People enjoy working with people. Cannabis is a social industry. Content published by a person will often attract more engagement versus content posted by a faceless entity.

It may feel professional to share your expertise with a post coming from your business’s social media page, for example. 

But to really achieve the online visibility your brand needs, sharing the face behind your company and the values that drive your decisions can be a power move. 

In this blog, we’ll share how Thought Leadership opportunities can benefit your brand, as well as share some tips for how to do it effectively. 

What is Thought Leadership?

As professionals in the cannabis space, we all have individual expertise we can bring to the table. This is a burgeoning industry and together we are building the plane as we land it. 

The “newness” of this space cultivates a community that has so much to learn and unlearn from each other. The beauty of our different backgrounds/histories is what makes each person’s expertise so valuable. It’s important to share our knowledge and connect with others whether you’re representing your company, your personal brand, or both. 

We also know all too well that imposter syndrome can sometimes stop us from sharing, but I highly encourage you to shake that fear. If you take the time to turn your knowledge into Thought Leadership opportunities, you may be surprised with the outcomes. 

Not only is Thought Leadership powerful for those in C-suite positions, but it is equally effective for anyone in this space with the knowledge and point of view to share. 

Thought Leadership, when done correctly, can directly translate to meaningful connections and sales or collaboration opportunities which ultimately grows your business and personal brand. 

Thought Leadership can get a bad rap sometimes. It’s a new business “buzzword” that comes with a lot of cynicism by social media commentators. But it’s important to set the record straight on what Thought Leadership really means. 

Thought Leadership In Cannabis Is NOT About:

• Being the “smartest person in the room”

• Advertising your company under the guise of editorial content

• Complaining about the difficult parts of the industry without presenting an actionable solution

Sharing your expertise must be done correctly, selflessly, and authentically in order to receive the support/feedback you are looking for from professionals within our industry. 

Being a “know-it-all” with hot takes, or just looking for a way to promote your business without sharing the value that you add can easily turn people away and harm your credibility. 

Instead, Thought Leadership in Cannabis Is About:

• New data and information that impacts a large group of people 

• The creation of a productive and respectful industry conversation

• The intention to genuinely help someone else without reciprocation

• The ability to publicly analyze a problem and share how you think it could be fixed (or how you’ve fixed it before) based on your experience  

In cannabis, we have plenty of problems. What we need is more openness and solutions-oriented conversations. Your topics should add value/solutions through your chosen platform and spark discussions with industry professionals to grow together with new information and perspectives. 

3 Types of Thought Leadership We Find Most Successful in the Cannabis Industry 

1. LinkedIn Posting

The cannabis industry is all over Linkedin. It’s one of the few places where we are still not censored, compared to platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Chances are you found your way to this blog from a LinkedIn post of ours. 

Perhaps you’re one who passively reads or reacts to posts there. But, if you have something productive to add to the conversations, I highly recommend becoming active and sharing your voice.

Although “business” might be front of mind when thinking of LinkedIn, the website’s algorithm actually favors posts coming directly from a person rather than a company. Be sure to use that to your company’s advantage with Thought Leadership posting that shares your credible knowledge while linking your company’s page to increase awareness and traffic there as well. 

The ability to engage and grow on LinkedIn is very impressive compared to other platforms these days and increasing your following can allow you to be seen as an industry expert. 

2. Guest Columns to Industry Publications

If you already have a large audience, and would prefer to publish on your own platform, terrific!

But if you are looking for an amplification method to an outside audience, think about different topics you can educate the industry (and your target customer) about via a guest column for a trade publication.

This is tougher to achieve than simply hitting “post” on a social media platform. 

It takes buy-in from the publication, an understanding of the publication’s audience and needs, and a willingness to go along with the editing process. 

With the right strategy, however, guest columns can be a major credibility builder. 

After building that credibility, be sure to plug your own website in as a backlink within the publication to not only showcase your expertise, but to help boost your website’s search engine optimization (SEO). Adding a link to your webpage can also help with networking and enhancing your brand’s reputation. 

You and your company can become top-of-mind to the reader as a credible source of knowledge and expertise. 

3. Applications for Speaking Opportunities 

Think you may not be qualified to speak at an industry event? Chances are, you probably are.

In fact, many events (such as MJBizCon, Benzinga’s Cannabis Capital Conference, Ohio Cannabis Health and Business Summit, etc.) are often looking for new people to join their speaker line-ups, as sometimes the event circuit can become a little saturated. 

As someone who has reviewed more speaking applications than I can count in previous roles, I’ll share that one good idea backed up by data, case studies, results, etc., goes a very long way in the world of in-person content.

So long as you are offering your expertise (and not overtly promoting your company), and you are providing distinct takeaways for the audience, you have a decent shot at getting through. 

To Wrap Up

Perhaps writing is not your jam, you don’t know how to create a session description for a speaking application, or have a difficult time committing to a social media schedule. That’s OK!

Content folks on our team can not only help you think through ideas–we also help you generate and distribute thoughtful and engaging content that moves the needle (while encouraging you to conquer your imposter syndrome along the way).

Reach out to us!