The Difficulties of Marketing Vice Products | Charles McElroy | Goldleaf
Honest Ecommerce · with Charles McElroy · February 14, 2022 · 38 min
Summary
This episode offers a candid look into the unique challenges and strategies for marketing "vice" products, specifically within the cannabis industry. Charles McElroy, founder of Goldleaf, shares his journey of building a successful brand by focusing on education, design, and navigating restrictive advertising environments. It provides valuable lessons on niche market penetration, the importance of SEO, and leveraging authentic brand storytelling when traditional marketing channels are limited.
Key takeaways
Focus on strong branding and educational content when marketing restricted products to build trust and normalize the product's perception.
Master SEO and organic growth strategies, as paid acquisition channels are often inaccessible or highly restricted for "vice" products.
Integrate your ecommerce platform with third-party apps for enhanced functionalities like customer support and email marketing, but also understand the capabilities for native customizations.
Embrace niche markets; you don't need to reinvent the wheel with a completely new product if you can differentiate through specialized subject matter and design.
Gain experience in the ecommerce or entrepreneurial space, even if it's not your ultimate passion, to build foundational knowledge in product development, supply chain, and operations.
On this podcast, we talk about why gaining experience through employment before starting a business is a good idea, Goldleaf’s SEO strategies, the importance of organic and owned channels for vice products, and so much more!
Focus on strong branding and educational content when marketing restricted products to build trust and normalize the product's perception.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Master SEO and organic growth strategies, as paid acquisition channels are often inaccessible or highly restricted for "vice" products.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Integrate your ecommerce platform with third-party apps for enhanced functionalities like customer support and email marketing, but also understand the capabilities for native customizations.
What does this episode say about shopify & ecommerce platforms?
Embrace niche markets; you don't need to reinvent the wheel with a completely new product if you can differentiate through specialized subject matter and design.
What does this episode say about organic & seo?
Gain experience in the ecommerce or entrepreneurial space, even if it's not your ultimate passion, to build foundational knowledge in product development, supply chain, and operations.
