Happy 420! Do you know what just one successful cannabis sweepstakes can get you? To start with, it can help you tap into what your customers think about your brand. Even better, it can bring in lots of sales!

To help you get started, here is what you should know about creating and running a cannabis sweepstakes.

Why Should You Run a Cannabis Sweepstakes?

A cannabis sweepstakes can help you grow your audience and drive a host of actions that can help you achieve virtually any goal, especially sales. Running a cannabis sweepstakes with Sweeppea is a powerful method to promote your cannabis business for a few reasons:

• With Sweeppea, you can launch a sweepstakes to reach your cannabis audience, unlike social media platforms where cannabis sweepstakes are not allowed.
• Cannabis sweepstakes entry is fast and easy which increases participation.
• Any campaign which gives prizes away is sure to grab your customers’ attention. This makes a cannabis sweepstakes ideal for engaging your existing customers and generating brand awareness with new audiences.
• Sweepstakes will help you build a customer audience with data points like name, email, address, age and product preferences for remarketing.

Choose a Prize

When you run a cannabis sweepstakes, you can easily add multiple prizes to your campaign, which allows you to attract a larger pool of participants and to offer runner-up prizes.

Even if you only offer one prize for your sweepstakes, there are a few things you can’t give as prizes:

• Free cannabis flower
• Discounts and coupons for your store or brand
• Other cannabis products designed for consumption, such as edibles and topical products

However, when it comes to cannabis accessories, you are free to giveaway cannabis products as prizes, such as glassware, vaporizers, cannabis events, growing equipment, and branded merch.

Choose a Method of Entry

Cannabis sweepstakes are prohibited on social media. You’ll need to use a platform like Sweeppea to launch your campaign. As a result, the method of entry for your sweepstakes will likely be via SMS messaging (think text-to-win) or a web based Entry form.

Cannabis Sweepstakes Entry Requirements by State

When it comes to the entry requirements, these are the rules for U.S. cannabis sweepstakes:

Cannabis sweepstakes can be offered in recreational states long as:

Also Read: Running a Sweepstakes for Marijuana or Cannabis Marketing? Our Suggestions…

Cannabis sweepstakes can be offered in medicinal states long as:

• They are open only to residents of states (Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin) where cannabis is legal for medicinal consumption
• Entrants are 18+ years of age
• Entrants show proof of a Medicinal Cannabis License for the state where the sweepstakes is offered
• Do not give cannabis (in any form) as a prize

Promoting Your Cannabis Sweepstakes

One of the most important factors that will determine the success of your cannabis campaign is the promotion. With cannabis sweepstakes, promotion is a bit trickier since you won’t be able to use social media.

Instead, consider the following methods of promotion:

• Insert a post card or note about the sweepstakes with your customers deliveries
• Take advantage of word of mouth advertising among your customers
• Advertise the sweepstakes on your website (permitted as long as the site has an age gate)
• Email promotion to your existing customer list
• Partner with a sponsor for cross-promotion to their audience

Need help with sweepstakes or contest management? Call 305-505-5393 or email us with your questions.

The post How to Create a Cannabis Sweepstakes in Recreational and Medicinal States appeared first on Sweeppea Blog.

If you’re in the cannabis industry, you’ve probably considered a marijuana or cannabis sweepstakes to promote your brand. People love free stuff and giveaways can bring a ton of exposure for your brand.

If you want your sweepstakes to be successful, here are our suggestions for effective cannabis marketing:

1. Follow the Law

Although marijuana growers, distributors and dispensaries are part of a legal industry in some states, cannabis is still illegal at the federal level. See Wikipedia’s map of states where cannabis is legal, whether for all use (medical and recreational) or for medical use only.

With marijuana laws changing at a rapid pace, you have to be very aware of the local and state laws that pertain to marketing and advertising for any type of marijuana or cannabis-infused products. Another good resource is the Internet Advertising Bureau’s list of Marijuana Legalization and Advertising Restrictions in the United States.

In general, here are some of the rules that apply to marketing cannabis or marijuana:

• Make sure that your sweepstakes is only open to entrants age 21 or older, with proof of age.
• Any ads must have a disclaimer about the state’s legal age for marijuana products, if any.
• Similar to the tobacco and vaping industries, brands cannot use any type of marketing that can be construed as trying to appeal to children (characters, mascots, games, etc.)
• Don’t advertise your brand or giveaway in public (or private) places where children may be present, including billboards, buses/vehicles, television, and radio.
• Don’t use Facebook, Google, or any other advertising or marketing channel that specifically prohibits promotions involving illegal drugs, to promote your giveaway.
• Do not allow mail-in entries as this could be considered as interstate commerce.
• Purchases of any related products can’t be required for entry.
• Make sure that sweepstakes and contests are legal in your state and follow all applicable laws.
• Make sure the sweepstakes is only open to residents of states where cannabis is legal.

2. Select a Prize That Will Delight Your Customers

When it comes to selecting a prize for your sweepstakes, you should be aware of what the regulations are in your industry. For example, in Colorado, retail cannabis stores are not permitted to give away cannabis or any product containing cannabis, such as food or drinks.

However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t give away prizes related to you brand. Here are a few ideas to try:

• Experiences: Offer entrants a chance to win tickets to a cannabis event or a concert in your area.
• Accessories: Your customers will appreciate a chance to win the cannabis accessories they would have to otherwise buy, such as grinders, rolling papers or glassware.
• Growing Equipment: If your business is aimed at growers rather than consumers, you can give away growing equipment such as lighting, ventilation or harvesting tools.

If you have partnerships with other brands, reach out to them to request free products or services and have them help with the prize delivery.

3. Get Creative

Since you will be very limited in the ways in which you can promote your cannabis sweepstakes, you’ll need to get creative if you want to maximize the number of entrants. You can test your entrants knowledge by asking them to answer cannabis trivia. Another idea is to ask them to predict the next winner of the Cannabis Cup.

At the same time, make sure to ask entrants to share the sweepstakes with an eligible friend so that you can help raise awareness about your sweepstakes.

Need help with sweepstakes or contest management? Call 305-505-5393 or email us with your questions.

The post Running a Sweepstakes for Marijuana or Cannabis Marketing? Our Suggestions… appeared first on Sweeppea Blog.