Last December the Congress passed, and President Trump signed, the Hemp Farming Act, delighting the thousands of entrepreneurs who had started CBD businesses in anticipation of this moment. I mean, who wouldn’t be excited about being one of the first movers in what is projected to be a $22 billion dollar market? Let’s pump the breaks.
Even though hemp is now legal, advertising options for these businesses are limited. The two largest ad buying platforms — Facebook and Google — still do not allow CBD advertising, severely limiting the avenues that CBD entrepreneurs can use to capture a slice of that $22 billion pie.
It’s also important to consider FDA regulations in regard to CBD and hemp products right now. Despite legalization, the FDA does seriously regulate CBD products. For marketers, this becomes an issue. Today, websites, stores, and some medical practices are selling CBD products with infinite claims of medical, spiritual and physical benefits. According to a lengthy statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, “this deceptive marketing of unproven treatments raises significant public health concerns, as it may keep some patients from accessing appropriate, recognized therapies to treat serious and even fatal diseases.”
This poses a major challenge to CBD business-owners and marketers. If you’re looking to start a CBD business, what are your options in regard to advertising and marketing? As a digital marketer by trade, this is what I think about first thing when I wake up and the moment before I fall asleep at night. After years of successfully scaling startup e-commerce businesses by experimenting with every marketing channel I can find, here are the best bets.
Read the rest of the original article on Green Entrepreneur : https://www.greenentrepreneur.com/article/327460