How to Advertise Your CBD Brand | Cannabis Marketing
Advertising CBD and cannabis isn’t as easy as advertising candy bars. The rules and regulations for advertising your cannabis brand can be pretty perplexing. Corey Higgs from THC Creative Solutions joins to give us a few tips for marketing your cannabis business.
RELATED POST: How to Grow Your Cannabis Business
RELATED POST: How to Market Your Cannabis Brand
Advertising CBD on Social Media
Cannabidiol, mostly known as CBD, is a non-psychoactive extract from the cannabis plant, mostly seen in the form of oils, capsules, and vapes. CBD products have become extremely popular, which has resulted in many enthusiastic entrepreneurs entering the CBD market. If you are one of the many interested in this business you may want to know more about advertising of CBD in social media, we can help you answer the question: Can I advertise CBD in social media.
What Advertising Laws Regulate CBD?
Advertising your CBD brand is essential to the success of your CBD brand. CBD based products have grown exponentially among individuals looking for natural supplements to incorporate in their daily routines, but if you are an entrepreneur making your name in the CBD market, you might have already realized that the marketing part of this business is a little more complicated than the common advertising strategies other types of companies implement.
The reason is very simple, yet it might not be completely satisfactory for you. CBD advertising laws are blurry and unclear because the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) regulations for CBD are complicated and rigid. Even though all states have passed laws legalizing the use of CBD, of course, they have varying degrees of restrictions, the FDA has not yet recognized CBD as a true medication. This means that even though it is very popular to hear among individuals all the amazing CBD’s benefits to combat sleep disorders, anxiety, digestive issues, even chronic pain, you are not allowed to advertise your product with that description.
The reason for the FDA not recognizing CBD’s products as medicinal in unknown, some may state it’s because of lack of research, others consider it to be because of the federal government’s stand on marijuana as a whole, what we do know for sure is that this is the official statement of the FDA’s former commissioner Scott Gottlieb:
“Among other things, the FDA requires a cannabis product (hemp-derived or otherwise) that is marketed with a claim of therapeutic benefit, or with any other disease claim, to be approved by the FDA for its intended use before it may be introduced into interstate commerce. This is the same standard to which we hold any product marketed as a drug for human or animal use. Cannabis and cannabis-derived products claiming in their marketing and promotional materials that they’re intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of diseases (such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, psychiatric disorders, and diabetes) are considered new drugs or new animal drugs and must go through the FDA drug approval process for human or animal use before they are marketed in the U.S. Selling unapproved products with unsubstantiated therapeutic claims is not only a violation of the law, but also can put patients at risk, as these products have not been proven to be safe or effective. This deceptive marketing of unproven treatments raises significant public health concerns, as it may keep some patients from accessing appropriate, recognized therapies to treat serious and even fatal diseases.”
Can I Advertise CBD in Social Media?
Advertising CBD on social media isn’t as easy as you might expect. There are over 300 million internet users in America, who expend insanely high amounts of hours each day online, so it is a smart business strategy to consider Social Media for the advertisement of your product
But when it comes to CBD advertising in social media it gets more complicated than just using an ad-buying platform like any other business. The strict regulation the FDA implemented to the advertisement of CBD has resulted in major platforms, such as Twitter and Google deciding to not allow CBD ads in their sites. Meaning you can not buy ad space.
Facebook, or any platform owned by Facebook, have followed the same regulations in their Advertising Policy. Recently they announced it would become more flexible on the advertisement of CBD products, meaning that you could publish ads promoting hemp products via the social networking platform, the catch is that only topical products would be permitted. Limitations are still present so don’t be too surprised if your brand is not considered to meet those new guidelines.
Are You Sure I Can’t Advertise CBD on Twitter?
Advertising CBD on social media might be your first thought but consider the risks. Maybe you saw an ad on social media that sold a CBD product, it is not impossible for brands to pass through these platforms regulations, but they all risk not only getting their ads disapproved but also getting their account shut down. Hence, we recommend you to consult with experienced cannabis lawyers who can guide you into finding the smartest and safest way to advertise your CBD product without taking unnecessary risks.
Be aware that the policies of these platforms are constantly changing so make sure you find proper guidance before making an advertisement move.
How Should I Advertise CBD?
When advertising CBD the most important thing you should take into consideration is that you can’t refer to the medical or healing benefits of CBD in its advertisement. Here are some other tips you should know while creating your marketing strategy:
- Be careful in how you word your product, avoid making claims that involve CBD as the solution to any medical condition.
- Always suggest your customers consult with their doctor or a medical professional about their treatment.
- When it comes to reviews, testimonials, or descriptions of the product, make sure you refer to users and not scientific data as your source.
