The good, The bad & the ugly on cannabis Instagram accounts

Running a cannabis Instagram account can have its pros and cons. The best thing about running a cannabis Instagram account is getting to interact with all the growers and enthusiasts, meeting new people, and learning about all the new products, strains and grow gear being released worldwide. The bad part can be dealing with spammers and trolls or Instagram deleting your posts well the ugly part is the number of scammers but knowing how to distinguish the scammers from the genuine Growers will help you from losing your hard earned money down the road. I wrote down everything I could think of that I came across over the past year, it is up to you to take the knowledge and use it to your benefit.

The Good

Instagram is great for promoting your products, brands, business hobbies or passions. It is also great for meeting new people and has an amazing cannabis community. Rather you’re looking to just share your photos and interact with others or get help with your first time grow the cannabis Instagram community is perfect for this. Each morning I wake up I have between 2 to 5 messages asking me grow questions and I look forward to answering these questions every morning I wake up. It’s rewarding knowing that you can help others do something you love to do yourself. Instagram is also a great place to find out what’s new in the cannabis world such as grow gear, cannabis strains, cannabis news and more. With that said Instagram Does have rules and guidelines and by not sticking to these rules your posts may be deleted and your account banned. I have taken the time to write about growing your Instagram account successfully at the bottom of the blog. Read below on what to do and what not to do when running a cannabis Instagram account as well as what to look out for.

The Bad

The bad on Instagram comes in different ways and unfortunately, there is no getting away from it. The best solution here is not to sweat the small stuff. Getting upset and firing back can sometimes make things worse., the block button works wonders. I am going to do the best I can to fill you in on everything I have dealt with over the past year and the best way to avoid it.

Spam

it doesn’t matter what type of account you have on Instagram you’re going to receive spam messages as well as spam on your posts. When I get these messages I click on the account block and mute it. I get between 5 to 10 spam messages a day, depending on how many followers you have will depend on how much spam you deal with. If you do not mute or block the spammer you will get messages every day or every other day. If you want to put your account on private no one can send you messages unless they are following you. The most common types of spam are internet cam models they use bots to target keywords to follow and send all users that use them keywords a message in hopes you will pay to view them.

Trolls

Trolls are everywhere. A troll is someone who posts on your comments looking to get a reaction from you or your followers. They do this as people will go look at their profile and follow them as some people love drama. I have people all the time that post on my female plants that are in full bud saying they are a male just to get a reaction. by people commenting to them, their post will be moved to the top so people see it first, this is another tactic people use to gain followers. The best way to deal with this is by simply deleting the comment and block the troller.

Instagram Deleting Posts

Chances are if you run a cannabis-related Instagram you might have had a post or two deleted that said it went against the community guidelines. This has only ever happened once to me posting a companies product. What happens is Instagram will get reports from haters or company fanboys reporting other users posting competing companies and the photo will be deleted. Instagram also does a random audit and checks photos at random. If your photos are of cannabis and it doesn’t state anywhere that there are no sales on your profile it could be flagged. Cannabis sales on Instagram are against the rules and they take this seriously. If your selling Cannabis be sure to state no sales on Instagram you will be targeted. If you’re finding your photos are being deleted there are two things you can do. First, make sure you put one or the other in your profile you state No sales On Instagram or Photos are for educational purposes only. The second thing you can do is switch to private for a week or stay private this way the public can not see your photos only your friends. If someone reports you Instagram will also get them to block you so you will not need to deal with them again.

The Ugly

The ugly on Instagram also comes in many different ways but in the form of scammers and hustlers looking to take your hard earned money or take advantage of your time. I will do my best to list the common things I have seen over the past year. It is up to you to do your due diligence and make sure you’re not scammed or taken advantage of online. If something seems to good to be true it usually is. Also, keep in mind any reputable company will not be reaching out trying to drum up sales the sales come to them.

