How Snapchat Can Improve Your CBD Marketing

In 2020, CBD brands saw, and are expected to continue to see, tremendous growth. With public opinion of CBD products changing for the better, marketers have an opportunity to inform and entice consumers to continue to take the industry to the next level.

In the CBD industry, marketers face additional challenges that are unique to cannabis. They must balance governmental policies, compliance with digital platforms’ rules, and swaying public perceptions. Additionally, brands need to find a way to stand out among the growing competition.  

This has created an exceptional need for digital marketing to help overcome these challenges and generate wide-scale brand awareness while getting more product into people’s hands. 

Breaking through with Snapchat

Snapchat is a powerful platform for CBD brands who are looking to reach a younger audience. With the largest market for CBD products being in the 18 to 29 age range, it’s important that brands meet their target customers on the platforms they’re using. According to eMarketer, Snapchat provides over 92 million daily active users in North America alone with interactive content with most of those in the target CBD age range.

When advertising on Snapchat, brands can appeal to customers in ways that leave a lasting impression. For example, brands can utilize AR filters to give consumers a way of seeing your product in action or create engaging video content for the Spotlight or Discover pages on the app. 

Creativity is key to getting your brand noticed on Snapchat. Distinctive content that will grab users’ attention is imperative. Snapchat makes this easy for advertisers by supplying templates that can sync with your product catalog. This makes creative Snapchat content that is customized for the look and feel of the platform a lighter lift for your team, furthering your ROI. 

As an additional bonus for marketers, Snapchat is one of the most viable alternatives to Google and Facebook, both with more stringent policies for the CBD market and even a risk of having their entire business banned from running on the sites. Snapchat remains a more reliable and affordable option, ideal option for smaller companies looking to make their mark. 

Finding What Works

On social advertising platforms, it’s important to always keep compliance top of mind to continue to run your ads effectively. While Snapchat’s various regulations do pose an additional challenge, we’ve found that companies who are able to achieve compliance see impressive ad performance on the social network. 

A few things CBD brands should keep in mind when advertising on Snapchat is that the social network does not allow marketing of any edible CBD products, including gummies, capsules, or supplements. Products that are smokable or vapeable are also not allowed. It’s important that you also do not mention or hint at any health benefits in the ad creative or the landing page. Health claims of any kind, including for aiding sleep, are not permitted. 

You can, however, have fun with these ads while adhering to the requirements. Embrace lifestyle images to connect with audiences in an engaging and memorable way. Advertisers can also call out CBD or hemp in the ad copy as long as they specify that the product contains 0% THC to avoid being disapproved by the platform.

With additional hurdles in place for any type of CBD digital marketing, partnering with an experienced ad or marketing agency can help ensure your ads are compliant, interesting to audiences, and maximize your ad dollars. By leaning on seasoned experts who have run campaigns in the space and are knowledgeable on how to achieve optimal success, CBD brands can continue to grow their audience and their revenue on social media, most specifically, Snapchat.