Advertising Cannabis and Mental Health Benefits Effectively

As medical marijuana becomes increasingly normalized, more people have begun to debate the actual motivation behind medical users. With marijuana being illegal at the federal level and considered a controversial topic to some, people have aimed to understand how people are utilizing medical marijuana. According to a study published in the journal of Health Affairs, Chronic pain was the highest result with 62.2 percent of people using medical marijuana to treat their varying chronic pain.¹ However, CBD is also known to have several mental health benefits. Let’s take a look at how cannabis can ease physical and mental conditions.

How Cannabis Helps Physical Pain

It has been suggested that THC, cannabinoid found in cannabis, can increase appetite, reduce nausea, decrease pain, inflammation, and muscle pain.² Additionally, CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis, has been found to also reduce pain and inflammation, help reduce seizures, and aid insomnia.<sup3

Can Cannabis Help Mental Health?

While there have been several cases where cannabis has aided in physical pain, there are many that believe cannabis can have mental health benefits as well.⁴ Recently, there has been an increase in researching the effects that cannabis has on a range of psychiatric disorders, as well as researching cannabis therapy for PTSD, ADHD, anxiety, and schizophrenia.⁵

Although evidence is still currently being gathered, it can be suggested that certain cannabinoids, such as CBD, can be effective in treating social anxiety and improving insomnia and PTSD.⁶ However, further research is necessary in order to provide sufficient evidence.

How to Market Cannabis Mental Health Benefits

Since CBD is known to be connected to mental health benefits, marketing CBD may be your best bet when trying to advertise your cannabis business. Here’s why:

• Regulatory leniency: Unlike THC and other cannabis products, CBD is now legal for manufacturers to sell, market, and distribute.⁷ As a result, this will be your best bet at following digital marketing practices, such as social media marketing, SEO, etc.
• Profitability: Since CBD is considered a new and trendy product, there is a lot of market potential. Since it’s a new market, people are eager to take advantage of the public demand and limited competition.
• Product Innovation: There are multiple new ways that entrepreneurs are innovating the use of CBD. With new CBD products coming to market every day, such as foods and oils, it’s the best time to get involved in the CBD industry.

Get Started with Cannabis Marketing

To navigate social media restrictions and digital regulations of cannabis marketing, work with an experienced Agency. Herban Creative knows how to get your products in front of the right audience. Talk to our team of strategists today to get started.

1. “Qualifying Conditions Of Medical Cannabis License Holders In The United States.” Health Affairs, February 2019, https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/abs/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05266
2. “THC vs. CBD for Pain Relief: What’s Better?” CreakyJoints, 4 November 2019, https://creakyjoints.org/alternative-medicine/thc-vs-cbd-for-pain-relief/
3. “Cannabidiol (CBD) — what we know and what we don’t.” Harvard Health Publishing, 24 August 2018, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476
4. “Potential Use of Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer.” National Library of Medicine, 25 January 2019, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30706048/
5. “Psychiatry.” Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/psychiatry
6. “Cannabidiol (CBD) — what we know and what we don’t.” Harvard Health Publishing, 24 August 2018, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476
7. “FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD).” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 3 August 2020, https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-regulation-cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd

Phil Murphy Believes Legalization of Marijuana Will Ease NJ Post Pandemic Recovery

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy caught local media’s attention after making a comment about the possibility of marijuana legalization being used to ease the post pandemic recovery efforts. Murphy made these comments during a radio interview on the Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show on New York’s Q104.3 classic rock radio station.

Murphy continued on by stating that New Jersey is going to need federal cash assistance in order to aid the economic crisis brought on by COVID-19. When co-host Shelli Sonstein mentioned that marijuana legalization could help ease post pandemic recovery, Murphy agreed. He even stated that legalizing marijuana would be “an incredibly smart thing to do.” If marijuana became legal, jobs would be created, tax revenue would be raised, and there would be lower incarceration rates.¹

The November 2020 Ballot

After several attempts by the democrats to pass a legalization bill, both houses finally approved, which was then supported by Governor Murphy, to officially place the legalization question on the November 2020 ballot.

If the ballot favored the legalization of marijuana, it would become known as The New Jersey Marijuana Legalization Amendment.² Under this law, the use, cultivation, and possession by people over the age of 21 would be legal. Due to the long and strenuous process to even get this question on the ballot, it’s easy to assume that it may take several months following the election before the legalization process would begin.

