Now that laws in most states around marijuana and its byproducts have relaxed, it’s always 420. The laws relaxing have also lead to a boom in businesses specializing in all things marijuana.
Which is great, especially for those suffering from various medical ailments. Science is now proving how effective marijuana is for helping everything from cancer to back pain to depression.
While you might think that opening a business selling marijuana and its byproducts would simply sell itself. But that’s not true. You’re fighting an uphill battle against decades of incorrect information, the fact that it’s still federally illegal to sell marijuana and growing competition from other sellers.
Social media is a great forum for your marijuana company to brand and sell itself. With that in mind, here are 12 tips to help you promote your cannabis brand on social media.
1. Make Sure Your Cannabis Brand Looks the Same on All Platforms
Your marijuana company should look exactly the same no matter what piece of marketing or advertising your audience is looking at. It doesn’t matter if it’s your website, a brochure, the t-shirts you sell or your Twitter page.
You are the proud owner of a cannabis brand. Figure out what makes your marijuana company unique from your competition. Create a logo and make sure that it’s on every single piece of marketing you use.
Your goal is for people to start recognizing your business as a brand. An effective brand immediately helps people trust your business and it helps build customer loyalty.
2. Join Communities
Social media is supposed to be social. This isn’t a one-way conversation. Go ahead and find communities on the social media sites your business has pages on.
The communities you join don’t have to be about marijuana. Think about joining some health-related communities.
You can also join legal communities and those communities dedicated to people who simply love to smoke weed for the sake of smoking weed. There are plenty of forums out there for you on every social media site.
Start out in these communities by helping and educating others rather than marketing your products. That will come naturally, in the meantime, you’re just out to make some new friends.
3. Use Social Media to Educate the Public
There are a lot of misconceptions about marijuana and its effects. That’s because there was a ton of propaganda put out there to ensure that forced people to fear cannabis.
Even now that it’s becoming legal in most states, there is still a lot of fear and false facts out there that your marijuana company needs to contend with. One way to start doing that is to educate the public using social media.
Start talking about the health effects of marijuana. Educate people on how to use your products safely and effectively. Use facts as your weapon against fear and fake news to change the public’s mind about marijuana use.
4. Link Content From Sources Other than Your Cannabis Brand
Do not focus only on your cannabis brand. People will quickly get bored. Instead, look around at other sources to help you promote your marijuana company.
Don’t be afraid to promote links from other sources and share their content with your audience. Make sure to only link to reliable sources such as this website. Stay away from linking from sources that are into heavy-selling or appear to be fake.
What you post on social media says a lot about you. Your goal is to share outside content that helps your audience see you as an expert who surrounds themselves with other experts.
5. Know Your Niche Audience
It’s incredibly hard to market a marijuana company if you don’t know who you’re selling to. You can’t sell to everyone, even if you’re selling air.
Not everyone is your target market so don’t waste precious time or energy trying to connect with them on social media. Instead, determine who is most likely to purchase from you.
Write down whether they’re male or female. Determine the age range of your typical customer and how much money they tend to make. Figure out what their hobbies and interests are so you can effectively target them using social media advertising.
6. Create Content For Each Market Base
The thing is, not all people who use marijuana or its byproducts are the same. You’re going to end up with several different types of niche-based audience in which to market to.
And you’re going to need new content for each market base. Soccer moms aren’t going to respond in the same way as a retiree. Figure out what each group is looking for and deliver it to them.
7. Share Great Content
Creating great content should be your first priority in any social media marketing strategy you design. Your cannabis brand is relying on you supplying your followers with compelling information that makes them want to see what you’ve posted next.
Great content is what will compel your followers to begin having conversations with you. It’s what makes them want to share your content with their followers. Great content can be the written word, photography, and even videos.
8. Make Use of Videos
By 2019, 80% of us will be on the internet watching videos. Part of your cannabis brand should include videos.
And videos are easy to make. You can use your Smartphone to make one. It doesn’t even have to be very long. But they do have to be interesting and it shouldn’t look like your 90-year-old grandfather tried to shoot the video.
Hire a professional if you need to.
You can also make use of live video. It’s a great opportunity to answer questions from various communities about your products and educate them. You can also create how-to videos to show people how to use your products for maximum effectiveness.
9. Take Plenty of Photos
Photography is another way to capture the attention of your audience. Share photos of your employees at work.
Post a photo of your latest inventory and invite people to stop by your store. Encourage your followers to share photos of weed-related items on your social media page.
Your content doesn’t have to be long-winded and it shouldn’t be. Social media works best when you share little bits of information at a time.
Photography is great because one shot can say so much without needing words. And don’t be afraid to recycle your videos and photos. Just because you posted it once it doesn’t mean those who are new to your page have seen it.
Just don’t overpost photos. And make sure that the photos you share look professional.
10. Know Social Media Guidelines For Your Business
Given that the federal government still hasn’t legalized marijuana use outright, there are certain laws and guidelines your marijuana has to comply with if you want to be on social media.
And those guidelines tends to vary with each social media site. They are also prone to change. It’s up to you to keep up with the latest rules and regulations that govern your marijuana company.
The last thing you want to do is get booted off of Instagram because you inadvertently did something wrong. That could end up costing you a lot of time and effort to set yourself back up on social media.
Also, if your social media page gets shut down, your customers may not think too highly of your business. The only way to keep your cannabis brand looking great is to ensure you are always in compliance with all laws, guidelines, and regulations.
11. Learn How to Handle Negative Situations Well
There is no way to avoid negative situations. Especially when you’re dealing with people on social media.
Your marijuana business probably sells to many people with varying illnesses. When people are in pain, they tend to not react well and it’s likely you might end up on the receiving end of someone angrily lashing out by leaving a scathing review.
It’s your job to manage your cannabis brand by knowing exactly how to react. Other people will be reading what you say, so make sure you stay level-headed, even if the other person is completely wrong.
It might help to take some time to cool down before you decide to write back, but you should always write back. Keep it positive and try to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Remain professional and do not allow yourself to sink to their level. Mistakes happen and this might be an opportunity for you to learn and grow. Take it in stride, learn from it, and then let it go.
12. Become the Cannabis Expert on Social Media
One way to use social media to help grow your cannabis brand is to set yourself up to become the cannabis expert. Join as many communities you can and share your wisdom.
Write and share blogs about the cannabis community, the legal ramifications, and its health benefits. Share information from other places.
Ask to be a guest blogger for other social media influencers. The more you set yourself up as an expert, the more likely it is that other influencers, your customers, and even the media will turn to your marijuana company to hear what’s new in the industry.
Make Sure to Keep Your Reputation Stellar
A bad reputation is one way to kill a cannabis brand quickly. Make sure that what others are saying about you online is accurate and positive.
Click here for your free online reputation audit.