Stop blaming Meta for failed cannabis marketing and get creative

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Image of Amber Craig — Amber Craig (Courtesy photo)

We continue to hear about cannabis brands facing shadow bans, censorship or flat-out deletion of their accounts on social media.

It happens, because brands continue to do everything these sites tell us not to: violate their policies.

Marijuana has been listed as prohibited content on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram (and pretty much every other social site) since well before it was a legalized substance anywhere in North America.

The policy is filed right under “Drugs and Pharmaceuticals” in Meta’s Community Standards Policy.

There is room for advocates and lobbyists in the cannabis industry to make noise about the apparent archaic nature of such policies.

But for most companies, time and resources are better spent working within the guidelines set not only this platform but also any of the others that restrict marijuana content.

It’s time to stop blaming social media for failed marketing campaigns.

It might be an unpopular thing to say, but your ideas are the only thing restricting your cannabis company’s marketing.

Instead, look at creative ways to innovate and grow brand loyalty without trying to fight an uphill battle.

Restrictions should breed innovation, not stifle it

While every legal jurisdiction has its own unique laws and regulations for marketing and advertising, marketers have always had to look at things differently in this industry because it is regulated.

Marketers that come from traditional industries would certainly find it frustrating to enter a space where you can’t apply the same playbook that has always worked: media spend, print and digital advertising, social media, etc.

When one door (or 20) closes, another opens. This cliche has never been truer than in this instance.

We absolutely must forge a path forward to create brand awareness and do what we are here to do as professionals – sell weed.

What social media restrictions truly afford us is the opportunity to think outside the box. To truly be creative with campaigns and find fresh ways to promote brands and products.

If all cannabis companies use the exact same avenues to market themselves, it becomes a game of who has the biggest budget for marketing and advertising spend, and that’s a game most businesses would lose.

It’s time to be different.

View obstacles as opportunities

Even with heavy promotional restrictions on- or offline, the reality is, there is almost nothing off limits for brands in the cannabis industry – you just have to find a compliant and creative way to do it.

Social media will always be an important piece of the puzzle for any brand; it’s the No. 1 place for product reviews and recommendations, customer-service channels or to discover brands.

Playing with cannabis content on platforms such as Facebook or Instagram is always a risk, because it is listed as content they don’t allow.

If you play there, be prepared to play as safely as possible.

But it can absolutely be done, and many brands have been running social accounts with huge followings and active engagements without having their hands slapped.

The way to play safe is to get creative.

Cannabis might be a new industry, but it’s not a new product; people have been using it for 100 years.

So, we probably don’t need to show pictures of people smoking joints on Instagram; we all know how this product works.

You might have the best flower in the world, but posting it on social media is putting an unnecessary target on your back.

Stop doing what Meta is literally telling you not to do: posting pictures of marijuana and promoting that you sell it.

Perhaps being different is a winning strategy.

Amber Craig has worked in marketing in Canada’s legal cannabis industry for 12 years and currently serves as a fractional chief marketing officer. She also offers an online course teaching cannabis companies and marketers how to avoid censorship. She can be reached at amber@sparkstrategies.info.