3 Strategies For A Successful CBD Affiliate Program

Despite some aspects still under debate, cannabidiol (CBD) is getting harder and harder to deny in terms of alternative care.

As more people become aware of its health benefits, sales of CBD and CBD-infused products in the United States are expected to reach close to USD$2 billion by 2022.

A quick search online will generate an abundance of such products in the market. (1)

Relaxing legislation has significantly contributed to CBD’s popularity, with states either opening or consider opening up to cannabis in general.

Combined with recent studies favoring CBD, the situation has created an opportunity for the industry to market its products.

Leading the effort is the CBD affiliate program, having influencers and other prominent figures as endorsers.

With a booming market, anyone considering applying for CBD affiliate programs won’t find any shortage of opportunities.

Commissions can range between 10% and 55%, with several programs including free samples for review or discount coupons.

But for any program to indeed bear fruit, an aspiring affiliate should have the right strategy for doing so.

The Information Approach

A CBD marketing strategy can’t go wrong with using science-backed facts about the substance.

After all, most people still have no idea about the substance as a whole, if not clinging to out-of-date knowledge about cannabis.

Educating the public is one of, if not, the most common way to endorse such products.

Setting up a blog and writing about it is a good start. Whenever a blog post or article on CBD points to a potential health benefit, never forget to cite the peer-reviewed research suggesting it.

Affiliates can have these write-ups published on their site or with a third-party publisher. When paired with good SEO practices, the CBD articles will gain traction when searched.

Consider writing these articles in a way younger people will understand.

One survey of mentions of CBD and its associated benefits in social media found that most people are between 18 and 35 years old.

They’re not necessarily end users, but they can see the potential of CBD in the health scene and talk about it more. (2)

Niche-Specific Branding

While the mentioned strategy works well for a wide variety of consumers, some will prefer a brand that speaks to them personally.

Remember the age group vocally favoring CBD in social media just now? Another survey shows that US adults ages 25–44 use CBD products the most out of other age brackets. (3)

CBD businesses understand this, which is why their CBD and marijuana affiliate programs touch on aspects that match their chosen niche.

One company may focus on offering CBD vapes, while the other is more concerned with cannabis storage.

While their customer base isn’t as large, they’re more likely to stand out because there’s less competition in their niche. 

Affiliates signing up with niche-specific CBD businesses should also focus on the latter’s target audience.

Producing niche-specific content entails more research than usual. How will a product offer a solution to the consumer?

What makes this different from the rest of the competition? The more answers the content provides, the more appealing the CBD brand will appear.

Product Trials and Testing

Because of the potential health benefits it markets, the CBD industry usually relies on providing trials to let the products speak for themselves.

However, with the ongoing pandemic, this option is out of the question for some businesses for safety reasons.

It’s for this reason they reinvented product trial marketing by integrating it into their affiliate programs.

One success story employing this tactic found its sales skyrocketed by over 600% and opened 1,500 more stores from the previous year.

By tapping influencers and the advantage of word-of-mouth marketing, this company managed to maintain its industry standing.

It’s no surprise that some brands are offering free products in their respective affiliate programs. (4)

The freebies can also increase overall appreciation for the product, as that successful company stated.

Rather than outright telling viewers you’re being paid to do so, affiliates should express their gratitude for being allowed to try the product.

It helps establish a good reputation among both the affiliate and the brand in question. (4)

One key takeaway

These are just some of the ways affiliates can make the most out of a CBD affiliate program.

For all the perks and benefits they offer, affiliate marketing should steer clear of making unfounded health claims.

CBD should be marketed with words or phrases that won’t implicate it as a cure because its benefits still require further study. 

References

  1. “Total U.S. cannabidiol (CBD) product sales from 2014 to 2022”, Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/760498/total-us-cbd-sales/
  2. “Social Media Consumer Insights on Who the CBD Industry Should Be Targeting”, Source: https://www.synthesio.com/blog/social-media-consumer-insights-cbd/
  3. “What Do U.S. Consumers Think About CBD-infused Products?” Source: https://www.aaaa.org/u-s-consumers-think-about-cbd-infused-products/?cn-reloaded=1
  4. “How One CBD Brand Scaled From 0 To 1,500 Stores Using Influencer Marketing”, Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/garydrenik/2021/09/09/how-one-cbd-brand-scaled-from-0-to-1500-stores-using-influencer-marketing/?sh=9bc809178c89