The Top 5 CBD Marketing Agencies for Cannabis Companies

Melanie Balke
|
September 12, 2022

What do you get when you have a massive industry with confusing, complicated, and inconsistent regulations?

You get the cannabis industry.

That’s not really a joke, it’s just a fact. Digital marketing is hard enough, but trying to promote your CBD business can be a real nightmare. Thanks to the mismatched laws surrounding CBD, THC, and cannabis, most social media advertising platforms refuse to support CBD brands. Likewise, many major pay-per-click services will automatically reject ads that mention the cannabis industry.

A photo of a Los Angeles beach with overlaid header text: “The Top 5 CBD Marketing Agencies for Cannabis Companies.”

If you want to get ahead in his highly competitive market, then you absolutely must find a solid marketing partner. You need a marketing agency with experience and expertise regarding the many complexities of CBD marketing, including:

  • The best marketing channels for your CBD products
  • Cannabis branding
  • Determining the best language to use to reach new customers
  • Establishing credibility
  • Fitting into the CBD industry
  • Harnessing the power of influencer marketing
  • Legal problems and solutions
  • Maintaining engagement
  • Search engine optimization
  • Social media management for CBD products

That’s a lot to handle. Fortunately, no cannabis brand has to do it alone. There are plenty of digital marketing agencies out there, and all of them are ready to help you reach both your short term and lifetime growth goals.

If you’re one of the many cannabis businesses looking for a way to boost your profits and find better leads, then keep scrolling to learn more!

5. Bigeye: Insights and Digital Marketing for the Cannabis Industry

First on my list of amazing cannabis marketing agencies is Bigeye. This Orlando, Florida powerhouse was founded in 2002, and it has plenty of experience in multiple industries.

A photo of the Los Angeles skyline with overlaid header text: “#5 Bigeye.”

Bigeye at a Glance

Bigeye is a full-service digital marketing agency, which means that it provides a wide range of services. In addition to CBD cannabis, Bigeye has supported marketing efforts for beauty, food, and real estate brands.

Bigeye provides all the digital marketing services a company needs to succeed and drive traffic to its site, including:

  • CBD hemp branding
  • Facebook and Google ads
  • Influencer marketing
  • Search engine optimization
  • Social media management
  • Social media marketing services

This agency is slightly more expensive than the national average. Any cannabis brand hoping to partner with Bigeye should expect to pay $150–$250 per hour.

The Pros and Cons

While it may be more expensive, Bigeye has plenty of satisfied reviews and overjoyed customers. Many have taken note of the agency’s ability to reliably drive traffic to a website and boost branding cohesion.

Some of Bigeye’s past clients include:

  • Scientia Pet, which commissioned multimedia marketing campaigns that generated $62,604.79 in total revenue
  • The National Mango Association, which experienced a 23% increase in audience engagement after hiring Bigeye for branding and web design

However, as I’ve mentioned, Bigeye is most expensive than many other marketing services. Because its scope goes beyond cannabis companies, Bigeye may also be prone to marketing errors. While this may be acceptable for other brands, even a small slip can be disastrous when you’re dealing with a cannabis business.

4. Forge: More Than Just a CBD Marketing Agency

Headquartered in Naperville, Illinois, Forge Digital Marketing is a great full-service agency for cannabis brands. In addition to its many cannabis branding and marketing services, Forge also offers plenty of customer support, creative support, and website optimization.

A photo of a farm in Iowa with a header text, which reads, “#4 Forge Digital Marketing.”

Forge Digital Marketing at a Glance

Like Bigeye, Forge has experience serving multiple industries. Its team is capable of handling anything, and reviewers love the agency’s ability to amplify site traffic.

As a full-service cannabis marketing agency, Forge offers services for advertising, branding, and SEO, including:

  • Creative support (e.g. photography, product launch promos, video creation, and so on)
  • Digital strategies and consultations
  • Google, Facebook, and social media advertising
  • Graphic and web design
  • Insights on consumers
  • On-page SEO

Uniquely, Forge Digital Marketing offers potential clients an à la carte style pricing plan. Every service has a flat $100 per hour fee.

The Pros and Cons

Previous clients rave about Forge’s SEO abilities. Its brand design services have been highly praised, and the agency has been the recipient of multiple advertising awards. Both Klaviyo and Shopify are professional business partners of Forge.

This does not negate the relatively high price of its à la carte menu, which has the potential to skyrocket advertising costs. This same business model also leaves room for mistakes, which may result in legal problems.

3. Icarus Digital Marketing: Global Impact for Cannabis Brands

Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Icarus is one of the cannabis industry’s best globally recognized marketing firms. This full-service agency has the ability and expertise needed to offer any CBD business whatever service it needs.

