Social Media Tricks For Cannabis Companies

You can build brand recognition, connect with your target audience, and market your marijuana retail business with social media, a powerful, affordable tool. When using social media marketing for cannabis, especially on Facebook, the best advice is to write informative content about your products (or services).

Using social media for cannabis, especially on Facebook, is best if you write informative content.
Using social media for cannabis, especially on Facebook, is best if you write informative content.

In contrast to traditional marketing methods, cannabis content marketing focuses on informing your target audience about the cannabis industry rather than promoting your company. Through the power of words, cannabis content marketing is another pillar of digital marketing designed to raise brand awareness. Programmatic advertising is an excellent option for cannabis and CBD brands seeking to leverage the power of digital marketing.

The benefits of creating custom content and working with a publisher are numerous for cannabis and CBD brands. For example, suppose you are looking to place native ads on marijuana-friendly sites. In that case, custom content agencies can help you create and deploy them.

Your brand can safely use marketing channels by mainstream brands as long as you follow the strict regulations in the cannabis and CBD industries.
Your brand can safely use marketing channels by mainstream brands as long as you follow the strict regulations in the cannabis and CBD industries.

When you hire a marijuana-specific marketing agency, you will minimize the chance of being tagged or banned by social media. Additionally, traditional and digital media advertising for marijuana is restricted. In addition, your brand can safely use marketing channels by mainstream brands as long as you follow the strict regulations in the cannabis and CBD industries.

There are usually social media marketing restrictions for cannabis businesses in addition to state and federal laws. You must be familiar with all of these regulations and guidelines before you begin managing your cannabis store’s social media account. In addition, various states and provinces throughout North America have rules on how cannabis products are advertised and promoted online. To legitimately market your cannabis products, you must follow the guidelines established by your state.

There are usually social media marketing restrictions for cannabis businesses in addition to state and federal laws.
There are usually social media marketing restrictions for cannabis businesses in addition to state and federal laws.

You should ensure that your cannabis marketing strategy includes social media marketing as one of its major components, but only when executed correctly. Consider cannabis social media marketing as education and serving your customers rather than marketing. Your strategy will be massively successful when you provide value. In addition, using social media marketing strategically, you can strengthen your cannabis brand and connect with your audience.

When it comes to social media marketing for your cannabis brand, utilize video content as much as possible to create content that resonates with your audience. Regarding cannabis business marketing, images and videos draw views across social media platforms. Still, be mindful of which is appropriate.

Telling the cannabis brand story through videos can boost brand recognition.
Telling the cannabis brand’s story through videos can boost brand recognition.

Using videos to tell the cannabis brand’s story can be an engaging way to boost brand recognition. Cannabis video marketing can significantly raise brand awareness and engagement compared to graphics, photos, or text-only posts. In addition, by using cannabis video marketing, you can educate your audience. In this way, they will be able to better understand your products. This strategy will help them develop a closer relationship with your brand.

With marijuana video marketing on the rise and brands becoming increasingly sophisticated, you cannot afford to miss out on this opportunity. It doesn’t matter if you’re great on camera or a great video editor, but be aware that video’s job is to entertain. Cannabis businesses cannot afford to ignore video marketing, which is changing the web game for brands. Watch and analyze Instagram and YouTube followers of look-alike brands closely. It is essential that you are using video marketing strategically for your brand. Hence, you need to know what the audience likes. Do not just use it to keep up with trends.

In video marketing, cannabis brands have a wide range of options, from classic YouTube videos to Instagram reels to more creative uses. In the cannabis industry, there is much innovation potential, but that doesn’t mean you have to focus only on the latest marketing methods. You need a skilled cannabis SEO expert to advertise dispensaries and market marijuana to outrank the competition.

It is essential to address some of the common frustrations that legal cannabis businesses may encounter before we explain why cannabis SEO is so important. As a marijuana business owner, you know how difficult it is to market your marijuana business online: staying compliant, avoiding being taken down, and staying competitive. Establishing a successful social media presence for your marijuana accessories store, dispensary supply store, or vape shop will not be easy. To become a successful cannabis business owner, you must learn some tips and tricks.

Let’s examine some of the most critical techniques for maintaining an excellent social media presence and following as a cannabis entrepreneur, as well as some of the challenges you might face. In some ways, social media marketing for cannabis businesses is similar to marketing for other B2B and B2C companies. Still, only those with experience with social media marketing in marijuana can fully comprehend the challenges involved. Social media is a powerful marketing tool cannabis businesses can use to overcome their marketing challenges and grow their clientele. If you are posting related, informative content on CBD, your followers are likely interested in CBD. You may have found an effective tactic to market marijuana through social media.

