Are we cranking out content just to crank out content?



Most of today’s branded cannabis content is just… meh.

As cannabis brands race to carve out a loyal customer base, an ever increasing amount of cannabis “content” is flooding the internet. Without much guidance, many cannabis brands are copying each other when it comes to content creation. Duplicating the same types of content the competition is producing. This has led to a wave of Instagram stoner memes, macrophotography of cannabis flowers, lifestyle shots of cannabis products, and people doing monster bong rips and insanely huge dabs across every social platform.

But most of this style of content lacks any real brand impact. When it comes to the consumer, increasingly, they are tuning out. Consumers unfollowing brands due to fatigue from seeing the “same thing” over and over again. Cannabis brands need to create content that will have a lasting impact on brand awareness and brand recall.

What’s the impact?

Cannabis brands must think about the impact their content will have on the consumer. What message about the brand will the consumer receive? Is the brand message going to resonate with the intended target consumer? How will the content get the consumer to come back to engage with the brand again? Why would the consumer want to share this piece of content?

After all, the whole point of creating content is to foster brand loyalty. And that doesn’t happen by accident. Brand loyalty is carefully crafted and cultivated over time; with each consumer touchpoint. Cannabis brands need to stand out from the pack by creating original, engaging, and memorable cannabis content. All it takes is an understanding of what makes good content, and a commitment to delivering it to consumers. But what makes good cannabis brand content?

There are 3 types of good branded cannabis content.

EDUCATIONAL: Does your cannabis content educate your audience? There is no shortage of topics in cannabis a brand can cover. Everything from how to roll a joint to understanding terpenes. Anyone who views this type of cannabis content should be able to walk away with one fact or insight into cannabis they can repeat to a friend. The lack of knowledge in the consumer market means brands should always be looking to educate current and potential consumers about their brand; and cannabis in general. AUTHORITY: Does your cannabis content demonstrate authority in the industry? A brand is only as good as the brands it is associated with. Partner with other brands within the cannabis space (glassware companies, clothing/apparel, etc.). Even just featuring cannabis celebrities talking favorably about your brand can help establish, for the consumer, where you stand in the industry. ENTERTAINMENT: Does your cannabis content make your audience feel something? Your content needs to associate your brand with a set of feelings. Content should be: humorous, uplifting, serious, sad, provocative, unexpected, etc. It needs to hook the audience at the beginning so they stick around until the end. You can shoot a talking-head video, but there needs to be a compelling lead-in, with plenty of cut-aways to b-roll, to help the story move along.

Where cannabis brands should start

Branded cannabis content that does one of the above (educates/establishes authority/ entertains) is “okay” content. Cannabis content that does at least two of the above qualifies as “good” content. And “great” content does all three of these things; and does them WELL. If your content doesn’t do at least one of these things, you should ask yourself why you created it in the first place.

All cannabis brands are capable of creating great content. But many brands feel stuck because of the pressure to keep putting out content. Especially in a competitive and growing industry. If your cannabis brand feels like it is just churning out content, it may be time to stop and ask for some help.

If your cannabis brand needs help coming up with compelling, original content, contact me for a consultation: ardin@ardincomedy.com