Should you be using cannabis influencers?

Marketing in the cannabis industry is more difficult compared to traditional industries. This is mostly due to the legality of cannabis.

Because it is still illegal on the federal level, many platforms that offer advertising services are hesitant to work with cannabis businesses. Even if your company is only advertising in states where cannabis is legal recreationally, platforms like Facebook and Instagram fear conducting business transactions with businesses technically classified as “illegal” by the federal government.

They also don’t have access to federal banking, because they are federally illegal businesses.

While the SAFE Banking Act bounces around the legislature, legal cannabis businesses are at a loss. This has led to a rise in more grassroots, influencer-driven marketing campaigns that have seen a lot of success thanks to the rise one specific demographic.

Female cannabis influencers

Traditionally platforms like Instagram has been dominated by anonymous male accounts pushing illicit cannabis products through the app. Other popular male influencers include well known breeders, growers, and extraction artists.

The rise of female cannabis influencers on the platform didn’t come from these same avenues however. The most popular female-driven influencer accounts focus on cannabis use and lifestyle.

Instead of growing cannabis and talking about genetics, they are taking oversized dabs and talking about their favorite edible brands. This natural, lifestyle approach has led to a massive following of these accounts, and the rise of female cannabis influencers.

And these influencers aren’t just slinging cannabis products for the highest bidder. They are choosing specific products that trend more with women on the platform than men. Showing products that are more applicable and enjoyable to women has revealed a hidden demographic that was once thought to be much less interested in legal cannabis.

Instead of just being sold on a product for how it looks or its effects, female influencers show themselves using the products in various situations, social and personal, that are more relatable to women.

The benefits of cannabis influencers

With few avenues for paid marketing on a social platform like Instagram for a legal cannabis business, influencers are an appealing opportunity. A great influencer won’t just post a picture of your product and tell people to buy it.

A great influencer shows the product in action, in a relevant situation that draws people in and makes them feel included. Just like celebrity influencers help push products, cannabis influencers can do that same on social platforms.

Not only does this create a separate, impactful advertising channel on a platform that would otherwise restrict the activity through its own service. It can also take out a lot of leg work when it comes to planning and implementing campaigns with an influencer.

As long as you provide a quality product the influencer actually enjoys, you will get more authentic and impactful content in return. For example as opposed to sending an influencer your edible product and asking them to talk about it in a picture post, have them take pictures or video with friends out on the town after consuming the edible.

Instead of just listing off the THC dosage and listed benefits, they can talk about the great time they had while using the product themselves. It is more relatable and effective at showing the real perks of the product. Not to mention the boosted demographic reach by having a female influencer on the platform where the majority of cannabis content is produced by men.

In an ever-growing competitive marketplace like legal cannabis, standing out is essential. With so few avenues for paid marketing to increase brand awareness and drive leads, cannabis influencers are becoming a more tempting option for cannabis businesses.

Keep in mind that even with a third-party influencer campaign that isn’t run through a platform like Instagram, the platform still judges all cannabis content harshly. Your influencer’s account could be disabled without notice at any time, deleting any analytics to track the success of the post through Instagram with it.

Even worse, your business’s account could also get deleted at any time, resetting all your progress with no reason given. Looking to develop your own social media strategy for your cannabis business? We can help. Set up a call with us today to talk about marketing your business to build brand awareness and drive leads.