With twelve years and more than 100 billion monthly U.S. users under its belt, Instagram has inarguably been established as a giant in the social media world. With 90% of people following one or more businesses on the app, it’s become so much more than simply a place to share photos. Now, Instagram is a digital marketing opportunity you can’t afford to miss.

But for those that have built a business on the beloved green bud — that is, cannabis — Instagram advertising is a decidedly gray area. The good news is that, with the right approach, you can still use Instagram to grow your business.

In this guide to social media marketing for dispensaries, we’re arming you with five essential tips for an Insta-worthy strategy.

5 Tips to Promote a Dispensary on Instagram

Instagram can be a powerful marketing tool, as long as you play by the rules — and have a few handy tricks up your sleeve. Here are our top tips to help you make the most of Instagram for your budding marketing plan.

1.  Connect with Micro-Influencers to Serve as Brand Ambassadors

If you’ve spent even a short amount of time on Instagram, you’ve probably realized how much of a presence influencers have. According to Semrush, 2020’s global Instagram market was worth a whopping $2.3 billion and growing. Plenty of top-performing and celebrity influencers earn hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single post. But for the average dispensary, shelling out half a million dollars for one share isn’t even close to realistic.

But that doesn’t mean you should write off influencer marketing completely. Instead, aim to partner with local micro-influencers on a manageable budget for good results. Bigger isn’t always better, and this is especially true for dispensaries and influencer marketing.

Micro-influencers are typically characterized as those with a following of 10,000 to 50,000 users. Often, these influencers have a significant local following versus one that stretches across the national or international base. The perks of micro-influencer marketing include:

• A small but highly focused audience with an impressive rate of engagement
• Users often perceive them as more authentic
• More affordable partnerships

Identify the micro-influencers that can link you to various customer cohorts, maximizing your reach across as many markets as possible.

2.  Go Easy on Self Promotion

Even though you can’t use Instagram for direct cannabis advertising, it’s easy to fall into the trap of posting too much promotion-oriented content. In general, social media should never be used solely for self-promotion. Rather, strengthening your brand and keeping it top of mind is a far more fitting goal.

Users aren’t interested in seeing a constant stream of shameless self-promotion and won’t hesitate to hit the “unfollow” button if they feel like they’re being spammed. But they do want a diverse range of interesting and relevant content, which you can strategically utilize as a branding tool.

A good rule of thumb is limiting self-promotion to no more than one weekly post. The bulk of your content should target the interests and needs of your audience, so you can build brand authority and establish a solid online presence among your target users.

3.  Post a Wide Variety of Educational Content

So, if you can’t post a ton of self-promotional content and ads are completely off the table, how do you use Instagram to market a dispensary? The answer lies in high-quality, original content that can interest, educate, and even entertain your followers.

Your target consumers are most likely searching for information about cannabis products (including edibles, concentrates, flowers, and others), how cannabis can improve their lives, and the latest news in the cannabis industry. Whether they are new or seasoned cannabis enthusiasts, your audience will view you as a trustworthy brand if you consistently share accurate and educational content.

This doesn’t mean that every post has to feel like a lecture in a cannabis-centric classroom. Some ideas for Instagram content for dispensaries can include:

• Insights from your dispensary budtenders
• Background information about different brands
• Dispensary and industry news
• Updates on cannabis research

4.  Utilize Video in a Creative Way

The Instagram algorithm is like an all-mighty force that controls if and when users actually see your content. When users scroll their feeds, it’s common for video content to have a much stronger presence than stills. Features such as Instagram Reels are heavily pushed via the algorithm, making video marketing content a must.

Your Reels and Stories don’t have to be Hollywood-level blockbusters, so try not to overthink them. Instead, come up with fun and creative ways to represent your brand using the short-format video.

5.  Don’t Ignore the Instagram Guidelines

Regarding dispensary marketing on Instagram, the platform’s Community Guidelines make it (relatively) clear that advertising the sale of cannabis is not allowed. It doesn’t matter that your dispensary operates in a state where medical and recreational cannabis is legal; because marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, it’s a no-go on Instagram.

So, why do you still see dispensary Instagram accounts that are blatantly advertising the products they sell? Unfortunately, Instagram is notorious for being inconsistent about deleting cannabis accounts that break the rules. But even so, it’s not a risk worth taking.

This inconsistency means that all reputable cannabis brands need to be incredibly careful about what they post. Sure, one account might get away with posts that clearly violate the guidelines (at least for the time being). However, others are wiped from existence simply for pushing the boundaries just a bit.

For dispensaries on Instagram, it’s imperative to avoid the following in your images, videos, and text:

• References to prices
• Mentions of a sale, discount, promotional pricing, and others
• Anything that states you offer any cannabis product for sale
• Product menus
• Links to products, online store, store locator, or any page that helps people figure out how to buy cannabis from your dispensary

Instagram advertising for dispensaries means treading very carefully, but when done properly, it can easily become one of the most effective components of your digital marketing strategy.

Master Dispensary Marketing and See Your Brand Thrive

Navigating the many rules and regulations for online advertising for cannabis can be a challenge, but it’s one you don’t have to tackle alone. With help from the professionals at Marijuana Marketing Xperts, you can figure out how to market a dispensary while still staying within the ever-changing guidelines.

Our experienced and knowledgeable team understands the many nuances of dispensary marketing, from Instagram rules to the Google algorithm. We’ll work with you to develop a tailored strategy that suits your unique goals, delivering measurable results and sustainable success.

For more information about how to use Instagram for dispensary marketing, contact Marijuana Marketing Xperts today!