The Cannabis Industry’s Secret Weapon for Successful Social Media Marketing in 2023

by | Feb 9, 2023 | Business Strategy

Marketing cannabis products on social media is anything but easy in 2023. Many of the most widely-used social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter, won’t allow cannabis to be advertised. Fortunately, the new year has brought promising, new social media marketing trends for cannabis brands to utilize. And one that sticks out most to us is influencer marketing.

Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing in which businesses collaborate with well-known social media users, known as ”influencers,” to promote products and services. In recent years, influencer marketing has grown substantially in popularity. Businesses increasingly find value in reaching consumers through trusted voices within their communities. This has major potential upside for the cannabis industry.

Take a look at some of the primary benefits of influencer marketing below:

  1. Micro-influencers: As the influencer market becomes more saturated, many businesses are turning to smaller influencers with a niche following and higher engagement rates.
  2. Authenticity: Consumers have become more skeptical of traditional advertising. So, influencer marketing focuses more on authenticity and transparency, and less on traditional marketing.
  3. Long-term Partnerships: Many businesses are moving away from one-off collaborations with influencers. Instead, they’re establishing long-term partnerships.
  4. Diversification: Companies are expanding influencer marketing campaigns to diversify by collaborating with influencers across multiple platforms, including TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. For the cannabis industry, this means that influencers can promote previously forbidden products on platforms by promoting their content as original and organically formed opinions.
  5. Integrated Approach: Instead of standalone campaigns, more businesses incorporate influencer marketing into their marketing strategies to achieve cohesiveness with their broader campaigns.

Influencer marketing isn’t a brand new concept. However, until recently, it wasn’t readily accessible to smaller businesses with smaller budgets than brands like Gymshark. As the cannabis industry continues to grow, cannabis brands should look for opportunities to reap the benefits of influencer marketing.