Still, only those with experience with social media marketing in marijuana can fully comprehend the challenges involved.
Still, only those with experience with social media marketing in marijuana can fully comprehend the challenges involved.

The best way to market your marijuana business is by posting helpful content that interests your audience. You must provide informative and valuable content, causing your audience to consume and share it. Still, it does not need to be promotional, as most social media platforms ban content that promotes cannabis consumption directly or indirectly.

Making videos and posting them on YouTube, blogs, and other social media sites will help you reach the largest audience within the cannabis industry. However, finding the right cannabis influencer to get a broad, targeted audience can be challenging.

Facebook and Instagram allow you to create a dedicated business page, including posts about your products and services, videos, tips and tricks, and answers to prospective customers. Nonetheless, SEO and content marketing for cannabis businesses are crafty endeavors that require industry knowledge, creative eyes, and a specialized marketing agency.

Tell Your Story and Don't Be Afraid to Show Yourself.
Tell Your Story and Don’t Be Afraid to Show Yourself.

Due to federal laws, online cannabis businesses, whether marijuana dispensaries or CBD businesses, may find it challenging to use traditional marketing tactics, such as paid advertising. In addition, social media companies such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are subject to federal regulations. Because many paid advertisement options aren’t available for cannabis businesses, organic tactics like search engine optimization may be more effective.

Informative Articles with Tips and Tricks Works Well for Social Media Posts.
Informative Articles with Tips and Tricks Works Well for Social Media Posts.

Cannabis marketing via traditional media such as banner ads or mobile ads is challenging for many cannabis companies. However, Kief Studio’s ad network, for example, is a massive network of cannabis-friendly sites for display ads, using geotargeting, geofencing, audience targeting, and retargeting. To reach the most appropriate audiences, the user must have proven to be a qualified customer and tracked by device ID.

Why Did My Cannabis Dispensary Get Banned On Instagram?

If you run a cannabis-themed Instagram account or dispensary account, you may have already experienced Instagram bans. Even something as minor as hashtags can result in your cannabis-themed dispensary Instagram account being suspended. In light of Instagram’s ongoing scrutiny of cannabis-related content, bans on cannabis hashtags may increase the risk to your account and your social media strategy. Instagram might flag your account for posting banned hashtags.

Banned Hashtags on Instagram
Banned Hashtags on Instagram

Banned Hashtags

Using banned hashtags on your Instagram account can significantly leave your account behind. Also, Instagram flags your account as having suspicious sales of cannabis products. This could be the primary reason why Instagram disables your account.

Instagram Disabled My Dispensary Account
Instagram Disabled My Dispensary Account

Instagram Disabled My Dispensary Account

Instagram’ platform has a history of disabling dispensary accounts that contain marijuana-related content, regardless of whether the account explicitly sells marijuana. No matter the state or country where the seller is located, Instagram does not allow individuals or organizations to promote or sell cannabis. All cannabis retailers, including dispensaries, are prohibited from advertising their business on Instagram. Cannabis company accounts providing contact information, such as a phone number, email, or street address, or using the “contact us” tab violate their policies.

Instagram Removing Cannabis Content
Instagram Removing Cannabis Content

Instagram Removing Cannabis Content

Terms of use also include the right for Instagram accounts to remove cannabis content without notice if your postings put them in danger of breaking the law. As part of Instagram’s policy of moralizing pot, which is aimed at protecting underage users, any content that features marijuana will be enforced. However, due to Instagram’s lack of clearly defined policies and its use of AI and human moderators, cannabis restriction on the platform is probably unpredictable.

Instagram's Algorithm Looks for Cannabis Content
Instagram’s Algorithm Looks for Cannabis Content

Instagram’s Algorithm Looks for Cannabis Content

From its algorithms to privacy controls, Instagram’s algorithms are looking for cannabis-related content, preparing to shadowban or terminate accounts. It appears that Instagram is increasingly viewing marijuana as an unacceptable subject matter on Instagram. Recently, however, Instagram seems to have cracked down even harder on cannabis-related content.

META, Facebook, and Instagram Don't Like Cannabis
META, Facebook, and Instagram Don’t Like Cannabis

META, Facebook, and Instagram Don’t Like Cannabis

Despite cannabis becoming increasingly acceptable globally and a mainstream issue, big platforms like Facebook and Instagram remain firmly against it and continue to close their pages. Companies and influencers still get labeled left and right even when they follow the best tips and guidelines for avoiding getting deleted and blackballed from social media. Even with all these tips and guidelines, brands still face shadowbans, suspended accounts, and deleted accounts regularly.
There have been numerous suspensions, removals, and notices on Instagram lately, and marketers, journalists, and brands report similar problems.

