Marketing CBD on Social Media? Here’s What You Need to Know
The CBD industry has taken off like the gold rush, and hundreds of new CBD brands have opened up all over the U.S. If you’re one of those new shops, you’ll quickly find that CBD no longer sells itself. Despite it being a multi-billion-dollar industry, there’s some skepticism that surrounds the product. Plus, you’re competing with better-established brands that have been around for years.
As a CBD marketer, it doesn’t take you long to realize that there are specific challenges associated with CBD marketing. After reading about CBD and marketing tactics, you’ll see you’re not the only one running into roadblocks right and left as you seek to curate the perfect marketing plan. Beyond that, you’ll also struggle to stay competitive with so many other CBD companies out there.
Social media is one of the best marketing platforms out there as long as you know what you’re doing as far as CBD is concerned. It takes a creative and consistent approach to succeed in the realm of marketing. Here’s what you need to know.
Know the Laws Surrounding CBD
As a marketer, it’s essential that you know what makes CBD legal. If you falsely market CBD or do something illegal, you could be held legally responsible. Here are a few key laws that you need to understand:
- Only CBD with a THC content of less than 0.3 percent can be sold legally online.
- CBD is only legal across the country when purchased online.
- You can only sell CBD in physical shops in states that have legalized cannabis products.
- You cannot legally falsely advertise the benefits of CBD.
- Your CBD products must contain the content you advertise it to have.
These are a few of the main federal regulations that must be followed when marketing CBD products. You should also look into your state laws and any other federal laws that may govern your marketing campaign.
Understand CBD Advertising Bans
Some major advertising platforms have enforced strict bans on CBD advertising, and your social media strategy may be affected. Google and Facebook (and any of its subsidiaries including YouTube and Instagram) do not allow CBD advertisements. A few other social media platforms have the same rules, so research terms and conditions carefully before trying to post an advertisement.
Thankfully, many of these platforms have softened their rules according to recent announcements. Both Google and Facebook now allow advertisements for topical creams and ointments that are not intended for internal consumption. Most social platforms have followed suit, which is great news for marketers!
Always review the terms and conditions of social advertising platforms to ensure you’re abiding by their rules. You could face legal penalties or be banned from the social site if you don’t comply.
Note CBD’s Strong Points
Most of your social media marketing strategy will revolve around your own posts, since you can’t use boosted advertisements for anything other than creams and topicals. So, make the best of it by focusing on the strongest points of CBD, specifically the products you sell.
Despite increased positive media surrounding the best CBD oil, there are still many misconceptions circling the industry. People still believe that it will get you high and is in the same class as marijuana. They might also believe that it comes with many negative side effects and is illegal to consume in their state. Your social posts can help to clear up any misconceptions in this regard.
You can also focus on customer experiences as anecdotal evidence that CBD can treat a number of physical and mental health problems. As you explore their stories, point out the areas where your CBD products or service excels above that of big-name companies in the industry.
Tap into Influencer Marketing
CBD marketers are relying heavily on influencer marketing simply because it works! It’s one of the most effective ways to market your products because you’re using the endorsement of a person in whom a large community trusts.
Essentially, you’ll choose an influencer that’s a great fit for your brand. They should have above 10,000 followers for optimum effectiveness. These small-time influencers have a close-knit community always looking for the next best thing in health and wellness. If you have a massive marketing budget, you could try for a celebrity endorsement as well.
You’ll provide products for your chosen influencer to try, and they’ll come up with a marketing campaign to share their thoughts according to what you pay. Most influencers won’t make an inauthentic review, so it’s important to provide the best products to someone who is likely to like what they try.
Build Your Content
Content building is one of the best ways to stay competitive in a rapidly growing market. Even some of the most well-established CBD companies don’t have a large body of content on their websites or a link-building posting strategy on other publications.
This is your chance to stand out. Focus on building up high-quality content that will boost your search engine rankings and get you customers. There are millions of people researching CBD every day, many of which know very little about it. If you can provide the best and most thorough answers to their questions, they’re more likely to buy from you than from another brand.
With your large content body, you’ll have ample information to share on your social media platforms. It’s easily one of the easiest and most effective methods of distribution, and you’ll be amazed at the way your customer body grows.
Shape a Community
The more you interact with customers on social media, the more you’ll come to realize that those who buy CBD regularly are seeking more than just quality products—they also want a community of individuals who have discovered the life-altering benefits of CBD and will willingly share their experiences.
If you know how to use social media for your CBD business, you’ll focus on the consumer, not the products. You’ll provide them a place to share and partake in CBD-related content they can truly enjoy. It will be a safe and comfortable place for them to share their experiences, gather more information, and launch conversations.
CBD marketing on social media is not an easy business with the current restrictions in place, but you can see rousing success if you’re knowledgeable about the process and willing to employ creative tactics.
We hope you enjoyed this promoted piece as much as we did!
