Creating a Content Library To Educate MSO Consumers
How CannaContent helped Ethos Cannabis build an educational resource that reaches thousands of patients and customers
The Client
Founded on the three core principles of expertise, empowerment, and experience, Ethos Cannabis dispensaries believe in educating patients so they can make informed decisions about cannabis. Ethos has locations in four states, three of which are medical-only at the time of writing.
Ethos partners with Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. Through this partnership, Ethos is an active participant in the future of cannabis medicine, helping clinicians and researchers understand more about the plant and its therapeutic potential. In this way, Ethos goes beyond educating patients and customers and contributes to the ever-growing body of research into medical cannabis and how it may fit into future clinical treatments.
The Goal
Ethos partnered with CannaContent to create a customer resource library on its website. This partnership, launched in spring 2020, aims to produce content that gives patients real, accurate, and honest information about cannabis. It was important for our client to cover all aspects, from the latest scientific insight to honest reporting on what we know about cannabis, what we don’t, and the ways cannabis affects patient and consumer lives.
The Process
CannaContent began the process by closely collaborating with Ethos’ Director of Marketing to refine his vision for an unparalleled education center on the Ethos website. He envisioned a thorough library that answered common and complicated questions alike. Topics as basic as “what is cannabis?” kicked off the writing process, offering newcomers to the plant a helpful introduction to the most essential facts. More advanced topics, such as guides that covered medical conditions approved for cannabis recommendations in many medical markets, offered deeper insights into the plant, its compounds, and how it works on body and mind.
With a roadmap in hand, we worked closely with Ethos to identify additional opportunities to dive into subjects that fit into each category. This gave us the framework to explore the most essential questions newcomers may have about cannabis, as well as the ability to dive deeper into what we know about specific compounds, systems, product types, and conditions for which cannabis may be helpful.
Read more about the process
Writing solely to satisfy search engine optimization (SEO) requirements was not Ethos’ goal. True to their brand, the company centered patient education first and foremost. However, CannaContent decided it was best to structure the content according to SEO best practices. The sheer amount of content involved presented a golden opportunity to increase the site’s visibility and reach — forethought that paid off in spades later on.
Over time, Ethos also recognized the need for original graphics to use in the educational content and for promotion on social media. The scope of CannaContent’s work expanded to include these graphics during the content development phase to further enhance the messaging and the reader experience.
During my time as Vice President of Marketing for Ethos Cannabis, CannaContent was an indispensable partner in developing a highly informative and robust library of educational material. Their work was critical in providing well-researched and clearly written articles to our patients and customers that gave them the knowledge they needed to make the best possible choices about how cannabis related to their health and wellness. That content library remains an exceptional resource that can help people make informed decisions about cannabis well into the future.
CannaContent was also a proactive strategic partner that regularly met with the Ethos marketing team to brainstorm and strategize new ways to educate our patients and customers while promoting Ethos’ brand as a reliable, trusted source of information on all things cannabis. They became an essential extension of our team and consistently added value each step of the way with their expert recommendations and insight.
Mike Bibbey,
Former Vice President of Marketing, Ethos Cannabis
The Strategy
1.
Collaborate closely with Ethos for marketing and compliance
Over time, the Ethos Learn library became a hub for marketing efforts across the organization. This played out in two major ways:
- To leverage the content for use in social media marketing, email marketing, and in-store campaigns
- To create content for the purpose of supporting educational campaigns whose primary channels were outside the blog
To ensure the content was aligning with a fast-paced marketplace (and a marketing strategy to match), CannaContent met weekly with Ethos to discuss strategy and what campaigns were upcoming. As the library of content grew, it became increasingly important to consider the differing regulatory frameworks in each state where Ethos operated dispensaries. CannaContent developed and adhered to style guides based on the compliance requirements of each state, creating different versions of each piece of content that would pass muster in states with stricter regulations.
2.
Provide honest, verifiable information
When creating content for Ethos, CannaContent was clear and honest about the potential of cannabis and the state of current research. Rather than make lofty claims in a bid to sell more products, CannaContent developed an archive of reliable information grounded in science and fact. The result was to position Ethos as a trusted partner in a patient’s or consumer’s cannabis journey, helping them to find the precisely right product for their needs rather than simply trying to make sales.
This approach was in line with the Ethos team’s dedication to providing patients and customers with as much available information as possible to help them make the best decision for their needs. If that meant being honest about the limitations of research or whether certain claims about cannabis were false, then that information was provided.
3.
Involve dispensary staff in the process
Talking to the folks on the ground who have direct lines of communication with customers opened up a world of opportunities for content. Through regular conversations, both in person and on Zoom calls, CannaContent identified patients’ burning questions and turned them into well-researched content that reflected what customers actually wanted to learn.
Over time, CannaContent built a rapport with staff through interviews and wider discussions. Many of these conversations formed the basis of several marketing campaigns for Ethos, including content focused on LGBTQIA+ staff, veterans, and team members sharing their personal connections to the plant.
4.
Monitor what’s new in cannabis
CannaContent needed to ensure the content library reflected what patients saw in stores and what they would see online. As new product categories developed and became more commonplace on dispensary menus, the team ensured those products had a presence on the blog. Articles about products like moonrocks, beverages, sugar, and more made their way into the library, each with carefully crafted messaging to explain to patients how this product could help them feel better.
5.
Center health, wellness, and education
CannaContent kept Ethos’ philosophy of helping patients and consumers feel better top of mind throughout all stages of content development. How can what we’re writing help people feel better? Thanks to Ethos’ partnership with Thomas Jefferson University, CannaContent had access to cutting edge research and some leading academics in the space to assist in topic development and quality assurance.
With their medical and cannabis experts at hand, the CannaContent team obtained unique insight into tried-and-true uses for medical cannabis, emerging science, and the university’s own research, in partnership with Ethos, into how cannabis could make countless lives better. That insight and support imbued each piece of content with a genuine sense that educating people about the potential relief of their symptoms and improvement of their quality of life was the top priority.
6.
Create strong content that paid off for SEO and marketing
Even though SEO was not the main reason for developing the education center, the groundwork CannaContent laid paid off in spades. More than 1,200 keywords directly attributed to blogs appeared on Page 1, and more than 20% of total web traffic came from the highest-performing blogs. Ethos also benefited from multiple appearances in the top spot for multiple relevant keywords, as well as appearances in search engine features like Featured Snippet.
The content also formed the basis for marketing initiatives outside of the digital realm. Our content informed in-store signage and displays, educating patients and customers wherever they turned.
The Results
Ethos has published more than 120 articles created by CannaContent, offering patients and adult-use consumers in four states a comprehensive educational resource that can help them learn more about cannabis and how it might improve their lives.
articles published
%
of web traffic from blogs
Page 1 keywords from blog
*Data sources: Google Analytics 4; AHREFS. Data measured from 3/1/22 to 3/1/23.
Educate consumers with CannaContent
Consumer education is the heart of cannabis marketing. A knowledgeable customer is one who knows they can trust you to share honest, actionable information with their best interests in mind. And in the case of Ethos, this content is the gift that keeps on giving, a living library that supports ongoing marketing efforts throughout the company.
Build trust with your customers. Contact CannaContent to explore how an education-based marketing strategy can grow your dispensary.