Giveaways & Why I do Not Often Repost Them

I have won 6 giveaways over the past year on Instagram and only ever received 1 package. With that said people will hold giveaways for special occasions, to show appreciation to there loyal followersas and because it is a known way to gain followers. The problem I keep seeing is the person holding the giveaway does not send the package out or just picks their friend to win. Chances are if they have 200 followers and holding a giveaway they are just looking for followers and a slim chance you will see a prize. It was from lower follower accounts I never received my prizes from. With that said I only take part in giveaways if it someone I know, been following for a while or a company that I know I can trust. If you like taking part in giveaways make sure it is a trusted account that engages with their followers. Look to see if they are going to hold a fair live stream to pick the winner or if they are just going to announce a random winner. Also, check to make sure it is not a new account with less than 5 photos. If it is chances are they are looking for followers to scam. Last ask if the shipping will have tracking or not.

Illuminati Messages

I get about one of these messages a week. If you have not gotten one yet chances are you will by the end of the year. The message will state that they are looking for people to join the Illuminati and they will offer you riches in the form of a supercar and a cash payment of either 1 million a year or 250k a month. But of course, they need a fee upfront to get the process started. This is a popular scam happening on all social media platforms and the best thing to do is to just block the account so they can not message you anymore.

Fake Carts

This is not only becoming a problem on Instagram but it is becoming a problem all over the world. Fake carts are being sold left and right on Instagram with literally hundreds of new accounts being made weekly to target and mass message cannabis accounts in hopes to move some of their fake product. Most of the Mario carts, exotic carts, supreme carts and cereal brand carts you see throughout Instagram are fake and now they are even starting to fake the popular brands like Brass Knuckles. Remember no reputable cart company will be spamming you trying to get you to buy their carts, chances are if you’re getting a message to buy something it is someone trying to move their fake carts as there are no sales on Instagram and a legit business will not risk their account. If your buying carts online be careful as there are a lot of synthetic and nasty carts with pesticides in them being sold. Stick to reputable companies that have good reviews each day.

Fake Sponsorships Or Influencer Requests

I find my self deleting about 2 to 3 of these comments off my photos each day. If you caught the eye of a company looking for an influencer they will send you a message in private, they will not post in your comments for everyone to see as they will be bombarded with messages from everyone. By posting on your comments these companies are hoping your followers will see they are looking for influencers and will go follow them but when you message them it is always the same thing either they do not message back or they do and talk for 2 minutes then you don’t hear from them again. There is a bot that is making these accounts by the day and using this tactic to gain followers with a bull as the company logo.

Messages to Buy Or Sell Cannabis

This is one of the most popular scams on Instagram and one of the most popular ways Instagram accounts gets shut down. Again this comes back to any reputable company is not going to send you messages trying to sell you their products. If someone is trying to sell you weed or extracts on Instagram there is a good chance it is either a cop, a scammer, or someone working for Instagram seeing if you’re engaging in sales. The same goes for people asking to buy from you, chances are it is someone working for Instagram, a cop or someone looking to scam you using stolen accounts to pay for products. Sales on Instagram are against the rules and will get you banned if they find out. These scammers will try to ask you for your snap chat or whats app account and want to be paid in bitcoin so it is not refundable and they never send the product. If you get these messages do not respond just simply block them.

Messages to Build your Instagram account

This is another scam going around that I get messaged about often. People claiming to build your Instagram profile or increase your followers. The funny part is I get messages from people with 200 to 500 followers telling me they can help me build my account when I have 8000 followers. I would like to reply and tell them to build their own account first but I just block them. Most of these guys use free bots and charge you and then eventually you end up being banned as Instagram uses a special algorithm that detects bots used to increase your followers. Using bots to increase your followers is against Instagrams rules. Stay away from people offering to grow your account if you’re looking to gain followers Jarvee is a paid platform that many people use but again many people also end up banned when Instagram catches on.

