How to market cannabis on Instagram

While public attitudes towards cannabis are becoming more acceptable, marketing cannabis online and on Instagram is no picnic. When it comes to posting cannabis on social media, federal laws plague business owners with strict regulations. But fear not, there are several ways to bypass these limitations and increase your brand’s visibility.

Let’s take a look at the do’s and don’ts of marketing cannabis on one of the most popular social media platforms, Instagram.

Marketing cannabis on Instagram

The primary goal of marketing on Instagram should be to build consumer trust rather than direct sales. Modern consumers are intelligent and aware. They know their options and don’t need to be reminded that you’re selling a product. With competition from other marijuana companies galore, you’re trying to convince potential customers that your brand is superior. Show us why your product deserves the choice.

And that’s not all. Instagram (along with Facebook) is notorious for tightening strict regulations against the use and sale of cannabis. It only takes one unfortunate post to get your account banned. While that doesn’t mean you should avoid promotional content, it does mean that paid ads are off the table if you want to play it safe.

DOS:

• Curate a custom aesthetic tweak to match your brand
• Post 3-4x a week during peak hours
• Focus on educational content and infographics to demonstrate your company’s in-depth knowledge of your product
• Avoid using images of cannabis sale graphics to remain undetected by Instagram moderation
• Use a variety of different hashtags with each post
• Display behind-the-scenes content to build brand integrity

Forbidden:

• Use filters extensively – viewers are drawn to a clean and simple aesthetic
• Post daily – your followers will perceive it as spam and Instagram may categorize your account as a bot
• Use the same hashtag pool for each post – Instagram moderation will consider this spam. Your account may be flagged as a bot or shadow banned
• Use paid ads – this is the fastest way to get your account banned
• Show explicit images of cannabis use in promotional content (a violation of Instagram’s Community Guidelines)

What about influencers?

Although an influencer can increase your following, you need to consider whether you’re working with the right one. Check out their followers and ask who their main demographics are? If the majority of your followers are other cannabis companies, you won’t get the most out of your business.

building a voice

Here comes the most frequently asked question on Instagram: What is your engagement rate?

But skip the stats on your insight page, because counting likes and comments can tell you the numbers, but it won’t tell you who’s in those numbers. If the majority of your likes and comments are from other cannabis companies, you’re dealing with a tired marketing intern spamming emojis behind a screen to meet his daily quota. That’s not really connected to an authentic audience.

Instead of going through the motions and completing the monotonous cycle of like after like, comment after comment, episode after episode, try something different. Give your company a voice. Think Wendy’s or Duolingo. They’ve created a following out of their customers by using tongue-in-cheek jokes that are unabashedly self-aware. Of course, that doesn’t mean that biting humor should define your brand.

If your business leans more towards the classic stoner, the spiritual naturalist, or even the Rastafari, then use this image to shape your voice. Go to the account of a popular personality in your niche and leave an eye-catching comment that embodies a distinct personality. This invites real potential consumers instead of your competitors.