Even with the legalization of Marijuana in New Jersey, the cannabis industry will continue to face a variety of restrictions related to advertisements online, as well as marijuana marketing tactics.³ But as Americans continue to erase the stigma and grow more comfortable with marijuana, meaningful cannabis law reform at the federal level can improve. And, in turn, create a less regulated cannabis industry.

How Does Marijuana Legalization Affect Industry Marketing?

If the November 2020 ballot results favor marijuana legalization, big changes could follow for New Jersey’s marketing regulations. Local advertising rules will slowly favor mainstream cannabis ads. As a digital marketing agency for the cannabis industry, Herban Creative is eager to follow the ballot and advertising law changes that will surely follow.

1. “N.J. still arrests more people for pot than almost any other state. A lot more.” NJ.com, 31 May 2019, https://www.nj.com/marijuana/2019/05/nj-still-arrests-more-people-for-pot-than-almost-any-other-state-a-lot-more.html
2. “New Jersey Public Question 1, Marijuana Legalization Amendment (2020).” BallotPedia, https://ballotpedia.org/New_Jersey_Public_Question_1,_Marijuana_Legalization_Amendment_(2020)
3. “Paid Cannabis Advertising: What’s Allowed, and What’s Not.” Cannabis Marketing Association, 1 July 2019, http://cannamarket.wpengine.com/paid-advertising-and-cannabis-whats-allowed-and-whats-not/

Marketing Tips Guaranteed to Increase Your ROI

With restriction after restriction for paid cannabis advertising, especially online, it can be hard to imagine a marketing strategy that actually works. However, countless cannabis companies have found success in producing organic content and following local SEO practices. Ultimately, your marketing should increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, and bring customers to your retail store.

So, how can you increase ROI for your cannabis brand? Follow these tips!

Try Influencer and Affiliate Marketing

Influencer marketing is a way to work around traditional paid advertising rules. User-generated content is less likely to be flagged by social media algorithms than branded content. As long as you follow content guidelines, the post should get a significant reach and engagement. Creating an affiliate program is another great tactic that pairs extremely well with influencer marketing. If you are unfamiliar with an affiliate program, it’s a basic referral system. A retailer will provide an influencer with a specific code to use for a discount on products. Sometimes, the influencer will make a small amount of money for every person who uses their code.

Start Writing Long-Form Content

As organic advertising rules the cannabis industry, long-form content will become incredibly valuable to your marketing strategy. Writing blogs, for example, is the best way to get potential customers on your website. Meaningful and engaging topics must be written, or else a person may leave your site after reading the blog. Long-form content can also be repurposed for a video, email, or social media post. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see results right away! SEO and blogs take time to garner results, so it may be months or even a year later until you see an increase in ROI.

Implement Technical SEO Practices

As we discussed above, blog writing is an excellent place to start with SEO. However, there are some other common SEO practices that your cannabis business should implement. For example, update your website’s metadata and keywords. This will improve search results and click-through rates for your site. Another tactic is to get your company listed on various directories. Google My Business, Leafly, WeedMaps, BingPlaces, Yelp for Business Owners, and Manta are excellent sources your company should be listed on. This will increase your website’s credibility and help to get ranked higher.

Work with an Experienced Cannabis Marketing Agency

The best way to see an increase in ROI is to work with a marketing agency. Herban Creative understands the challenges of cannabis marketing and knows just the right way to market your brand. Our team of strategists is here to create engaging social media, email, and blog content to help reach new customers. Contact us today to learn more!

1. “Paid Advertising and Cannabis: What’s Allowed, and What’s Not.” Cannabis Marketing Association, 1 July 2019, https://thecannabismarketingassociation.com/paid-advertising-and-cannabis-whats-allowed-and-whats-not/
2. “Can Influencer Marketing Work for the Cannabis Industry?” Herban Creative, 6 May 2020, https://herbancreative.wpenginepowered.com/cannabis-news/can-influencer-marketing-work-for-the-cannabis-industry

4 Ways a Company Blog Can Benefit Your Cannabis Business

When it comes to your cannabis business, blogging may be the last thing on the agenda, if at all. However, it should be a serious candidate for your marketing efforts. Blogs can drive website traffic, boost SEO, attract potential customers, and nourish relationships with current clientele. For a cannabis business especially, blogging is an incredible way to organically increase search engine rankings, as paid advertising isn’t allowed online. Let’s take a more in-depth look into each of these benefits of having a cannabis company blog.

