The cannabis business is exploding. The worldwide market will grow to $57 billion by 2027, up from $9.2 billion currently.
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The cannabis business is exploding. The worldwide market will grow to $57 billion by 2027, up from $9.2 billion currently.
Despite this growth, the legal landscape remains complex, and business owners struggle to market their organizations. Here’s legal ways you can market your business effectively.
Where can you market your business?
Traditional marketing
• Newspaper and print. This is an excellent option. Look for alternative non-mainstream publications.
• Billboards and outdoor advertising. Brands like Weedmaps and Leafly have already made use of billboards. Leafly, for example, has used billboards throughout California to drive a massive user-generated content campaign.
• Radio. It is illegal to market a cannabis firm on the radio. You can, however, participate in guest segments.
• YouTube. Currently, YouTube’s guidelines don’t mention cannabis marketing, although they prohibit harmful content. Only medical marijuana providers can advertise.
Niche marketing
Niche marketing is an excellent way to generate leads and avoid regulatory issues because the audience is already established and restricted.
Digital Marketing
Focus on mediums not vulnerable to regulation, including:
• Facebook. If you’re going to use Facebook as a social media marketing platform, follow these Facebook rules:
Avoid using images of smoking paraphernalia
Don’t use images of recreational or medical marijuana
CBD also not permitted
• Twitter. You cannot advertise recreational drugs on Twitter. The platform does allow organic tweets with the word like marijuana, weed, and cannabis, marijuana, and hemp.
• Pinterest. Pinterest allows you to advertise hemp and CBD-only products.
• Snapchat. This platform allows content about marijuana as long as it doesn’t promote illegal activity.
• Reddit. You cannot advertise recreational drug use on Reddit. You can, however, share educational information.
• Google. You cannot use Google for advertising recreational cannabis use. You can blog about cannabis as long as it doesn’t encourage illegal activities.
Earned media
Earned media is voluntary, and includes awards, appearances, and speaking opportunities.
Content marketing
Content marketing allows you to drive traffic to your website by boosting your standing in search algorithms. Content marketing is less regulated.
Mobile/text marketing
In a world where the average consumer checks their phone once every 12 minutes, mobile marketing provides personalized, actionable marketing.
Improve your cannabis marketing
The advertising market for cannabis is complicated and ever-changing.
Don’t:
• Market to minors
• Infringe on existing brand copyright
• Start marketing without first consulting federal and state regulations that may apply to your company
Do:
• Research your target audience and create a customer persona
• Invest in skilled digital marketing assistance
• Create a brand identity that offers more than just sales pitches
• Be informative about different strains and options