- Always make your CBD advertising language clear and honest.
Marketing Your Cannabis Brand
Cannabis marketing is digital marketing that shows you how to advertise your CBD brand among the various cannabis products by the medical cannabis industry via a wide range of media, including television and radio. Some federal laws govern it. Some or all types of cannabis marketing are illegal in most jurisdictions.
Advertising that’s not covered by the law may occur through social media or print ads. This is often done through companies that buy ad space from companies that produce marijuana-related products. Companies that advertise marijuana can sometimes be fined or lose their licenses. They may be subjected to more stringent regulation on other areas of marijuana-related digital marketing.
Cannabis Marketing in the Future
According to the predictions, the cannabis industry is estimated to be worth $7 billion annually. Some expect the number could reach $10 billion over the next decade. While the amount is staggering, the number of establishments offering marijuana-related services, such as marijuana stores, is overgrowing.
To get cannabis advertisements approved by the public relations industry, companies must show the right amount of research and media support. The company must work with a firm that has experience handling cannabis business advertisements. To ensure the ads are appropriate, relevant, and up to date.
Cannabis Marketing for Your CBD Brand
A public relations firm may be hired by the company to conduct research and write an ad for them to post on a website or in the newspaper. The firm will take all the facts and figures to include relevant statistics on the number of sales and revenues for the specific product. The public relations team will then create an ad that is appealing to the target audience.
In most instances, the public relations staff will work with a consultant. These people will analyze what the cannabis campaign will look like, what kind of content is being displayed, and where it will be placed. They will design the layout and make sure the campaign includes everything needed to attract viewers to their brand name. The consultants may also coordinate media for the campaign, such as posters or brochures.
To meet the requirements set forth by the public relations agency, companies will need to pay the services of a consultant. This company will help develop a marketing plan that includes the following:
- What kinds of media should be used
- How long the ads will run
- How much space should be applied
A successful campaign includes creativity, quality, and focus.
Cannabis Advertising on Google
Cannabis consumers have been turning away from traditional advertisements for years, and now they are ready to see something new. As the demand for recreational marijuana grows, more stores are opening across the country, and there is a definite need for more pot retail outlets. In the meantime, many online users are turning to the internet to do their research.
There are websites, blogs, and even online forums dedicated to discussing the marijuana industry. There are many cannabis marketing agencies, some of which specialize in search engine marketing.
Google is making some changes in its organic search results for the cannabis industry. At the same time, Google is moving away from a site-by-site approach and instead will take a page-by-page approach to determine which sites should not be included in its organic search results.
If you are a business that would like to place ads in advertising, then you will want to make sure you read Google’s news in this area. If you have never seen a Google ad before, you will probably be surprised by the amount of information it provides. You can quickly learn everything from basic facts about marijuana to current regulations in each state regarding the cannabis business, and the laws that govern CBD brand advertising in general.
Google’s goal in this area is to ensure that users can find the information they need for their cannabis marketing strategy, without having to go to outside sources.
The good news for small business owners is that Google is starting to include cannabis advertising on its results pages. This means that you don’t have to pay for other kinds of CBD brand advertising to be featured.
If you are wondering what kind of marijuana marketing will be included on Google, keep in mind that it has implemented a policy that requires only relevant and honest information. If you can provide that information, it will show up in your rankings.
Because most searches are performed on Google, your cannabis brand needs to have help from a cannabis marketing agency that will help reach the audience the right way. Find your site, and it would be a good idea to include keywords throughout your site.
Google’s algorithm makes it necessary for you to choose your keywords carefully. That way, you can get the most out of your cannabis business.
As a business owner, once you have the right keywords, you need to use them throughout your site. For example, a page may have the keyword phrase “marijuana,” followed by an explanation of what that means to you. Then you can incorporate a picture or two, a brief description, and your company’s name.
Once you have found the right keywords, you can also make sure that your site has a density increase. By increasing the density, you will be able to display all the information you want on your page simultaneously.
There are many ways to go about the cannabis market, but the right density increases the chances that the search engine will show up. If you can create a density of over 80%, you will benefit from it.
One of our guests on this subject was Corey Higgs from THC Creative Solutions, which is a one-stop-shop, cultivation and brand creation company, and licensing, permitting, and distribution venture. They cover cannabis brand marketing and provide solutions in cannabis advertising on a larger scale. Check more at https://thccreativesolutions.com/
Check Out:
- THC Creative Solutions
- Tom Howard at CannabisIndustryLawyer.com
- Miggy at Cannabis Legalization News
Interested in coming on as a guest? Email our producer at [email protected].