1. Drive Website Traffic

When you write a blog, you’re not just getting one piece of long-form content. You’ll be able to repurpose that content in a video, email, or social media post. Each of these new pieces of content can link back to your website. With tricky regulations for cannabis advertising, you’ll want to get out as much marketing as possible. Blogs are another way to drive traffic to your website and include links to other pages on your site.

2. Attract Potential Customers and Nourish Existing Customer Relationships

An inclusive blog plan will be mindful of all types of customers. This means writing content that is attractive to both potential and existing customers. For example, blogs that answer a specific question, such as the difference between cannabis and CBD, or can help make an informative decision, will be valuable to potential customers. People that have already purchased from your company may be more interested in product-based topics.

3. Boost SEO and Increase Organic Rankings

As Google is the most popular search engine, getting a high ranking will be crucial for your cannabis business. However, Google advertising policies forbid recreational drugs in any paid ads. These rules can affect organic marketing, as well. While Google will allow searches about cannabis, keyword research on cannabis topics are often extremely limited. This means you’ll have to rely on testing searches rather than most popular keyword tools. It’s not impossible to rank on Google organically with cannabis keywords. It takes time, good SEO practices, and consistency.

4. Create a Standout Voice in the Industry

Blog content showcases a sense of dedication and knowledge to anyone visiting your website. It tells a potential customer you take the time to share what you know while telling an existing customer you offer resources post-purchase. There are tons of cannabis brands popping up, so your company’s voice must stand out among the crowded industry.

If you are unsure about where to get started with a company blog or do not have the time to produce content, get in touch with Herban Creative. We have the expertise to write SEO-first blogs amid Google’s red tape.

1. “FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD).” U.S. Food & Drug Administration, 3 August 2020, https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-regulation-cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd
2. “Dangerous products or services.” Google, https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/6014299?hl=en

What are the Necessary Guidelines when using Facebook Ad Targeting?

Social media marketing is a valuable marketing channel for many businesses. In fact, 8 million advertisers chose to market on Facebook in the first quarter of 2020.[1] Unfortunately, for businesses in the cannabis industry, following Facebook ad targeting guidelines can be a challenge. Since cannabis is illegal at the federal level, it can be very easy to violate Facebook’s terms of services when trying to market on the platform.[2] Here are some things to avoid when using target ad marketing for your cannabis business:

• Do not suggest your products are for sale: Cannabis businesses must be very careful with wording when advertising on Facebook. If your ad suggests that you are trying to sell a cannabis product, Facebook will take down your business page and remove your ads.
• Do not post self-promotional posts: Although the point of advertising is to market your brand, for cannabis companies, you should not be advertising the sale of your products. Facebook will remove your content if they suspect that you are selling or distributing cannabis products. Instead you should focus on the cannabis industry as a whole and highlighting your brand’s image.
• Do not use cannabis imagery in your ads or landing page: It is crucial that your landing page is about advocacy. As a result, your page will be more likely to have a chance of getting your ads approved. Avoid using imagery that includes the use of cannabis.

What your Cannabis Business Should be Posting on Facebook to Get Ads Approved

By posting authentic and original content, the more likely you are to grow your audience as well as getting your ads approved. Instead of focusing on your products and sales, these are things you should be highlighting on your business’ page:

• Post educational content: Sharing informative content to educate your audience is a great way boost your business’ reach while still abiding by Facebook’s terms of services.[3]
• Post facts: Your business should be sharing facts, statistics, data, and research in order to further the legitimacy of the cannabis industry without promoting the sale of any products.
• Post about advocacy: Make sure your audience knows about the stance your business takes on advocating for the cannabis industry. Sharing your efforts is a great way to create brand loyalty between you and your consumers.

Social media is an amazing tool when it comes to marketing your brand. Although the cannabis industry still has ways to go until it can reach its fullest advertising potential, our tips are a great first step to exposing your brand. As long as you abide by Facebook’s terms of services[4], your brand should have no problem advertising its products and getting your ads approved.

If your cannabis brand is in need of Facebook ad targeting assistance, reach out to the strategists at Herban Creative. We’re experienced at navigating the red tape of social media regulations!

[1] “Number of active advertisers on Facebook from 1st quarter 2016 to 2nd quarter 2020.” Statista, July 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/778191/active-facebook-advertisers/

[2] “Terms of Service.” Facebook, 31 July 2019, https://www.facebook.com/terms.php

[3] “Terms of Service.” Facebook, 31 July 2019, https://www.facebook.com/terms.php

[4] “Terms of Service.” Facebook, 31 July 2019, https://www.facebook.com/terms.php

4 Tips for Developing a Content Marketing Strategy for Your Cannabis Business

The cannabis industry faces a countless restrictions related to advertisements online.[1] It’s vital for your cannabis business to be aware of these restrictions in order to develop an effective content marketing strategy for your business.

