Marijuana Business Magazine October 2018

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Selecting the right candidate to manage your social media strategy and platforms is a big decision. That person is in charge of representing your brand to the outside world. The person you hire must know all cannabis-related rules so a social media platform doesn’t shutter your account. When seeking out a social media specialist, look for: • A person who understands each social media platform’s policies when it comes to posting marijuana-related content. • A candidate who knows how to spot emerging trends within the social media world, such as which platforms are growing or waning in popularity. • A person who has a passion for the plant and the cannabis industry as a whole. • A worker willing to engage in constant communication to help shape your company’s message and vision. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr or Reddit. “The key is doing your research and knowing exactly what those expecta- tions should be and what types of services are provided,” he added. WHAT TO LOOK FOR Christina Burke, director of marketing and outreach for Com- passionate Cultivation, a CBD- focused marijuana company in Austin, Texas, wants someone who can make the business stand out among rivals. “We want to hire someone who knows and understands what differ- entiates us from other companies in the industry,” she said. Burke is looking for someone who can explain how current social media trends in the industry pertain to the company. “If your social media partner isn’t on top of things, asleep at the switch, then it can make us irrelevant or outdated very quickly and make our brand sedentary,” Burke added. To Dustin Iannotti, co-founder and chief creative officer of Artisans on Fire, a Las Vegas cannabis mar- keting agency, a good social media specialist has either a deep under- standing of the marijuana industry or a willingness to learn about it. “You basically have to believe in it,” he said. “You wouldn’t hire someone to run a sports-based account if they didn’t care about sports.” Iannotti also seeks candidates who are interested in the history of marijuana and how that affects what is happening in today’s society. “You want them to understand that cannabis comes from a deep history of prohibition,” Iannotti added. A good candidate is always learn- ing about new tools and tricks to promote different social media accounts and “what you can and cannot post,” he noted. It’s important for Campbell that his social media specialist stay abreast of the changes in Instagram and Facebook algorithms and pay attention to online communities. “The cannabis space is very community-oriented, even online,” he said. “It’s a space that’s really driven by influencers and brands and figureheads.” It’s crucial your new hire is aware of that landscape “to stay relevant and stay visible,” Campbell added. BACKGROUND Burke seeks out someone with a high level of expertise in cannabis and marketing. “Someone with a comfort level of what’s going on,” she said. “They know the trends. They know what to watch for.” In the case of Compassionate Cul- tivation, Burke chose a company that had a track record of success and could demonstrate effective social media campaigns. Iannotti looks for a candidate with an obvious passion for social media. He prefers the new hire show “as deep of love for creativity as you do for sparking it with cannabis.” Social media aptitude is largely self-taught, so Campbell looks for someone with a built-in appetite for the work. “It’s all information you have to be hungry for and pursue diligently because it’s so dynamic,” he said. Cannabis business experience is ideal, but it’s not necessary, he added. More than anything, Campbell wants a new hire to show other social media content strategies he or she has created. Christina Burke is director of marketing and outreach for Compassionate Cultivation in Austin, Texas. October 2018 • Marijuana Business Magazine • 105

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