Individuals continue claiming that their Instagram accounts have been removed for cannabis-related content, despite not advertising marijuana sales or cannabis consumption on the META app.

What are Instagram's Cannabis Guidelines to Follow
What are Instagram’s Cannabis Guidelines to Follow

What are Instagram’s Cannabis Guidelines to Follow?

Consequently, marijuana businesses create Instagram profiles, thinking they’ll get through the guidelines. Instead, however, after weeks or years of generating an audience, they’ll have their profiles deleted, suspended, or otherwise censored. On Facebook, for instance, legal marijuana businesses, advocacy groups, and state agencies, such as the California Bureau of Marijuana Control, complain about being shadow banned on Facebook.

It is Still Possible To Be on Instagram
It is Still Possible To Be on Instagram

It is Still Possible To Be on Instagram

It is still possible for businesses to reach customers using social media platforms, even when they are unfriendly to the industry. Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, do not explicitly block marijuana dispensary searches, product posts, or influencers. Like Facebook and Tiktok, other social media platforms are incredibly restrictive with cannabis plant images. Although, it is still forbidden to use or sell cannabis on Instagram, the portrayal of the plant is permitted.

Instagram Influencers are Less Likely to be Banned
Instagram Influencers are Less Likely to be Banned

Instagram Influencers are Less Likely to be Banned

This allows cannabis connoisseurs and influencers to reach out to audiences and communities, even though it is still a risky venture. Even with these strict guidelines, cannabis users are still finding their way onto TikTok – but their content is different. The small number of cannabis-related videos that make their way onto TikTok is due to removing all cannabis-related phrases.

Discussions to Define the Rules are Underway
Discussions to Define the Rules are Underway

Discussions to Define the Rules are Underway

Many American operators believe that having access to the social platform with clear guidelines will allow them to promote marijuana-related goods and services. Discussions around changing these policies to include the cannabis industry are underway, but no conclusion has been reached yet.

CBD Companies Run Risk on Instagram as Well
CBD Companies Run Risk on Instagram as Well

CBD Companies Run Risk on Instagram as Well

This is a positive development for CBD and marijuana businesses. However, it does not free up CBD or cannabis accounts for posting anything and everything while trying to sell more CBD products on Instagram.

Weedmaps and #weedmap Were Banned
Weedmaps and #weedmap Were Banned

Weedmaps and #weedmap Were Banned

It has been years since Weedmaps’ cannabis technology company was blocked from Instagram, and even the hashtag #weedmap is not permitted. In the middle of December 2021, Weedmaps’ official Instagram account, which has more than 539,000 followers, was removed but was later reinstated in January 2022.

Facebook & Instagram's AI Target Cannabis Images
Facebook & Instagram’s AI Target Cannabis Images

Facebook & Instagram’s AI Target Cannabis Images

To add, it was revealed in late 2020 that Instagram and Facebook had significantly changed their AI content detection limits, targeting marijuana accounts and photos.

Alongside, not advertising sales or usage of illicit, prescription, or recreational drugs, social media giants Instagram and Facebook have policies about drugs and drug-related products.

Paraphernalia is Also Banned
Paraphernalia is Also Banned

Paraphernalia is Also Banned

First, images that depict substances, such as bongs or rolling papers, are not to be used. Pictures that depict recreational drugs themselves are not to be used. Finally, images showing cannabis as a medicinal or recreational product should not be posted.

Even a Stationary Company was Shadowbanned
Even a Stationary Company was Shadowbanned

Even a Stationary Company was Shadowbanned

Even a business that sells stationary has been targeted, which resulted in a shadowban. A shadow ban is when the only way to see a person’s content is by specifically navigating to their page. With this status, Instagram keeps the profile visible. Still, it changes it so that the content no longer appears in news feeds or searches.

As long as this blocklisting continues, it will become more apparent what Instagram’s position is regarding normalization.

Use Disclaimers, and Clearly notate 21+ Only
Use Disclaimers, and Clearly notate 21+ Only

Use Disclaimers, and Clearly notate 21+ Only

On all photos containing cannabis, disclaimers must state that the content is intended for adults only, and prices cannot be posted. Cannabis cannot be sold online.

Problematically, even if all of these precautions are added, any cannabis account can be shut down without warning.
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