What is Content Marketing and How Can it Help Your Cannabis Business?

According to The Content Marketing Institute, content marketing is a strategic marketing tactic that is designed to create valuable and relevant content, such as blogs and social media posts, to attract your target audience and create a profit.[2]

Content marketing can help your cannabis brand because it focuses on raising awareness and educating consumers about your products and services. Having original content can also help increase your cannabis SEO, which will allow you to connect with your audience and boost brand awareness as well.

Here are some tips for developing an innovative content marketing strategy designed to create brand awareness for your cannabis business:

• Infographics: Creating infographics can be very effective for educating your target audience with useful facts and statistics. Vital information can be presented in a visually appealing way to captivate your audience and view a specific message.
• Strong Social Media Presence: One of the first places consumers go to connect with your brand is social media. Having an active presence on various social media platforms can help increase brand awareness, potential website traffic, and company legitimacy. Your brand should be sharing original, educational, and entertaining content to appeal to your target audience.
• Interactive Website: Having a blog section on your website is a great way to create content specifically on the cannabis industry and current trends. Creating content that is engaging and effective can also boost your site’s SEO and web traffic which directly translates into brand awareness.
• Email Marketing: Creating email newsletters that share helpful content in addition to marketing material can highlight your brand, boost web traffic, and engage your customers directly.

Recognizing that your brand is in need of an innovative content marketing strategy is your first step in boosting your web traffic and creating brand awareness. You should be creative and original in your content to stand out against competitors and appeal to your target audience. Creating content is a powerful way to grow your network and should be highly prioritized. To get it right, talk to the experts at Herban Creative! We specialize in creating organic SEO and personalized social media campaigns for cannabis brands.

[1] “Paid Advertising and Cannabis: What’s Allowed, and What’s Not.” Cannabis Marketing Association, 1 July 2019, http://cannamarket.wpengine.com/paid-advertising-and-cannabis-whats-allowed-and-whats-not/

[2] “What Is Content Marketing?” The Content Marketing Institute, 2020, https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/what-is-content-marketing/

5 Signs It’s Time to Consider a Rebranding Strategy for Your Cannabis Company

It may be scary to think of rebranding as a company, especially after years of building a reputation. Will customers remember you, or will it turn away your existing customer base? However, with the cannabis industry’s legalizations increasing, your brand may need a more modern appearance and bolder messaging1. Take a look at these five signs it may be time to change up your cannabis company’s rebranding strategy!

1. You’re Blending in with Your Competition

As of 2019, the number of cannabis brands has increased nearly 16 times that of 20142. We can only assume the industry, along with hemp and CBD brands, will continue to grow. This market inflation means that your company may not be getting the same attention it was five years ago. If this is the case, it may be time to switch up your imagery and messaging to start boosting brand awareness again.

2. You’re Trying to Reach a New Audience

The longer you’re running your business, the more insights you will have into your audience. After a few years, you may notice that who you’ve been targeting isn’t actually who is making purchases. Whenever you’re trying to reach a new group of people, a connection is everything. How you speak to them and what you present them with is crucial. Age, location, and other demographics should heavily influence your branding decisions.

3. Your Business Has Expanded

In an increasingly growing industry like cannabis, every company is trying new things to stand out. If you have dabbled in introducing new products, your brand may not reflect those additions. When a potential customer lands on your social media page or website, they must be able to recognize who you are, what you offer, and make the connection between the two.

4. Your Brand No Longer Reflects Your Values 

As the cannabis industry regulations are changing year after year, you may have found that you’re doing things differently. It’s time to let your customers know and allow them to connect with your new values. From being more inclusive to offering medical-grade products to sharing a more lifestyle approach, make sure your company’s vision, mission, values, and core principles align and are up to date.

5. Your Branding is Simply Outdated

One of the top reasons a company re-brands is because they want a more modern look and feel. Especially in the retail industry, being natural, organic, and transparent is vital. Beyond product and messaging, your social media presence and website must reflect current times. Utilize current design trends and themes, and be sure your site is mobile and user friendly.

Take the First Steps to Rebrand Your Cannabis Business

Overall, customers look for a brand that they can connect with. If your cannabis business is falling short in one or more of these areas, it’s time to consider a rebranding strategy. From a new logo and tagline to business cards and marketing materials, the marketing specialists at Herban Creative can help revitalize your brand. Get in touch with us today!

