How to Use Audio Advertising for Cannabis Businesses

Learn how an audio campaign can elevate your brand

Cannabis businesses have to navigate a uniquely challenging marketing landscape. Even though legalization gains traction across the US, businesses still face advertising restrictions across many digital platforms, including giants like Google, Facebook, and Instagram.

This creates significant hurdles for building brand awareness and customer acquisition in a competitive market. Audio advertising, however, can help businesses clear those hurdles. Audio advertising is a surprisingly accessible alternative that many cannabis marketers overlook — but you shouldn’t. 

Unlike visual channels with strict content moderation, audio platforms offer more flexible policies while delivering impressive engagement rates and targeting capabilities. AudioGO is a particularly valuable solution in this space, designed specifically to make audio advertising accessible for businesses with any budget size. Its self-service platform can help cannabis brands to create professional campaigns with nominal spend requirements and without long-term commitments — giving these businesses and their ad agencies a much-needed voice in a landscape where their messages are often silenced.

Let’s take a closer look at the case for digital audio advertising for cannabis businesses.

Why Audio Advertising Works for Cannabis Brands

The numbers tell a compelling story about audio’s potential for cannabis marketers. According to recent research, among podcast listeners, almost half (46%) learned about a new brand of product through a podcast and an additional 23% made a purchase because of a podcast ad or sponsorship.

Not to mention — streaming audio services reach approximately 73% of adults aged 21-54 — the core demographic for cannabis consumers.

Beyond raw numbers, audio creates uniquely intimate connections with audiences. Unlike visual advertising that competes for attention in crowded feeds, audio speaks directly to listeners, often when they’re alone, whether that’s during commutes, workouts, relaxation time or chore time. This creates a one-to-one relationship between brand and consumer that few other media can achieve.

What to Expect from Audio Advertising for Your Cannabis Business

What’s all the hype about, anyway?

Broader Reach in a Restricted Market

While cannabis businesses have trouble finding a place in mainstream advertising channels, audio platforms provide more flexible content policies. Through streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and thousands of podcasts, cannabis companies can reach millions of potential customers during their daily routines.

This ambient presence is particularly valuable. Messages about your dispensary and product reach consumers while they’re commuting, exercising, working, or relaxing at home. These moments often coincide with times when consumers might be contemplating ways to enrich their lives and routines, creating contextual relevance that enhances message reception.

A Cost-effective Entry Point

For small dispensaries and cannabis startups operating with limited marketing budgets, audio advertising offers an accessible entry point. Platforms like AudioGO allow campaigns to launch with as little as $250, making professional audio advertising feasible even for the smallest boutiques.

This accessibility starkly contrasts to other cannabis marketing options. Print advertisements in cannabis publications, digital display ads on cannabis-friendly websites, and billboard advertising, another common cannabis marketing tactic, can cost thousands of dollars. Smaller budgets simply need a better alternative.

Hyper-targeted Campaigns

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of modern audio advertising is the sophisticated targeting capabilities available to cannabis marketers. Geographic targeting lets dispensaries focus exclusively on listeners within specific Zip Codes or regions around store locations — critical for driving foot traffic to physical locations and avoiding wasted impressions in areas where you don’t operate.

Interest-based targeting helps cannabis brands to reach listeners with demonstrated interests in related categories that correlate with cannabis culture, like natural wellness, alternative medicine, organic products, and specific music genres. This contextual relevance can significantly improve campaign performance by making sure messages reach consumers who might be more likely to partake in cannabis products. AudioGO provides over 221 different listener “behavioral” segments and interests to choose from.

Age demographic targeting provides another essential layer, allowing cannabis businesses to ensure their advertising reaches only adults of legal consumption age — a critical compliance consideration in the cannabis industry.

Brand Building Through Powerful Voice

Audio offers unique brand-building opportunities through the powerful medium of voice. The human voice creates emotional connections impossible to achieve through text alone, allowing cannabis brands to convey warmth, expertise, trustworthiness, and authenticity.

Sound design elements like music and ambient effects can further establish distinct brand identities that become recognizable to consumers. This sonic branding creates memorable moments that help your cannabis business stand out in a crowded market.

Audio ads also provide valuable space for education — addressing common questions, explaining product benefits, or highlighting your unique approach to cannabis. An educational component is particularly valuable in an industry where consumer knowledge varies tremendously and misconceptions abound.

Practical Implementation Tips

If you’re a cannabis business that’s new to audio advertising, here are several tricks of the trade you might want to consider:

1. Educational spots. Position your brand as a helpful authority while avoiding direct product promotion. These ads might address topics like the endocannabinoid system, differences between consumption methods, or wellness applications.
2. Dispensary-focused ads. Highlight unique aspects of your shopping experience, knowledgeable staff, or exclusive product offerings. These work particularly well with tight geographic targeting around your locations.
3. Brand story narratives. Share your company’s mission, values, and quality standards. These build emotional connections without focusing explicitly on products.
4. Community-oriented messages. Emphasize local roots and community involvement, helping position your cannabis business as a friendly neighbor.

When crafting cannabis audio ads, you have to be careful with compliance. Focus on educational content, avoid making medical claims, and emphasize responsible consumption. Most importantly, make sure your ads don’t specifically appeal to minors — avoiding youth-oriented music, slang, or references.

Grow Your Audience, Grow Your Brand

Advertising your cannabis brand is easier than ever with AudioGO. With as little as $250, you can create a free account in a couple of minutes, self-launch your campaigns, and start reaching new customers. Find out just how an audio campaign can elevate your brand and make the most out of your ad spend today with AudioGO.