Every e-commerce store is responsible for ensuring it does not sell or advertise CBD online or any other age-restricted products to minors. Age verification is crucial for every store, and while it may sound simple, most online stores do not have a system to prevent young consumers from buying them.
According to the law, any business selling age-restricted items must remember the steps to verify customers’ age. These steps help avoid breaking the law and defending in case one is broken.
Why Does Age Verification Matter for E-Commerce?
Any e-commerce store selling age-restricted products must verify its customers’ age to:
- Comply with the strict state and federal regulations
- Prevent additional restrictions on the industry
- Secure community and industry standards
- Protect its reputation
We think the problem with most businesses not employing the age verification system is that they are worried about frustrating and losing legitimate customers. So, they make a mistake; it is the mistake of not doing enough, which does not, in any way, keep minors at bay.
The perfect way to hit both targets in one shot is to implement a smooth online age verification system for restricted sales. However, since paid ads service or other promotional methods are prohibited for restricted products, how do you advertise them?
Market Restricted Products Online
Word-of-Mouth Advertising
The easiest way, undoubtedly, is word-of-mouth advertising. However, this technique depends heavily on friends recommending your products to their friends, which cannot bring you consistent or increasing sales. Word-of-mouth is a supplementary channel at best but not the primary solution.
SEO and Content Marketing
Both of them, search engine optimization and content marketing, are your way to promoting restricted products. You can ensure prospective customers see your products when they search the internet using keywords related to your products.
You can do this by making high-quality content with specific keywords, creating backlinks, and using anchor text to strengthen the effectiveness of the keywords.
SEO and content marketing may require a comprehensive and ongoing strategy to show their effects, but they are proven methods for boosting organic visibility and traffic.
Must Read: Pro Tips 101- Tackle The Cannabis Advertising Challenge
Influencer Marketing
Another crucial marketing technique for restricted products is to get someone popular to do your bidding. Team up with reputable social media influencers with a relevant audience to help build awareness and interest in your offerings.
But keep in mind that measuring the accurate impact influencer marketing has is challenging. However, with your options being limited, influencer marketing can still help you achieve positive outcomes.
Partnering with Blogging Sites
You can take another approach, which is to team up with comparison sites and blogging sites catering to your target audience. These are platforms that give recommendations or comparisons to boost your visibility.
Rent their email lists or sponsor them to unlock a bigger prospective audience group and boost your reach. It is especially effective for your business if it operates in niche markets with specialized blogs or comparison sites.
Podcast Advertising
Advertising products through podcasts can be a powerful way to reach your target audience. Identify podcasts relevant to your target demographic, which will help you sponsor episodes with the host offering your promo code or mentioning your brand.
The power of podcasts in promoting restricted products is unmatched. It is unlike influencer marketing because it provides a constant presence, boosting brand recognition and driving direct or indirect traffic to your site.
Podcasts have a massive loyal following, which makes it efficient in raising brand awareness among listeners actively engaged with the content.
What’s in Store for Restricted Product Advertisement in the Future?
The future seems better than today. So far, promoting restricted products online seems challenging. But there is a scope for relaxation in the future.
Regulations are evolving, which will ease the method of advertising specific products, like CBD. Also, it is not 100% confirmed, but the US may legalize cannabis within the coming year or two. If it happens, the restricted product advertising landscape will change dramatically.
Of course, some restrictions will still apply, but businesses will be able to better adapt their strategies to the changing environment, discovering innovative ways to reach the target audience.
You may seek assistance from a digital marketing agency in Los Angeles to open up the world of restricted advertising for you. Find different ways to bypass the existing laws and regulations to promote your brand and products without breaking the law.
Must Read: How to Use LinkedIn Advertising to Target B2B CBD & Cannabis Business?
