Google Advertising

At LIT Agency, we have experienced Google AdWords Consultants. Whether you run an established online shopping business that needs professional expertise to increase the return on your AdWords spend.
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Getting Started with Dispensary Advertising

Despite the fact that cannabis is becoming legal in more and more places across the globe, it is still viewed in a negative light by many, making it very difficult to advertise in several of the places where advertising would benefit you the most.

So, the bad news is that advertising can seem almost impossible at times, and it is unfortunately not getting any easier just yet. In fact, it seems to be getting somewhat more difficult to make use of Google AdWords, with more words than ever being flagged. This includes shorthand such as “canna,” but also other words such as cannabidiol and cannabinoid. Even references to CBD oil are now being flagged.

There is some good news, however. Even though it is rather difficult, it is not impossible to use Google AdWords to run your ads if you are smart, patient, and creative. It will require thorough knowledge of what actions and words you can use to help sell your business while avoiding having your ad disapproved, and for that assistance that you should turn to an expert with experience advertising cannabis.  

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All it takes is for your ads to be disapproved one time, and then you will be marked for manual review, which may or may not work to your favour.

For ecommerce, you are going to want to avoid words like cannabis, canna, pot, or anything similar, especially in your name. As an alternative, you may wish to try terms such as alternative medicine, or alternative therapies. Essentially, the more creative you can be without going overboard, the better.

Keep in mind, however, that it’s quite possible that with Google AdWords, getting flagged and disapproved may simply be a matter of when and not if. Even if you are initially approved, you may find that it’s only a matter of time until they take action. It probably won’t take long for the words that are currently safe to make their way onto the list of forbidden words.

Still, if your ad is approved, then while the ad is up and running, you can make the most of it and maximize your reach for as long as you possibly can. The only thing to be aware of is that if your ads are banned enough times, Google may choose to ban your URL or domain completely. To avoid this, a wise choice is to create a landing page and have your ads point there instead of to your main site.
Google Ads

If Google disapproves one of your ads

You have the option of requesting a review, though this is not something to take lightly. If your ad was originally turned down, you have Google’s algorithm to blame. Having your ad reviewed means it will go before Google’s Policy Team. Having real people weigh in on the matter may prove helpful to you, but it may bring with it new, unexpected problems. The first potential problem is that these review teams may not even be located in your country. Accordingly, they may not be up to date on all the relevant laws that apply to your particular case. Worst of all, having someone review your ad might also lead to them disapproving ads that had previously been approved. Further, there is also the unfortunate possibility that you may end up being reviewed by someone whose personal views toward cannabis will influence their decision making. Google’s policy has not really kept up to date with the changes in the law, so there is always the hope that they will one day adjust their policies, but that may not happen any time in the near future. Thus, your best bet remains a sensible, cautious approach to using AdWords, avoiding all the triggers that might cause your ad to be turned down.
At LIT Agency, we are also specialists in optimizing for the Google Display Network. The Display, Shopping, & Video Networks, when done right, can get you thousands of impressions and build brand awareness with your target market like nothing else Done poorly, it can be a money pit sending your marketing dollars to spammy website owners. 
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