As many CBD businesses know, the 2018 Farm Bill loosened the tight regulations on CBD products, encouraging growth of the CBD industry. The eased restrictions also opened up a door for marketing opportunities. This gave a chance for CBD businesses to advertise their products on social media platforms like Instagram.
Instagram is one of the best platforms businesses can use to communicate and interact with audiences on social media. Audiences that could turn into your next customers!
With over 1 billion users and going strong, it provides CBD businesses with the opportunity to build brand awareness and push products. However, there is still some confusion for CBD business owners as to how to use Instagram effectively and use it to grow their brand.
Here’s a look at how to best use Instagram for your CBD business.
Why Should I Use Instagram to Promote my CBD Business?
Social media marketing comes with a lot of advantages for businesses. Here are some of the benefits it can bring to your CBD shop.
Increases Traffic
From website traffic to in-store traffic, Instagram gives business owners the potential to move audiences into taking valuable actions. Instagram allows you to create timely and relevant incentives for your customers that will drive visits to your website and online menu or create awareness around in-store offers.
The goal is to gain brand awareness, build trust, make sales and ultimately stay connected for future marketing and promotions.
Creates Brand Awareness
Instagram is a phenomenal platform to generate brand awareness. Establishing your brand on Instagram is a key way to appeal to your target audience, and market your CBD products. Brand awareness, in the simplest of terms, is when people recognize and become familiar with your business.
Instagram creates a window into your business to let customers see what your brand is about, and if it’s relevant to them. If so, you can collect that valuable “Follow.”
Another key to brand awareness is staying top of mind. If people have a need or hear about a CBD product, Instagram may be the first place they explore.
Easy Communication with Your Customers
The most popular way for people to interact with each other these days is through social media. Naturally, this goes for brands too.
Businesses can use their Instagram account to engage with customers in the comment section or through private messages. Response time is critical however, and Instagram rewards accounts that are responsive and active.
Communicating directly with audiences is a fantastic way to get direct feedback on your products and services and enables great customer support.
Customers love businesses that communicate with them and are eager to answer all their questions. This makes your business seem trustworthy and reliable, so they will keep coming back for more.
5 Tips for Your CBD Business to Succeed on Instagram
CBD products are part of the high-risk and highly regulated industry. This is what makes advertising CBD products on social media a challenge. Individual bias towards CBD and your state’s laws contribute to these challenges.
We have provided you with six tips you can use on Instagram to market your CBD products, build a following and create awareness for your CBD business.
1. Connect with CBD Influencers
You can create awareness for your CBD business by using third parties like influencers.
Influencers are Instagram users that have accumulated a large following and are trusted by their followers for lifestyle tips. Instead of using paid ads that violate Instagram’s privacy policy, try investing in influencers.
Several CBD businesses now hire influencers to help them advertise their CBD products. They already have a relationship with their followers, so you don’t have to do the groundwork. Cannabis influencers are a good investment as they have spent time and effort creating their reputation, so they will be careful and professional when advertising your CBD products.
If you decide to use an influencer, you will have to pay them an agreed-upon amount based on their rate, and in return, they will promote your CBD products on their page. Just note, the more notable the influencer, the larger the audience, the more the spend.
Influencers help get your message and CBD product in front of new audiences. Awareness creates leads, and leads turn to sales. Ensure that you choose an influencer with an excellent reputation that understands CBD and the products you sell so that they can educate their followers correctly.
Hiring influencers also has the advantage of not endangering your Instagram profile as the ads appear on their page and not yours.
2. Utilize Tags
Instagram has a hashtag feature that you can master for your CBD business. Hashtags are an easy way to reach more people, make your content searchable and grow your social media presence. They help lead potential customers back to your products.
Use trending hashtags to promote your products like #cbdoil or #cbdforsleep. Alternatively, you can create branded hashtags to increase brand recognition and generate more user content when they feature your products on their profile. When customers see branded hashtags, they learn to associate them with your brand.
You can also use a tool called Geotags, which works like hashtags, except it adds geographic locations of your mobile device. Geotags can help customers find your CBD shop by its exact location and bring up the posts with that same tag. For instance, instead of just using #cbdoil, you can use #coloradocbdoil.
3. Create Unique CBD Visuals
People have a short attention span, especially when it comes to Instagram and its hundreds of thousands of posts a day. So how can you break through?
The way you present your CBD products on your Instagram profile matters. Many people will not take the time to read long posts but will stop for visuals instead. When it comes to your store’s profile on Instagram, consistency in imaging, aesthetics and tone is essential to avoid copying other brands and drive users’ attention.
Make use of images, gifs, videos and graphics. Promote your CBD products with unique and compelling visuals to draw more traffic to your profile.
For instance, you can post images or videos of your popular CBD products and how they can be used. Show your customers how to incorporate your CBD products into their daily routine. Remember to add a trending hashtag to make your visuals more searchable.
4. Build A Following
If you want your CBD products to sell, people need to know about them. This is where building a following is important. However, building your audience base doesn’t happen overnight. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Ensure that you are consistently active on your Instagram profile. Post frequently to build trust with your followers. Interact with your customers, answer any questions and provide helpful information on the products you are selling. Ensure you are engaging with questions or likes as soon as possible.
Tag any new followers on your profile if they use any of your products, and chat with them about your CBD products. Create a connection with your followers by providing relevant and informative content. You can also repost content from other CBD businesses in your area because chances are they will return the favor, and this can bring more traffic to your page.
5. Keep Your CBD Ads Local
The point of an Instagram profile is, of course, to draw in more followers and customers. But you also want to make sure you’re drawing in the right type of customer.
Keeping it local is an essential part of that. Focus on targeting customers in your location first. When you focus on your area, you build trust with your community regarding your CBD products, and they can even help you advertise through word of mouth. You can keep your CBD ads local by:
Using Geotags such as #NYCCBD to help your customers find your CBD store
Mentioning or tagging other local businesses in your area
Posting about your community, such as any community-related events
Get ‘Gramming
Whether you run an online store or a brick-and-mortar business, you need a social media presence to stay relevant. Many people now turn to social media platforms to help them find the products they need.
Take advantage of the prominent market that Instagram provides and help your CBD business grow by using social media to create relevant content, stay connected with your followers and provide informative content.
How Can Merrco Help?
Merrco is a payment processing company that is here to provide your CBD business with our solutions and services that make payment processing easy, safe and secure. Please email us at info@merrco.com or contact us on our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages for more information.