Ready to turn that dream of running your own business into a reality? You’re not alone. Recently, nine members of the Young Entrepreneurs Council (YEC) shared vital concepts that define successful leaders in today’s progressively challenging business world.
So, before you quit your day job, make sure you have these essential concepts down to a science. Read more →
Did you know that you can put your brand’s social media activity on auto-pilot? It takes some strategy, just like anything else. But there are tools out there that can definitely make you feel like a one-person social media department.
These tools have many different functions, and not all of them are going to be useful or economical for your brand. In fact, everyday social media users have grown savvy to some of the automated tools out there and can spot automated activity a mile away.
You don’t have to go “full robot” – here are the most useful automation functions you can start using right away to politely grow your social media accounts.
For those of us (most of us) who are simply not around to post on their channels all day, managing social media can seem like a daunting task. Signing on and posting takes precious minutes that we could be spending on another task.
Scheduling tools can be found through software services like Hootsuite or Buffer, or, you can schedule future posts to a brand’s Facebook Page for free, right inside the Facebook platform. That way, you can schedule posts out for the week (or the month) in one sitting.
There are apps and tools out there to make it seem like you are liking, commenting and engaging with others’ posts on Twitter and Instagram. Typically it requires you to target the type of user, or a hashtag in order for the “robot” to find people to interact with.
Unfortunately, there aren’t yet automation tools for engaging with Facebook posts. You will have to engage authentically there by liking and commenting on existing posts.
On Instagram and Twitter, the amount of followers you get is proportional to the amount of time you spend following other similar accounts. Easy to do for those of us who live on our phones – but for a busy entrepreneur? Not so much.
Auto-follow, and more importantly, auto-unfollow tools are some of the most valuable in the social media world. Nobody in their right mind could sit and follow 400 new users per day with their thumbs, but with automation, it’s more than possible.
We’re getting started on InstaZood after another of our favorite tools got shut down. Give it a try and see how powerful your account can really be!
Need a team to help you delve into the world of social media marketing? Our experts are here to help, and located all around the west coast. Reach out to Social Media Unicorn to get started.
Industry publications cannot stop talking about marijuana legalization and its impact on the real estate market. And when we say that we don’t just mean marijuana news outlets.
The mainstream business and investing communities have really taken notice of legalization, and the conversation is building as new policies form nationwide. Experts and investors now believe they can project what will happen to the real estate market once a state passes a medical or adult-use legalization measure.
Here’s what we know so far about what happens to real estate values in emerging legal cannabis markets.
If you know about the licensing process for cannabis companies, then you probably know there are a ton of zoning regulations involved. These can vary by state and even by city, but they usually limit dispensaries and manufacturers to extremely limited areas of town. The jist of the rules is that policymakers don’t want cannabis to be cultivated, processed or sold near schools and parks, residential zones and other sensitive areas.
That being said, finding an appropriate operations site can be stiff competition for license applicants. This allows property owners in industrial and other ideal zones to ask a premium price or rent for their cannabis-friendly real estate, which in turn bumps up prices close by.
Something else to consider about new legal cannabis markets is that many people from out-of-state will soon be clamoring to move there. Be they “medical refugees” who can’t access cannabis in their home state, budding entrepreneurs and job seekers following the opportunity, or enthusiasts who would simply rather enjoy their hobby in peace, they’re all looking to find a place to live.
More demand for real estate always drives prices up. The cannabis movement just happens to be one of the strongest uniting movements driving visibly huge demand for real estate.
Increasing the value of real estate is only one of hundreds of ways that cannabis legalization stimulates our economy. Regulated cannabis markets create jobs and livelihoods for thousands of people, provide affordable and effective medicine to our most vulnerable and provide a healthier way for people of legal age to recreate and enjoy their lives.
Ready to position yourself as a serious player in this industry? Call our genius team of marketers at Social Media Unicorn today.
Let’s get one thing clear: lab testing cannabis is an absolute must.
Though most legal markets require it by law, really, the only ones who still have to catch up to modern times are operators in California. It’s because of the west coast market that lab testing requirements in states such as Nevada are as strict as they are now. No other state wants to take chances on pesticides and molds!
If you think getting your product tested at a lab is just a chore, read on to learn why it could actually make or break your brand.
Lab testing your products proves to the world that you are a legitimate operator in the cannabis space, creating products that are free of toxins and dangerous chemicals. Congratulations on putting drug dealer stereotypes in the past!
Customers aren’t the only ones who are going to want to see your lab tests. By always having them current, you’re appeasing local and state regulators, too. The more we share with the world about the contents of medical cannabis products, the more progress we will make collectively as an industry.
You already think your product is the best – don’t you want others to think so, too? From the terpenes, to the humidity levels, to the major and minor cannabinoids, your trusty lab test should definitely make your product shine.