3 Ways Instagram Marketing Will Attract Your Target Audience in the Cannabis Industry

The cannabis industry faces extreme restrictions when it comes to online advertising—especially on social media. Instagram’s Community Guidelines forbid the buying and selling of “illegal drugs,” even if it is legal in your region1. For example, while many states have legalized the use of cannabis, it is still illegal at the federal level. The tricky part is Instagram can be inconsistent about deleting cannabis accounts.

Here are three ways you can still attract your target audience by adhering to Instagram marketing rules.

1. Users Are More Likely to Engage with Businesses

In recent years, Instagram has introduced e-commerce features, making it easier for users to find and purchase new products. While cannabis companies cannot sell on the platform without the risk of violating rules, they can still take advantage of these features. According to Instagram, 60% of users say they discover new products on the app, and 80% of accounts follow a business page2. Users on Instagram more than welcome company accounts and are willing to interact with them. For a cannabis brand, this platform is an excellent way to reach people that are open to making conversions.

2. It’s Easier to Be Discovered Organically

While Instagram does offer paid advertising, there are several ways to be found organically. This tactic is especially useful for cannabis businesses, as they are not legally allowed to utilize paid ads on social media. Here are a few tips to follow to get your cannabis account on the coveted explore page.

• Prioritize Engagement—Whereas many marketers may believe a high follower count is everything, engagement, such as comments and shares, is far more valuable. 
• Increase Post Frequency—While you don’t want to overload your followers, posting daily is a great way to better your chances at increased visibility. 
• Use the Right Hashtags—Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags to be used within one post, meaning you should utilize a range of high to low competition keywords.
  

3. There’s a Focus on Brand Awareness and Loyalty

Whereas other industries may focus their social media efforts on sale conversions, cannabis companies should make their goal about boosting brand awareness and loyalty. While we covered Instagram as a great platform to reach new audiences, your profile must keep the user interested and convey your branding message. Stay away from posting photos that show the use of cannabis and instead diversify your content with lifestyle imagery. By focusing on engagement, you can interact with your audience and foster meaningful customer relationships.

Launch an Instagram Marketing Campaign for Your Cannabis Business

Social media is an irresistible piece to a cannabis business’ overall digital campaign. To get started with Instagram Marketing, work with the digital strategists at Herban Creative. Our team is up to date on advertising regulations and can grow your social media presence the right way. Contact us today to learn more!

Social Media Analytics to Measure the Growth of Your Cannabis Business

If you’re in the cannabis industry, chances are you already know of the struggles social media restrictions can cause. However, with 69% of American adults using Facebook, 37% using Instagram, and 22% using Twitter, many owners find it’s worth the risk to upkeep accounts[1]. While paid ad spend may not be an option on these platforms, organic content and reach becomes incredibly valuable for the cannabis industry.

Just like your products, your audience is unique to your brand. To truly understand their digital behavior, you must first understand your social media analytics. Let’s take a look at how you can measure these metrics, what they mean, and how you can use them to grow your cannabis business.

Engagement

Likes, shares, mentions, and comments are commonly used to track how well a social post has performed. However, it’s not always about having a high number of these indicators. With engagement, you’re looking to connect with your audience and potential customers. Specifically through comments, interact with your followers! Even achieving just five to ten shares or comments can mean five to ten more conversions.

Followers

Page followers increasingly become crucial when it comes to the organic social media game. When you can’t utilize ad spend to get your content in front of a large number of people, you must rely on growing your followers for higher visibility.

Reach and impressions

The difference between these two metrics is that reach is the total number of unique people that have seen your content, whereas impressions are the number of times your content was displayed. Reach will only count a person once, and impressions will count the same person no matter many times your content was presented to them. When you begin to grow your following, you’ll see an increase in reach and impressions and, therefore, brand awareness.

Traffic

For cannabis businesses especially, landing page visits are significant to having a digital presence. Social media is a great way to promote your website and blogs. After all, in the cannabis industry, the general audience is looking for more educational and substantial content than a sales pitch.

Conversions

Although there are more potential conversions than we may think of (link clicks, calls, and form submissions), making a sale is the ultimate goal. This is where things may become tricky. While it’s quite easy to track those other conversions, sales can present a different challenge, a majority of cannabis businesses are brick and mortar rather than e-commerce. Due to banking and shipping restrictions from federal law, cannabis-related products may be okay but cannabis itself is not.[2] When launching your social media campaign, it’s crucial to keep this in mind, especially when planning your goals.

