Instagram Marketing for Cannabis Companies

Whether you’re running a large dispensary or a small-scale cannabis business service, marketing is important. You need to find methods that’ll help you reach your desired customers or clients while still avoiding legal restrictions. While there are many ways you can successfully promote your brand, one of the most effective is using Instagram marketing for cannabis companies.

Instagram has become one of the most widely-used social media platforms in the world, with hundreds of millions of active users each day. Not only is it good for personal use, but it’s also a hotspot for marketing- especially as you can bring attention to your brand via visual content and targeted hashtags. Here’s a guide on how to use Instagram marketing for cannabis companies.

Set Up Your Business Profile

The first thing to do is set up an Instagram page specifically for your business. This gives your loyal customers (and potentially new buyers) a page to follow to keep up to date with all your cannabis-related content. Setting up a profile only takes minutes, but there are a few extra things you’ll want to do to optimize it for business purposes.

Make sure you choose a short and snappy username that’s easy to remember. This helps a lot when it comes to getting new follows or even being tagged in other posts. You should also set up your profile- include your business name, a short description, and your website URL. You can even use cannabis-related hashtags in your profile.

You should also switch your profile to a Business Account. Business profiles have a few advantages- you can view analytics on your content with Instagram insights, add a contact button to your page, and even add links to your stories once you’ve hit 10,000 followers. Simply click the Settings cog in the mobile app and choose “Switch to Business Profile”. You’ll also need to link your Instagram to a Facebook account.

Post Enticing Images

Each social media platform is different and you need to adapt your marketing approach based on the platform you’re using. While Twitter is text-heavy and Linkedin is for professional matters, Instagram is a social media platform focused on visual content. As such, you need to promote your company with high-quality images.

Many cannabis companies post high-definition photos of their products on Instagram. By adding a few hashtags like #cannabis, #420, #instaweed, and anything related to your products, you could quickly catch the attention of enthusiastic marijuana users across the platform. This doesn’t just apply to pictures of weed- you can also post smoking devices and branded cannabis accessories.

Product images aren’t your only option. You could also post cannabis-related infographics, memes, and anything else that might appeal to your target demographic. Many companies even post competitions and sales alerts by using eye-catching graphics on Instagram. Get as creative as you’d like and remember to always optimize your posts using hashtags.

Create Interesting Video Content

Many people think of images when they think of Instagram, but it’s also one of the best social media platforms for posting video content. While you won’t be able to post long, in-depth videos as you would on YouTube, short and catchy videos are perfect for catching people’s attention and promoting your brand.

You might want to use videos of people trying out your products or even short informational videos on things like rolling a joint. These are things that could potentially appeal to your target market and make them take a closer look at your page.

Although video content might take a little longer to produce than images, it’s often worth it. A study found that users generally engage more with video content than photos. Again, this is something you can get creative with. As well as product-related videos, you might want to make humorous videos that users can relate to or even make video announcements.

Make Use Of Stories

Instagram stories are a great way to engage with your followers. Stories are generally short video snippets and images that you can post throughout the day to stay at the forefront of your follower’s minds.

Users are alerted when new stories are posted but can choose which stories they want to view. This can be great for promotion as you can post multiple times a day without worrying about spamming your followers’ feeds too much.

Stories can be used for all the same kind of content you’d usually post on your page. Whether you see success from product images, informational videos or memes, you can post all of these via stories as well. You could even post flash sales and discounts via stories- this is a fantastic way to encourage followers to view your stories more often.

Reach Out To Influencers

One of the most impactful ways to use Instagram for marketing cannabis companies is by reaching out to influencers. Instagram influencers are users that have accumulated large followings, often focused on a certain niche. These influencers often create posts about products and brands they’ve partnered with and can be a valuable source of promotion.

There are tons of influencers focused on cannabis and cannabis culture, and reaching out to them can be a great way to market your brand to their dedicated and loyal followings. For instance, you might want to offer a top cannabis influencer some free products in exchange for posting them on Instagram along with a link to your page. This has the potential to bring in tons of new customers.

You can also supply influencers with branded cannabis products. Their followers will become curious about your brand simply by seeing your brand name and logo on their favorite influencer’s lighter, rolling papers or rolling tray. Simply contact influencers and give them a good deal- larger influencers may require money upfront whereas some will be happy to work with you simply for free products or a cut of the profits from referrals they make.

Conclusion

Every cannabis company should be using Instagram to promote their brand. Whether you post product images, informational videos or competitions and promotions, all of these things can help you reach a wider audience and attract new customers to your website. If you need help promoting your brand, check out CannabisPromotions.com.