing services for dispensaries to help you determine what the ROI will be for your particular business. 

Worth the Hassle

If you’re wondering whether or not you should even spend time on these listing sites, the answer is yes. At the bare minimum you must have a basic-level listing on at least one of the major databases (Weedmaps or Leafly). This listing may cost you upwards of a few hundred dollars per month, which is a small price to pay for being exposed to thousands of locals per week. Otherwise, there are many smaller and more local listing sites, frequented by different demographics, that you might be able to try out for a cheaper price.

The real question, in this case, is how much business owners should invest in promotion on these channels based on the customer demographics they want to reach. 

Featured Listings

Want to be the top dispensary on your block? You’ll likely have to fork over some cash to the listing databases. The highest price for a featured listing is in the several thousand dollars.

How do you decide if it’s worth it to pay up? Ask your customers or patients how they heard about you on their member intake form. If you don’t seem to get a lot of referrals from your listings, and you need more foot traffic, it might be time to try it out. Or, if you notice that a certain competitor in your area is running promotions, it may be wise to try and outbid them for the popular spot on the local map. 

Other Perks

When choosing a listing service, make sure to consider all the benefits that the site has to offer, apart from the listing. Think of it this way – Leafly is home to one of the biggest educational cannabis blogs on the web. Some of their featured listing promotional packages may include some branded editorial content on the blog. That makes it a better buy than just a featured listing, because you are getting more long-term concrete value from the transaction. The blog post can be viewed and shared many times over on social media, even after your promotional campaign has ended. 

---

Looking to grow your dispensary’s marketing strategy past the confines of a map or listing? Social Media Unicorn can help. We’ll guide your budget and your social media marketing to optimize how your listings work for you.