Although vaping devices and products haven’t even been on the market that long, the industry is thriving and demand continues to grow. The latter factor makes it both an attractive niche for those thinking about starting their own online business. Thus, it is essential to make your vape shop stand out from competitors and market your products competitively.
Apart from the restrictions regarding the promotion of vaping products that vary from one country to another, a lack of possibility to use Facebook and Google ads is the stumbling block for all vape shops. Therefore, it is essential to find alternative marketing strategies to promote your products successfully.
Below, you will find a list of some of the most effective marketing channels to promote your vape shop online, along with the information on how to use them properly. Read on and make your vaping business thrive!
Organic Search
Since you are not allowed to pay for advertising on Google and Facebook, one of the first things to do is focus on optimising your online vape shop for organic searches. One of the most beneficial ways to rank in Google search results successfully is to use proper keywords.
You may use conventional keywords, such as “vaping”, “e-cigarettes”, or “vape juice”, and others. However, consider targeting more descriptive keywords like “online vape shop in [your area]” or adding brand names to product categories like “blu e-liquids” to cover more narrow queries as well.
However, it is crucial to not go into keyword stuffing with categories or duplicating them, as it will negatively impact user experience and make your website look unprofessional.
Facebook Company Page
Although you cannot use Facebook for paid advertising, you can still legally create a company page on the platform and use it to establish effective communication with your customers. Use this channel for involving your target audience in the company’s development, launching new products and announcing sales, promotions, and giveaways.
It is also a perfect place to share more information about your products. However, ensure that the content you create for your company page (website, newsletters, etc.) is relevant, valuable, and engaging. This will allow you to increase your brand’s credibility and build trustworthy relationships with your customers.
Online Communities for Vapers
Apart from your company page on Facebook, do not hesitate to look for Facebook groups devoted to vaping subculture. Another place to get closer to an online vaping community is Reddit – make sure to search for active subreddits with the ongoing discussions about gear, liquids, flavours, etc. It is one of the easiest yet rewarding ways to reach out to your target audience.
Moreover, you can find communities that allow submitting promotional posts and market your vape shop openly or organising giveaways among group members. Besides, do not waste the opportunity to study the discussions about vaping products from your offer. It will allow you to better understand your prospects’ preferences and needs and their consumer behaviour.
YouTube Reviewers
There are two options to use YouTube to market your vape shop online – you can either create a channel for your shop and post your original content, or you can collaborate with passionate reviewers of vaping products.
As for the latter, you can easily find channels with over 300,000 subscribers or more and send them some of the best products from your shop’s offer for a test. Sometimes they may also ask for a unique promo code for their subscribers or an affiliate link, which may help attract more customers to your online shop.
If you decide on sticking with your own content, make sure that it is original, informative, and addresses most of the possible questions from beginners and experienced vapers alike. Thus, it is essential to cover as many topics as possible – from reviews on e-liquids to guides on choosing vape gear.
Email Marketing
To date, email marketing is one of the most beneficial channels to maintain relationships with customers. Apart from sending a promotional message, this marketing strategy allows you to increase brand awareness and build customer loyalty, making it even a more rewarding way to reach out to your customers.
Besides, email marketing has many types of applications – from welcoming letters and engaging newsletters to brand stories and personalised offers. Make sure to choose them according to your business goals, but try not to overdo it by sending them too frequently to avoid annoying your customers.
However, in order to use email marketing, you need to get your customers’ email addresses first. For example, you can do this by offering unique discounts or other benefits to members in exchange for their email addresses.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, there are many effective ways that can help promote your vape shop online, and the great news is that there are even more of them! After applying all of the marketing strategies mentioned above, you can also consider using affiliate marketing, contributing to industry magazines or presenting your products at industry events. Choose what will suit your business needs and implement it accordingly.
However, you should never forget that building long-lasting relationships with your customers requires sticking to high-quality products backed by high-quality content. Make sure you apply this approach to any marketing channel and make your business grow!
