Tips for Successful Educational Content Marketing in Cannabis

Every piece of content we create should deepen our customer’s trust in us. Especially in the cannabis space. 

Educational content marketing has the dual benefit of placing us as experts in the market and also lifting the fog on a sometimes maligned product. 

We know, though, that it also takes time and investment to make an impact. How can we be sure we’re investing our energies in the right place?

Recognize the mood of the moment

Consumers are likely more concerned about their health and wellbeing than ever. They might be more interested in learning more about cannabis and anxiety or even be trying to grow their own cannabis at home.

If you work with brands, you might find that they have seen increased profits because of stockpiling, but they are likely worried about blocked access to venture capital. 

Create programming that speaks to the immediate concerns and interests of your target audience. 

Demystify the product

People know less about cannabis than you might think. Researchers from the University at Buffalo and the University of Michigan found consumer knowledge of cannabinoids and dosing is very low. They asked 500 frequent cannabis users—at a marijuana advocacy event at the University of Michigan—about what they considered to be effective doses of THC and CBD. The majority of respondents didn’t know, despite two-thirds using cannabis every day.

If you’re B2C, what type of content could empower your target audience to have more confidence in their purchasing decisions around cannabis?

Develop a content niche

In our mission to elucidate the world of cannabis to our audience, we should still carve out a niche for ourselves. Anyone in the cannabis space could create a piece of content titled, “what is the difference between Indica and Sativa?” People are so over-saturated with content that they’ll only pay attention to the things that feel super relevant. Get to know your audience through some careful social listening. Do they care about the environment or craftsmanship? Are they foodies? Or are they into new spiritualism? How do those topics intersect with yours?

Monitor trends

More widely, you can use Google Trends, YouTube Trending Topics, or even the entries on the search bar on your own website to find out the questions people have about your product or service.  

Partner up 

Now more than ever, business-owners are embracing collaboration over competition. Partnering with other companies can help you leverage their reach—and them yours. It could be another cannabis company, but it’s more important that you share an audience than an industry. People are using cannabis in different areas of their lives, so you could partner with a local yoga practitioner to promote a webinar about the history of yoga and marijuana and live demo, or with a chef of a high-end restaurant who’s at home unable to work but has a great insight into food pairings. 

Test different channels and media

As media consumers, we’re used to watching or listening to low-production content made on phones or laptops. Because there are so many content tools—and we’re all also getting used to new ways of communicating—we no longer expect things to feel seamless or high-budget. This gives creators space to experiment with different channels and media without investing in equipment or software. 

Look up the demographics of notable media platforms, like Twitch, Instagram Live, Facebook Live, SoundCloud, or Medium to find out where your target audience is likely to be. Then start creating! And test and assess your content as you go to see what has the most impact. 

Don’t be afraid to have an opinion

You’re the expert in this space. If you’re concerned about the wealth of inequities and injustices in the cannabis industry, you should be able to argue that fully in your educational content.

The best brands take a stand. According to Streambank Media, “Opinions are attractive. You may think that if you’re lukewarm on every topic and never offend anyone, you’ll attract a broader audience. But if you hover in the middle and don’t take a stand, you’ll attract very few people with your wishy-washy attitude.”

Encourage feedback and participation

Keep your audience engaged with opportunities to participate, whether through comments, polls, or live questions, depending on the medium. It’ll increase your content’s visibility, bring your customers closer to you, and also teach you a bit about where your audience’s knowledge base and interest level.

Serialize it

Once you’ve successfully tested your content, think about a longer-term strategy in which you serialize a topic over several weeks. You’ll have the advantage of digging deep into a subject with your audience and creating a more searchable legacy as a topic leader.