Once you begin keeping track of these social media analytics, you can determine what kind of content your audience best responds to and when they are most active. These insights will become the path to follow that will lead to organic social media growth.

To truly get the most out of your social media presence, get in touch with Herban Creative. Our team of strategic experts are ready to launch your cannabis business’ digital presence and grow your online following. We work with you to build a campaign centered around key goals, and build you a detailed analytics report to show you the results! Contact us today to learn more

References

[1] “Under The Influence Of Instagram: Cannabis In The Age Of Social Media.” Forbes, 6 May 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrebourque/2019/05/06/under-the-influence-of-instagram-cannabis-in-the-age-of-social-media/#1798ccb14746

[2] “How Cannabis Ecommerce Challenges Are Driving Web Innovation.” GreenEntrepreneur, 31 Jan 2017, https://www.greenentrepreneur.com/article/288022

Important Advertising Regulations Any Cannabis Business Should Know

As of May 2020, cannabis is illegal in 6 states, entirely legal in 11 states, and has mixed legality in 33 states; it remains illegal at the federal level.[1] While it’s hard enough to keep up with the legalization laws between medical, recreational, and CBD, businesses must be up to date with advertising regulations as well.

There are incredible challenges a cannabis business faces when promoting their products, especially if they are looking to expand out of their state. What’s more, since cannabis legality is relatively new (Colorado became the first state to legalize it in 2014), many states are left playing catch-up or addressing advertising along the way.

Here are the top advertising regulations your cannabis business should know!

Advertising on Federally Regulated Mediums

Mediums such as televisions and radio can cross state lines; therefore, they are regulated by the federal government. Specifically, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for governing those industries. Since cannabis is illegal federally, it’s best to avoid ads on television and radio, even if laws are unclear about advertising on these channels.

As a general rule of thumb, stay away from running ads that may be shared in multiple states, such as certain publications or mail via the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Advertising to Minors (Those Under 21 Years of Age)

Many states are applying their cigarette and alcohol advertising laws to cannabis as well, including age restrictions. For these industries, a minor is considered anyone under the age of 21. They also all follow the 70/30 rule, which states that at least 70 percent of the advertisement’s audience must be adults.[2]

It may be tricky to determine this percentage, and therefore placing ads where minors are allowed should be avoided altogether if possible. While this may significantly limit your options physically, it can open opportunities in the digital space.

Advertising on Digital Platforms

While there may not be any state or federal laws that restrict online advertising, digital companies sure do have their own set of rules. Here are the platform regulations you need to know:

• Google does not allow advertising for any kind of recreational drug or “legal high.”[3] This means Google will not promote keywords or metadata that include restricted terms and phrases.
• Facebook ads must not promote the sale or use of illegal or recreational drugs.[4] Recently, this includes CBD as well, despite it being federally legal.
• Instagram does not allow people or organizations to advertise or sell cannabis, or provide any contact information such as phone number, address, and email, but allows for a website link.[5] Instagram is also known to take down accounts that post cannabis-related content, even if they are not ads.

These restraints may seem like the digital space is a minefield; however, there are ways to be successful. By steering clear of utilizing ad spend and employing an organic content-based strategy, you can grow your social media platform and drive website visits and conversions.

How to Start Advertising Your Cannabis Business

With changing regulations, you may think it’s best to avoid advertising altogether. However, you’ll need a marketing strategy if you want to grow your brand. To do so, work with experts in the field who specialize in marketing cannabis businesses.

At Herban Creative, we’re equipped with the knowledge and experience to launch a fully integrated digital marketing campaign. Our efforts include SEO, social media, and email. We know just how to reach your audience—while navigating online restrictions. Contact us today to learn more!

References

[1] “Map of Marijuana Legalization by States in 2020 (Medical & Recreational).” WeedNews, 14 May 2020, https://www.weednews.co/marijuana-legality-states-map/

[2] “Self-Regulationin the Alcohol Industry.” Federal Trade Commission, March 2014, https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/self-regulation-alcohol-industry-report-federal-trade-commission/140320alcoholreport.pdf

[3] “Dangerous Products or Services.” Google, https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/6014299?hl=en

[4] “Advertising Policies: Prohibited Content.” Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/policies/ads/#

[5] “What is Instagram’s policy on the sale of marijuana?” Instagram, https://help.instagram.com/789164081427334?helpref=related