EXCLUSIVE: Building Media Presence Is A 'Slow Grind' For Cannabis Brands But It Pays Off

"If you just sit back and don’t do anything, you’re never gonna win," Steve Council, founder of Council Collective told Benzinga’s Market Spotlight: California conference last month.

Council and Alice Moon talked about how social media presence can be leveraged to drive business in the cannabis space. Moon, a cannabis publicist, is the co-founder and CMO at High On Plants.

Having tens of thousands of followers on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram, Moon and Council agreed that establishing a social media presence doesn't happen overnight.

"My keep takeaway for this panel would be putting in the work pays off," Moon said, adding "It’s a slow grind."

Council, who names Instagram as the number one social media platform, agreed, adding "It’s like taking a pinto down a racetrack."

"You never really know what people are gonna like, and you can never cater to the audience the way that you think you’re going to," he said. "So if you just sit back and don’t do anything, you’re never gonna win."

Cannabis Businesses Need To Be More Creative

Council said that while marketing on Instagram is low-cost, there’s a challenge for those seeking to promote their cannabis brand or business as the platform does not allow cannabis references. Enter creativity.

Instead, Council proposes "a lot of logo work."

"Having it [cannabis] somewhere that’s a little bit more hidden," is a way to get the most out of an Instagram post, he said.

Moon agreed.

"When it comes to cannabis, you cannot say the word cannabis, you cannot say marijuana," she said referring to Instagram. "If you do, you get your post taken down."

Instead, she proposes being "cautious of your words, be cautious of your imagery," while using words like "flower" and "broccoli," alluding to cannabis.

See also: My Cannabis Brand Was Shut Down By Instagram, Here’s How We Rebounded

These thorny social media topics will surely be discussed at the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, which is returning to Florida at a new venue in Hollywood on April 16 and 17, 2024. The two-day event at The Diplomat Beach Resort will be a chance for entrepreneurs, both large and small, to network, learn, and grow. Renowned for its trendsetting abilities and influence on the future of cannabis, mark your calendars — this conference is the go-to event of the year for the cannabis world. Get your tickets now on bzcannabis.com – Prices will increase very soon!

Moon's platform of choice is LinkedIn, where she’s engaged as a strategist. LinkedIn, like X (formerly Twitter) barely censors cannabis content, she said. "I love to use LinkedIn for business growth. One post can lead to you don’t even know how many new clients because you don’t know who’s seeing it."

Best Way To Build A Brand's Media Presence

Either way, both Moon and Council are on the same page when it comes to the best way to build a brand's presence on social media.

Building a personal brand to build a personal connection with the customer is key.

"People connect with people first over our brand," she said. "So people are going to go and they want to see who is behind a company. They want to know those people, they want to know that they are feeling good about supporting a brand."

Council said building a personal brand alongside the business is the way to go. He, however, did a personal brand first.

It also "comes down to understanding what you want to put all your energy into," he said.

Now read: Video: Why Social Media Platforms Flag Influencers Who Promote Cannabis Products – And Tips To Avoid It

High On Plants Co-Founder and CMO Alice Moon, first from left, speaks during a panel on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at Benzinga's Cannabis Market Spotlight: California in Culver City. Photo by Dustin Blitchok.