Graphic Artist

If you need a graphics artist your best bet is to check on fiver or look for a company. I fell victim to this scam and have a good friend who they also got on Instagram. Both times we were scammed were by cartoon artists who reached out asking if we needed any work done. Again this comes back to any good company will not be contacting people spamming them with their services. Needless to say, I paid for work and then the person blocked me and I never got any of the graphic work I paid for. I still get messages at least once a week and mostly from new cartoon graphics accounts popping up, most likely the same guy creating new accounts each time they are banned.

How to grow your Instagram Account Successfully

There are several tips and tricks that can be used to grow your Instagram. Ensuring your bio is structured in the proper way. will help you gain followers. Being active and engaging with your followers along with utilizing hashtags in the proper manner will get you off to a good start. Be sure to read all the tips and tricks I listed below to help boost your account.

Make A Catching Bio

The most important part when creating your bio is to use 1 or 2 hashtags so when people use the Instagram search feature and search for say #cannabis if that hashtag is in your bio your name will show up in the people related to cannabis. This is an easier way to be found by other cannabis users and a way to gain targeted followers faster. The first thing people usually do when they follow someone myself included is to look at the persons profile starting with the bio followed by the photos. Be sure to include what country you are from and let people know a bit about your self, If your a grower, breeder, smoker, toker, joker whatever the case may be. Also, be sure to include that there is no sales or the account is for educational purposes this will help with images being deleted. Having No bio is no good. Take a look at the example provided notice she uses hashtags, has a link to her site and contact email as well as clearly indicates her passion. This should be the first step to creating a successful Instagram account.

Using Hashtags Proper

Using Hashtags when posting photos are important if you’re looking for engagement and to grow your profile and followers. Users can now follow hashtags meaning your posts will show up in a users feed even if they do not follow you. By posting good content using popular hashtags you will gain new followers. Using too many hashtags in your post might get your post flagged and it will be shown on users feeds less often or not at all. When making a post use between 6 and 9 hashtags max and Never continue to use the same hashtags every time or Instagram will pick up on it and you will be flagged. Posting repetitive comments, content or hashtags is against the rules so mix things up to avoid having your posts put on the back burner. I have listed the top 75 cannabis hashtags below for you.

Posting Useful Or Appealing Content

Posting useful and appealing content can make the difference from you gaining new followers to losing your current followers. Quilty content is key. If you continue to post the same photos over and over your engagement will drop. It is better to not post at all then to make a post just to post something. I try to make a post every other day and I usually try to plan what I am going to post. When making a post be sure to include an explanation on what you are posting about. Engaging with your followers will keep them liking your photos. Ask questions from time to time when posting this will give you a chance to interact with your followers.

75 Most Popular Cannabis HashTags To Use

#cannabis
#cannabiscommunity
#medicalmarijuana
#weed
#marijuana
#cbd
#thc
#weedporn
#cannabisculture
#weedstagram
#stoner
#canadiancannabis
#cannabiscanada
#acmpr
#grownfromseed
#itslegal
#growtent
#firstgrow
#growingcannabis
#growingmarijuana
#420
#highlife
#cannabiscommunity
#marijuana
#hightimes #weedporn
#highsociety
#stoner
#kush
#high
#maryjane
#ganja
#dank
#dabs
#life
#smoke
#indica
#stoned
#sativa
#medicalmarijuana
#bud
#smokeweedeveryday
#love
#stonernation
#bhfyp
#dab
#joint
#ganjagirls
#mmj
#society #shatter
#blunt
#pot
#bong
#hemp
#stayhigh
#stoners
#instaweed
#fueledbythc
#hash
#staylifted
#smokeweed
#topshelflife
#weshouldsmoke
#pothead
#stonergirl
#topshelf
#dope
#girlswhosmoke
#stonerlife
#legalizeit
#kusharmy
#chronic
#munchies
#nsrob (Shameless Plug)

Conclusion

Instagram is a great place to meet new people, grow your business and post what you’re proud of. But it has it’s up and downs. By following a few simple tips and tricks I provided in this blog you will be able to enjoy your time on Instagram well growing your following to its full potential. Do not give in to the scammers just block and go about your day.

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The good, The bad & the ugly on cannabis Instagram accounts