Nearly 95% of internet users also regularly visit one or more social media platforms.
As anybody in the cannabis industry or community knows, however, finding great cannabis social networks isn’t always as easy as just logging on. Most platforms restrict cannabis content in some way or another, and it’s essential to stay compliant with these community guidelines to avoid having your personal or professional account penalized.
As longtime cannabis PR professionals, the team at NisonCo has been using various social networks to talk about cannabis and the cannabis industry for well over a decade. We’re sharing the top seven cannabis social networks we recommend for professionals and enthusiasts alike, as well as some tips on how cannabusinesses can make the most of their social platforms at the end of the article.
The Best Cannabis Social Networks for Socializing
The primary use of social media for most people remains simple: connecting with friends, family, and others who share your passions. These social networks are excellent choices for anyone looking to chat with others about cannabis or potentially do some B2C marketing.
Instagram & Facebook
Meta prohibits the sale or advertisement of cannabis products on all of its platforms. Even if you’re not selling anything, some users report getting shadowbanned for repeatedly using words like “cannabis” on their profile, so be careful what you post.
Despite Meta’s relatively cannabis-unfriendly stance, Instagram and Facebook remain some of the most widely visited social networks and, therefore, maintain vibrant cannabis communities — with some limitations. These are good platforms for connecting personally with other cannabis industry professionals, and they’re great places to post short-form, visual content like images from cannabis conferences since it’s so easy to tag people and share posts.
X (Formerly Twitter)
X is much more cannabis-friendly than Facebook or Instagram, allowing its user base to post relatively openly about cannabis and the cannabis industry. It’s an excellent place for short-form content, images, and even links to other sites that you want to tell people about, like your personal blog or event listings.
X also recently started allowing cannabis advertising from approved cannabis businesses, which could be a massive opportunity for B2C cannabis marketing.
If you’re looking to talk openly about cannabis and the cannabis industry with other folks who are as passionate as you are, Reddit is a great social platform to check out. The terms of service are cannabis-friendly, and there is a niche for virtually every aspect of cannabis culture and business.
The site does not currently allow advertisements for most cannabis products, but as long as you follow the rules of each subreddit, you can talk openly about your company and your products.
Grasscity Forums
Have a question about cannabis? There’s a good chance it’s been answered somewhere in the archives of Grasscity’s Forums. This site started as a place for people to talk about cannabis long before legalization, and it’s remained one of the most vibrant cannabis-specific forum websites out there. Whether you have a question about cultivation, business, or culture or just want to chat with people as passionate about the plant as you are, Grasscity is a great cannabis social media option.
Weedable
People use social media for many reasons, and Weedable aims to fulfill all of them. This general-purpose cannabis social media site borrows elements from most other social media platforms you’re already familiar with and combines them to create a social platform where you can chat about cannabis, learn the latest industry news, and more.
Cannabis Social Media Sites for Professionals
About one-fifth of U.S. employees now work remotely, and more companies are making the switch every year. Though most workers express staunch support for at least partially remote work, connecting requires more conscious effort. Professional social media sites are a boon to those working remotely and those wishing to network with a broader range of professionals. These social networks are great options for cannabis professionals looking to expand their industry connections.
As the largest professional social networking platform, LinkedIn is an excellent resource for professionals in any industry. However, it’s also far more cannabis-friendly than many assume. Though you can’t advertise or sell cannabis products on the platform, you can openly talk about cannabis and the cannabis industry without fear of having your account limited.
Plus, since it has such a vast user base — with over one billion accounts, according to the site itself — it’s an incredible resource for connecting with countless other individuals inside and outside the cannabis industry.
LinkedIn is compatible with virtually any type of post, too, so whether you’re sharing a quick event update or posting long-form content about your thoughts on a cannabis industry trend, you can do so on LinkedIn.
Leafwire
If you like the professional vibe of LinkedIn but want something entirely focused on the cannabis industry, you can try Leafwire. The platform was created for cannabis industry professionals to connect and network without the restrictions they face on other networks, so it’s a great place to openly share information about your company or the industry in general. Leafwire has a much smaller user base than other platforms on this list. Still, because it fills such a specific niche, you can be sure that everyone on the platform is just as excited to network with other cannabis professionals as you are.
Ready to connect with your target audience via cannabis social networks? Click the above image to connect with NisonCo’s experienced team of SEO, PR and lead generation pros to make maximum impact.
How to Boost Your B2B Cannabis Social Media Strategy
Kicking off a successful cannabis social media strategy takes more than simply creating a profile. Here are the top tips we leverage to help our clients succeed on social networks and beyond.
1. Optimize Your Cannabis Social Profile
Social media profiles are just like any other webpage: they can benefit from SEO. A comprehensive SEO strategy will help you and your company appear in searches, improve your credibility, and increase the efficacy of your networking efforts.
You can begin optimizing your profile by filling out all the relevant fields and including high-impact keywords wherever possible. For more tips, check out our blog on how to optimize professional profiles.
If you want to explore internet marketing and profile optimization further, NisonCo offers a full range of cannabis SEO services, including profile optimization.
2. Post Optimized Cannabis Content
A regular posting schedule will help your page stay active and on your followers’ radars. Whether you commit to posting daily or biweekly, make sure to stick to your schedule.
Not all content is created equal, though. Your posts should be optimized, relevant, and provide value to your network. NisonCo’s cannabis content creation services will help you ideate and create rich, engaging, and optimized content to post to your social profiles and strategically crosspost elsewhere to keep your focus on networking.
3. Interact With Other Cannabis Professionals
You can’t just post on social media and leave it at that. You need to interact with others on the platform to make an impact. Interacting with other cannabis professionals, clients and leads on your social platform of choice won’t just grow your network; it will boost your brand presence and make the ubiquitous algorithms more likely to promote your posts.
4. Take Your Networking to the Next Level
You can further deepen your connections with your social media contacts by connecting with them off-platform. Sending emails, arranging meetings, or inviting them to events can all be incredible ways to make the connection more solid and potentially lead to business opportunities for both parties.
NisonCo now offers outbound lead generation and marketing services to help you do just that. We can review your contacts, find new ones, make connections, and even send personalized emails to strengthen your cannabis network or arrange meetings before a conference.
Cannabis PR for Social Media Success
Media marketing services can help your business succeed, whether you choose a social media-centered approach or utilize other channels. Contact us today for more information about NisonCo’s services, including how we can help you boost your cannabis company’s social media presence. And if you’re looking to grow your professional network right away, you can follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
