To my friends, colleagues and influencers in the
cannabis and hemp space, it’s time for some real talk about your social media
profiles: Your Instagram game needs some work.
And sure, Twitter’s great for following fast-moving policy conversations and the ever-expanding international news cycle, but you’re likely spending too much time on the platform. Then there’s Facebook; are you actually using the robust social channel strategically, or are you just posting blindly?
That’s the problem with the business side of social media, regardless of the industry. Because you have a Facebook account, and because you post philosophical questions and political articles and cat videos and industry-specific breaking news on your personal Facebook feed, you feel as if you’re internet-savvy enough to run a Facebook profile for your business or launch a cannabis career online.
The thing is, it doesn’t
translate.
We’ve moved beyond the hand-wringing era of
professionals decrying the construct of a social media coordinator position — “I
could do that!” — and now, an
experienced and educated social lead might be among the highest-paid marketing
team members.
An effective social media presence goes well
beyond the post and “link in bio.”
I know, I know — many of you are hustling and doing it yourself, and props to
your dedication! But whether you’re the DIY CEO running the business and the
social game or the influencer looking to expand your authentic connections,
here are three easy tweaks — mostly focusing on Instagram since it’s generally
the most important channel for cannabis and hemp businesses and influencers — to
elevate your social media program.
Understand The Basics
There are, of course, some basic rules of social
media. They change often, and it’s rare that everyone agrees on anything. And
yet, most professionals generally abide by certain standards and social mores.
Including these:
How often should I post? On Instagram, I recommend four to six posts per week,
thoughtfully spaced out.
Hashtags? Yes, especially when you can meaningfully tie into a trending
tag.
Keywords? Equally
important! Search functionality on social channels behaves just like Google
does.
Geotags? Always.
Most important non-IG channel? It depends, but in these industries, Facebook is the answer — though
I’d recommend exploring the social network to recognize what might work best
for your brand.
Should I ask questions in my posts? Engagement is the single most important element of modern social
media, so yes, though be thoughtful about it. (More on this in a minute.)
And what about calls to action? Why not? Don’t be afraid to sell or drive traffic via your social
channels, though you should keep a majority of your posts non-promotional.
Diversify content? Most definitely, which brings us to…
Create Eye-Catching, Scroll-Stopping Content
Yes, you should absolutely
diversify the content in your IG feeds.
Studies have consistently shown that photos are the most popular content you can post, but those same studies show that fans and followers appreciate a variety of visual content — from branded videos to relevant screengrabs to aesthetically aligned drawings to applicable memes to brand-friendly shared content (with attribution) and graphics created specifically for your social channels.
In short, switch it up, and
make it pretty.
Get Engaged
Second verse, same as the first: Engagement is the single most important
element of modern social media.
What is engagement? It’s engaging with your
friends, answering their questions in the comments and stories. It’s liking
your fans’ feedback, hearting their kind words. It’s sharing your followers’
photos and mentions, especially as they’re interacting with your professional
and individual brands.
Ask yourself this important question: Do you
treat your IG and other social channels like the communities they are?
If your neighbor knocks on your door and you
never answer? If your bestie calls and calls and you never pick up? If your
buddy texts you, then texts again, and then texts a single attention-grabbing
question mark — and you don’t text back? Well, you’re not being a good
neighbor/bestie/buddy, are you?
The same goes for your most trafficked social
channels. If I keep dropping affectionate comments on your ish and you keep
ignoring me, I’ll take the hint — and engage elsewhere. And as I mentioned
before, this is where a scheduling tool can come in especially handy. The more
you schedule your content, the more free time you have for engagement.
TELL US, who runs your favorite
Instagram account?
Originally published in Issue 37 of Cannabis
Now. LEARN MORE
The post 3 Easy Instagram Tweaks for Cannabis Influencers appeared first on Cannabis Now.
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