Icarus Digital Marketing at a Glance

If you’re not quite sure what digital marketing services you’ll need to make your cannabis business thrive, then Icarus is a good match for you. This marketing agency can handle anything — from content creation and CBD brand building to email marketing and organic traffic growth.

Prices vary wildly, and your cost will depend on what kind of cannabis marketing you’ll need. Some of the services available through Icarus are:

  • Branding designs
  • Content marketing
  • Creative support
  • Customized advertising campaigns
  • Digital photography for cannabis products
  • Ecommerce management for CBD hemp, CBD oil, and more
  • Influencer marketing
  • On-page analytics and optimization
  • Pay-per-click advertising on sites such as Facebook and Google
  • SEO and SEO audits
  • Strategic support and guidance
  • Website design and optimization

Unlike other entries on this list, Icarus only works with cannabis businesses. Its team helps these brands establish credibility within the CBD industry and provides personal support to its clients.

The Pros and Cons

Few brands have as much experience and creative insight as Icarus. Its team has the ability to boost sales, drive traffic, and dramatically improve any site. Some of its past campaigns include:

  • American Shaman, which raked in $52,269.24 in revenue from a $10,012 SEO campaign
  • Daniel Wellington, whose Instagram account was able to garner 4.2 million followers thanks to Icarus’ network of CBD influencers

There will always be downsides, though, and one of the key drawbacks to this CBD marketing agency is its price. While the website boasts plenty of examples of success, it does not provide information about its pricing.

Moreover, because Icarus is an international cannabis marketing agency, clients will frequently experience delays due to time zone differences. CBD, hemp, and cannabis brands in the United States will have difficulty consistently contacting this company thanks to the sizeable time difference.

2. PufCreativ: Comprehensive Marketing for Your Cannabis Products

For cannabis marketing that’s a bit closer to home, United Stated CBD businesses can check out PufCreativ. This agency only handles cannabis marketing, which means that its campaigns will always be amazing.

A photo of some CBD hemp leaves with overlaid text, reading, “#2: PufCreativ.”

PufCreativ at a Glance

At its core, this CBD, hemp, THC, and medical marijuana agency specializes in a little bit of everything. Its team of creative minds can create digital assets for any site, and its on-page SEO services are lauded for their efficacy.

PufCreativ has a massive menu of marketing services, including:

  • Blog creation, writing, and SEO
  • Brand awareness campaigns
  • Branding services
  • Educational cannabis and CBD content marketing
  • Influencer marketing
  • Package design
  • Pay-per-click and on-page advertising
  • SEO
  • Social media management and advertising
  • Target audience analytics
  • Website design and maintenance

While these services may present plenty of strategies to work with, it’s worth knowing that PufCreative has a minimum investment. Any hemp business hoping to work with PufCreativ will have to spend at least $1,000, and the company charges $175 per hour.

The Pros and Cons

PufCreativ’s massive and readily available pool of influencers is a tantalizing prospect. Its social media advertising is the modern version of eye-catching billboards, and its clients have plenty of positive things to say about the business.

All of this should be weighed against the cost of this cannabis marketing agency, which is considerably higher than the national average.

The company offers plenty of services, but the majority of its reviews pinpoint its creative vision as its strong point. There’s certainly nothing wrong with PufCreativ’s SEO and digital marketing teams, but any CBD businesses considering this option should know that website design and branding are where PufCreativ really shinesshine.

1. The Email Marketers: One of the Best Cannabis Marketing Agencies

So, what’s at the top of our list?

My pick for the best cannabis marketing firm is The Email Marketers. This company is made of the best marketing experts I could find, and that amazing team is available for any CBD business that’s willing to give us a try.

A photo of someone surfing with overlaid header text, which reads, “#1: The Email Marketers.”

The Email Marketers at a Glance

At the Email Marketers, everything is about emails. We only work with emails, so you’ll get the best service at the most affordable price.

All you’ll get from us is fantastic email marketing services. You’ll get intensely focused email campaigns that blow your competition out of the water and rope your target audience into one funnel after the other.

At The Email Marketers, the team is dedicated to making every brand succeed. This agency has the expertise you need to launch your brand to success!

The Pros and Cons

The Email Marketers have been behind plenty of success stories, and its email marketing campaigns have powered brands such as:

  • Llama Naturals, which has enjoyed an 835% growth in email-driven revenue
  • Nerd, which has had a 43% list growth rate since teaming up with The Email Marketers
  • White Leaf, whose email marketing has increased customer lifetime value by 300%

Nonetheless, some brands may find the lack of options problematic. If you’re searching for on-page SEO and website design, then you won’t find it at The Email Marketers. However, you’ll find few channels as open as email marketing, which is one of the best frictionless channels for CBD marketing.

However, if you’re in the market for emails that customers remember and love, then it’s time to get in touch with The Email Marketers. You can also browse the rest of my blog to find plenty of tips and tricks on improving your sales and boosting your brand’s email marketing skills.