Not every patient or adult-use consumer is aware of the chemical composition of their cannabis. For those who are interested in learning more, it’s nothing short of fascinating to peruse the various lab tests at the dispensary. Make sure yours is one of them.
Simply saying that your flower, oil or edible is the strongest just doesn’t hold much water in today’s cannabis economy. A certified laboratory test is the only way to prove to retailers and customers that yours is the real deal – and worth the price.
What makes a cannabis consumer come back again and again? A product that looks, smells, tastes and works the exact same way every time. Of course, there will always be slight variations between batches of cannabis products, but your lab tests will help you keep them as consistent as possible to please your biggest fans.
By viewing the lab tests on your products, dispensary managers and staff should be able to discern a few things. First, it will help them figure out how to price and display it among their other inventory. Second, they will be able to appropriately direct patients to the right product for them based on the chemical composition of each product.
Bottom line, cannabis testing laboratories need to make money, just like the rest of us in this space. Make a friend and ally for life by developing a value-based relationship with your lab that goes beyond just the “bare minimum” testing requirements.
In this industry, we are always trying to counter fear-based arguments from prohibitionists. Lab testing cannabis shows that these products are safe and therapeutic – making them the ultimate tool in the fight against anti-cannabis trolls.
All in all, testing your product makes the cannabis industry and the people in it look a whole lot better to the outside world. We hope you take it seriously as all of our clients do!
Activists used to have to chant “legalize it!” but now it’s almost hard to keep up with all the reforms happening nationwide. It’s no longer all about Denver, Seattle and San Francisco. Every major market in the U.S. will have their time to shine eventually, each learning from their predecessors.
Learning how to adapt and sell cannabis in emerging markets is key for ambitious entrepreneurs. Keep your eyes on the prize by following these four hot markets over the next six to seven months:
Industry eyes are on California while businesses are scrambling to decode a new book of regulations, which have been largely missing from the state’s laws since 1996. California is the unofficial cannabis capital of the world, with the largest number of consumers, cultural events, dispensaries and individual product brands.
Unlike its neighbor to the west, Nevada’s recreational cannabis market is set to come online this summer, with dispensaries opening to the legal public in early July. We might be biased, but we think our home state has the most potential of all! With millions of fun loving, legal-aged tourists passing through Las Vegas each year, you can bet that many of them will be taking advantage of our world class cannabis by the end of this year.
The state of Ohio dodged a bullet a few years ago by rejecting an adult-use legalization initiative that would have created a monopoly among a handful of cultivators. Now, they’re ready for a more inclusive approach with their medical marijuana program, the rules of which are still being written. Once the regulations are neatly tied up, this market is expected to become one of the largest in the midwest region.
One of the states that will likely shape future cannabis reform, both in the South and on the East Coast is the Florida market. Though still somewhat restrictive when compared to the big markets out west, it’s more inclusive than the “CBD-only” policies in Georgia, Tennessee and Texas. Florida’s dispensaries will not be permitted to retail products with a high THC dosage, but there will be identification cards issued in the next 9 months.
Ready to make an impact in your local market? Or maybe you’re looking to expand. Having Social Media Unicorn on your team will supercharge the process. Give us a shout!
No matter where you stand in the business of cannabis, you’ve simply got to know who’s out there consuming it.
Dated stereotypes of the marijuana user no longer apply. At first glance, to the naïve marketer, it may seem like only young, hip city folk are using the latest and greatest cannabis products. We like to look a little deeper than that.
Get to know the three fastest-growing groups of consumers in the cannabis world right now:
There’s no question about it: the generation of people born post-WWII are a dominant buying force in the U.S. economy. That means that as legalization spreads from state to state, Baby Boomers remain the fastest growing group of patients and consumers, tossing aside the old stigma for a new lease on health and wellness.
Rising health care costs and low satisfaction with prescription medication treatments are leading more and more aging people to give cannabis another try – often for the first time in decades.
Not only have Millennials had the privilege of growing up around changing attitudes about cannabis, they’ve also led the charge in making marijuana a mainstream wellness product.
The subsequent generation of youth consumers, dubbed “Generation Z,” are now quickly approaching legal age to purchase their own vape pen or edible in one of several regulated adult-use states. Time will tell just how involved this generation will be in the modern cannabis culture, but you can bet their tastes will be refined by lifestyle influencers and top-quality products they’ve seen on Instagram.
Don’t discount the impact that elderly people will have on legal cannabis markets in the next few years – especially as curious Baby Boomers begin to see their health care costs skyrocket even higher as they age.
Medical cannabis is providing comfort to more people than ever so that they can live out the rest of their years in health and happiness. Through various channels, the word is getting out that pot beats pills any day of the week.
If you are an entrepreneur launching a product or service in the cannabis space, you need to figure out who your customers are.
We can help! Hire one of our Unicorns today to put your brand on the map.