Features

4 ways to advertise cannabis

Published on March 7, 2019 by The Media Playbook

When you’re running a cannabis business, there are limitations on promoting your brand.

Previously, we talked about confusion around advertising laws and how you can’t promote. Now we’ll look at four ways you can promote pot.

Your website

People need to be able to find you on the internet.

Make sure your site is optimized for mobile — that’s how the majority of people will visit you. Have the basic info about your company readily available. Try to answer the who, what, where, when, why, and how.

Other strong sources of content for your site are an active blog that you use to market on social media, an about section with a call to action, and a page for writers and reporters to crib info.

Keep in mind cannabis sites are required by law to take steps to show they’re intended for a 19+ audience. A box asking for a birthday or confirmation is good enough.

Other websites

Once you have compelling content on your site, don’t bogart it. Make sure others are using your articles and photos; get them talking about your brand and reciprocate by talking about theirs, too.

Social media is a great place to form and foster these relationships. Grow your presence on social media by being engaging and engaged. Read and like other people’s posts, and ask for permission to repost their content and link back to them.

(Message us to collaborate!)

This is important because under The Cannabis Act, you can’t pay people to influence, nor can you promote, boost or sponsor pot-related content, so spreading organically through others is advantageous.

19+ magazines

You are permitted to advertise only brand elements in traditional mainstream newspapers and magazines.

If you want to have more flexibility with the message by using brand preference and promotion, there’s another option: industry magazines. Advertising in a publication that’s subscription-based for 19+ and distributed where only adults can access them gives you more freedom in what you can say.

Magazines are one of the very few places cannabis advertisers can really get creative.

Email newsletters

The same rules as magazines apply for email newsletters for adult audiences.

Newsletters are great for publishing sponsored stories and links. Since you can’t advertise on TV, newsletters (and websites) are also excellent for video ads.

If you want more info about advertising through the oz., email us for our rate guide.