How to Grow Your Instagram Following as a Cannabis Business

cannabis on Instagram

The world that we live in presently is highly dependent on what happens on social media. With a vast majority of the world’s population on at least one social media platform, it is no surprise that the importance of social media to businesses around the world is very crucial. Instagram is particularly important in this aspect as it boasts of over 1 billion users. Although it is the third most used social media platform behind Facebook and YouTube, it is the best social media platform when it comes to harnessing the benefits of digital marketing.

Building a strong social media platform is very important for cannabis businesses. Social media platforms help to ensure that more people know about your products which can increase your overall revenue. Unfortunately, there are restrictions around cannabis-related content on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. This is largely due to the difference in policies and regulations in different countries. The presence of such restrictions handicaps the effectiveness of cannabis businesses in terms of attracting followers and customers. Read on as we look into some of the steps that can be taken to increase your Instagram following and overall reach as a cannabis business.

A closer look at Instagram Marketing

Instagram boasts of a very active youth population on its platform with most of its active users being within the range of 18 and 24. This makes it the ideal social media platform for cannabis businesses despite the fact that Facebook and YouTube have more users. Instagram is specially designed to suit the requirements of e-commerce marketing. The platform is dominantly based on visuals which means brands can easily use quality images to attract customers. Top brands everywhere make use of this to reach a different type of customers that they might not be able to reach physically.

Statistics also favor Instagram marketing for business as surveys have shown that 85% of Instagram users learn about new products and new services on the platform. Another important statistic is that 90% of accounts on Instagram follow at least one business brand on the social network. 54% of users also affirm that they have purchased products seen on their Instagram feed. With such high numbers, it’s no surprise why businesses are heading to Instagram. This is why it is important to know how to grow your Instagram account as a cannabis business.

Cannabis businesses and Instagram

The existing policy on Instagram for cannabis businesses is that they are not allowed to make advertisements of cannabis products on the platform. This doesn’t put into consideration whether the product is legal in your location. Defaulters of this policy run the risk of losing their account along with followers that they might have accrued over time. How then can one boost following as a cannabis business on Instagram? Here are some quality tips you should try.

Maximize your Bio

Instagram does not allow cannabis businesses to put contact information like phone number, physical address, and email address on their bio. Nonetheless, it allows cannabis businesses to show their website address on their bio. This means that as a cannabis business, you need to maximize the info in your bio to properly promote your brand. With 150 characters, different businesses have been able to tell their viewers and followers the major things to know about their businesses. As a cannabis business, you must ensure that your business name is well written on your bio. This is because it is possible for the IG name of the brand to be slightly different from the actual business name. Other important information like your brand's identity and niche will help to attract customers.

Have a distinct brand identity

While it may not be possible for cannabis businesses to go all out and advertise their products on Instagram, it also helps to have a distinct identity as a brand. This helps followers and customers to easily identify with your brand. When utilized properly, a brand identity can help a brand to stand out among the rest and easily attract customers. The brand identity can take any shale or form, it can be funny, energetic, representational, or sarcastic. Whichever form it takes, it helps to build trust in the heart of customers towards your brand.

Create posts the audience can relate to

One important thing when it comes to Instagram is the ability of a brand to properly communicate with the audience. Speaking the language of the customers requires you to know what they want and know how to get what they want to them. This involves using a different types of strategies that go beyond just posting images. Visual storytelling is an example of such a strategy that has been maximized by different brands on Instagram to a good effect. As a cannabis business, it is important to post engaging content that will direct the attention of followers to your page and ultimately your website where products can be purchased.

Make use of brand influencers

Trends on Instagram are mostly the results of waves and moves by influencers on the platform. They come up with trending moves and hashtags on the platform which drives how most people interact on the platform. Using a brand influencer can just be what the doctor ordered for a cannabis business. The influencer can help to attract followers by representing the brand, wearing branded clothes, or visiting the location of the brand’s site. This helps to promote the brand to a wider populace and gets more traffic towards the brand’s Instagram page.

Bottom line

The goal of building a strong cannabis business page on Instagram is to attract followers and promote your brand. If followed diligently, the steps listed above can help take your marketing game to the next level and increase your overall revenue.

The importance of adhering to all the rules and policies stated on social media platforms cannot be overemphasized to prevent the risk of losing your account.