LOS ANGELES (April 24, 2019) – In the digital age, companies must take their message directly to the masses. Cannabis companies, especially. Shut out of many traditional forms of advertising, brands are relying on social media and influencers to fill the void.
mg Magazine’s (mgretailer.com) special April #SocialMedia issue features tips from a wide variety of professionals, both within and outside the cannabis sector, who use social media platforms daily to extend their brand reach, gather data, drive sales, interact with consumers and fans, or all of the above. Social media is always on their minds.
“Social media plays a critical role in giving cannabis brands the opportunity to connect with customers and their communities when their hands are often tied by regulatory restrictions,” said Gretchen Gailey, vice president of New York-based KCSA Strategic Communications. “While cannabis is still considered uncharted territory by many in the marketing space, social media allows cannabis companies to build brand awareness and reach billions of potential customers even if they are unable to sell on the platforms.”
One of the industry’s most colorful personalities, Michael “BigMike” Straumietis, founder and chief executive officer of Advanced Nutrients, has amassed almost 3 million followers on his @BIGMIKE Instagram account. He explained the important role that influencers play in social media marketing. “They’re great for marketing your products to niche audiences, because they are already embedded and trusted within that community,” he told mg. “But they have to be authentic.”
The influencers we spoke with come from every conceivable background, from medical patients and advocates to former models, and even an accountant. “I never in a million years thought I would be in this position, doing what I’m doing, putting bags of weed pictures on my LinkedIn profile for all people to see,” said Washington-based advocate and influencer Bess Byers (@IMCANNBESS, who appears on the April cover). “My super-Catholic mom is telling people at church about it. My grandmas are using topicals. It’s amazing.”
Believe the hype. See what’s behind all the SHARES and LIKES.
Read the April cover story: https://mgretailer.com/business/marketing-promo/cannabis-social-media-marketing/
Media outlets wishing to reprint any portion of this story may do so by crediting the original source, mgretailer.com.
mg’s April issue is available at Barnes & Noble, or call (310) 421-1860 to obtain a copy.
About mg Magazine
mg is the leading trade media organization for the legal cannabis industry. Called “weed’s hybrid of Forbes and Inc.,” mg analyzes and demystifies the people, plants, and products fueling the unprecedented growth of a renegade business culture slowly emerging from decades of federal prohibition. Visit mgretailer.com.
About CANN Media Group LLC
mg is a division of CANN Media Group LLC, which also publishes the trade journal CBD Today and a variety of supplements focused on specific verticals within the cannabis industry. Visit CANNmg.com.
Media Contact: Adella - Adella@CannMG.com