How to Market CBD Oil on Instagram
Over the last few years, major social media companies have been fighting to prevent the advertising of CBD products on their pages. Facebook and its fledgling company Instagram are included in this ban.
Recently, Facebook announced that they would be relaxing their strict ban on CBD advertising, much to the relief of thousands of online and brick-and-mortar CBD dispensaries around the nation. However, they’re still strict about the kinds of ads that can be placed on these platforms.
Now, they do allow some ads featuring non-ingestible CBD that go directly to landing pages, but they still can’t mention CBD products that are ingestible in advertisements.
“Our policy remains the same: We don’t allow people to promote CBD or ingestible hemp on Facebook. The update to non-ingestible hemp was made months ago,” a Facebook spokesperson told DigiDay.
This makes it a little easier for CBD oil marketers, but their options are still very limited. It takes a little creativity and a few legal loopholes to use Instagram to market your best CBD oil products, but it can be done. Here are some tried and true tips for getting more marketing for your CBD business.
Stick to Posting
Instagram’s policy does not allow paid advertisements for CBD products, but it doesn’t inhibit regular posts that might feature your products. The ice is thin here, as you can still become shadow-banned if you say the wrong thing, but a few well-worded posts can go miles for promoting your products among a targeted audience.
For example, you might publish a news article from a neutral publisher that highlights CBD’s many benefits. Then, you might encourage users to search “CBD oil near me” in order to find a great local or online provider like Penguin CBD.
This downplays the promotion, yet followers will associate the CBD information with your company, bringing in more organic reach.
Use Influencers
Instagram influencer marketing is perhaps the most effective method on the platform, simply because it comes from a trusted source. Essentially, you’re asking a well-respected Instagram brand to discuss your products on their page in exchange for a fee. Their endorsement will reach many interested followers, and you’ll likely get at least a few sales from the exchange.
Influencer marketing is somewhat tricky when it comes to CBD products because you’re required to find someone who understands its value and doesn’t buy into common misconceptions about the product.
There are many brands that often endorse cannabis-based products. Do careful research to find a brand that will gain mutual benefit from doing business with you if you want the best bang for your buck.
Content Syndication
Instagram currently has no policy against you posting simple, informative content about CBD. Content syndication is a great strategy for doing so. You can post snippets from your own blog, but it’s even better if the content comes from a third-party source. It gives it more credibility.
Of course, posting blogs to Instagram is challenging because you’re only allowed one link in the bio of your page. However, you can post a CBD-related photo and then copy and paste a piece of the blog post in the photo description. Put the link to the article in your bio, and direct readers to learn more by visiting that link.
Engage Your Followers
Again, informative, useful content is welcome in Instagram’s universe, so use that to your advantage when trying to engage consumers. If you can create strong connections with your audience on Instagram, they’ll remember your brand when they’re ready to buy CBD products, even if you never blatantly advertised it on your page.
There are thousands of CBD brands out there, but the industry is still young. You have time to develop a thriving brand using engagement tactics on Instagram.
Your goal is to post local content, repost content from other local businesses, and boost your online reputation in the CBD industry. Ask questions, run polls, take live videos, and develop a clearly defined personality on your page to get the most comments, likes, and followers from your audience.
Utilize Tags
Hashtags and geotags are immensely powerful on Instagram. They make your content searchable among your audience so that the next time a consumer looks for CBD, and they use Instagram to find it, your brand will pop up.
You’ll want a combination of branded and popular hashtags to promote your content. Popular hashtags are already trending, so they come with a large following. You can find trending hashtags with a simple search in Instagram Insights or Google Analytics.
Branded hashtags are important for brand recognition. This hashtag is only associated with your company, so when consumers see it, they’ll know who it belongs to. Additionally, it’s great for generating user content on Instagram!
Solicit User-Generated Content
You can’t advertise your CBD products, but that doesn’t mean that your customers can’t share. Request that your followers use your branded hashtag to post content of them using your product, passing by your shop, or otherwise engaging with your content or products.
As long as the content they post is not lewd or obscene, it shouldn’t get deleted. It will relate to your company and expand your brand reach. As people see these posts, it will reinforce your brand and encourage customers to purchase from you when they’re in need of CBD products.
Advertising on Instagram is challenging, but it’s not impossible. With a little creativity and an understanding of the rules, you too can maximize your exposure through one of the most popular social media platforms in the U.S.