Converting Likes into Leads in the Cannabis World
Going Beyond Traditional Marketing for Your Start-Up
May 14, 2025
Starting up in the cannabis space isn't for the faint of heart. I’ve worked with fast-scaling tech companies, B2B SaaS platforms, and government consulting start-ups, but nothing compares to launching a business in the cannabis industry. Whether you’re a licensed operator or an ancillary business providing products or services, one thing is clear: the marketing rulebook here looks a lot different.
Let’s start with the obvious. Traditional advertising channels? Mostly off limits. Social media? You’re one flagged post away from a shadowban or worse. Email marketing? Watch those words. Even payment processors, the thing most businesses take for granted, come with landmines labeled "compliance."
So what happens when your Instagram post gets 1,000 likes, but zero leads? What do you actually do with your reach in a world where exposure doesn't always mean conversion?
The Illusion of Engagement
In cannabis, vanity metrics can be seductive. Likes, shares, comments - they feel good. They suggest your content is resonating. And sometimes it is. But here’s the hard truth: likes don’t pay the bills. A hundred DMs from other cannabis brands applauding your post won’t keep your lights on if none of them are your customer.
In tech and consulting, we tracked ROI ruthlessly. Every campaign was measured. We had tools to attribute a LinkedIn comment to a $250,000 contract three months later. In cannabis? Good luck. Attribution is murky at best and nonexistent at worst.
But that doesn’t mean it's impossible. It just means you need to get more creative, strategic, and real.
Know Your Audience, Inside and Out
Before you can turn engagement into revenue, you need to know who you're trying to engage. Too many cannabis start-ups skip this step and jump straight to content, ads, or trade shows. But if you haven’t clearly defined your target customer, your sales funnel will leak like a sieve.
Every drop of marketing energy should be poured into reaching the right people - not just any people. When you don’t have a clear buyer profile, you waste time, money, and momentum trying to connect with leads that were never a fit in the first place. It’s not just inefficient, it’s exhausting.
A well-defined customer persona doesn't just help shape your messaging, it also guides where you spend your time and budget. Are you chasing retail buyers or wholesale distributors? Are you targeting dispensary managers or brand owners? Each has a different pain point, a different budget, and a different buying cycle.
Choose the Right Social Channels
Not all platforms are equal when it comes to cannabis visibility and reach. Some are more tolerant, others are more strategic depending on whether you're B2C or B2B.
Instagram works well for lifestyle brands and B2C engagement, but it’s risky. Plant-touching businesses have to tread lightly due to content restrictions.
LinkedIn is a haven for B2B brands, where professional storytelling, networking, and partnerships thrive. It’s ideal for ancillary businesses and service providers.
Twitter/X is more relaxed when it comes to cannabis content and can help boost event-based or trending conversations.
YouTube and Podcasts are great for building trust over time. These platforms give you space to educate and inform, and they work well if your strategy involves long-form content.
You could have 5,000 followers on Instagram, but if your target market is legal counsel at multi-state operators, you’re probably shouting into the void. A smaller, more engaged following on the right platform will always outperform vanity metrics.
Turning Engagement into Sales
Here’s what matters: turning attention into action. And not just any action - a lead, a conversation, a sale.
Start by asking yourself:
Who is actually engaging with your content?
Are they your customer, a potential partner, or just another brand in the space?
Are you creating content that speaks to pain points or just trends?
Then get direct. Move that Instagram follower to your email list. Invite them into your community. Give them a reason to raise their hand.
If you're B2B, especially in manufacturing, wholesale, or service delivery, here are a few stats to consider:
The average B2B conversion rate (lead to customer) across industries is around 2.5% to 5% (MarketingSherpa).
Manufacturing companies average about 3.9% conversion rates across digital channels (WordStream).
Service sector B2B companies convert at a slightly higher rate, roughly 4.6% (Unbounce Benchmark Report).
Retail websites see an average conversion rate of 2.3%, but top-performing sites hit closer to 5% (Statista).
Wholesale and distribution firms often rely heavily on relationship-building, with email open rates averaging 21% and click-through rates around 2.5% (Campaign Monitor).
Companies that nurture leads make 50% more sales at 33% lower cost than non-nurtured leads (Forrester).
Email marketing ROI is roughly $36 for every $1 spent (Litmus), but deliverability in cannabis is a battle in itself.
Paid search conversion for B2B averages 3.75%, though cannabis businesses often can't even play on those ad platforms.
So if you're spending thousands on paid visibility, you better have a rock-solid plan for what happens after the click.
Nontraditional Plays That Worked
Some of the best success stories in highly regulated or restricted spaces come from going around the system instead of through it.
Take Dr. Squatch, for example. This men’s soap company couldn’t compete on shelf space, so they went all in on viral video ads. They didn’t just post content - they created characters, storylines, and high-production-value spots that racked up tens of millions of views. Their sales exploded from $3 million in 2017 to over $100 million by 2020.
In the cannabis space, brands like Miss Grass built loyalty through storytelling and curated editorial content before they had wide product distribution. Their blog and lifestyle platform created a following long before their flower was available in dispensaries.
Closer to ancillary services, consider Grove Bags, a cannabis packaging company. They built credibility by focusing on educational content and clean, conversion-optimized landing pages that explained the science of curing. Their strategy wasn’t volume - it was value.
And of course, in our own case at The High Index, launching a podcast to showcase cannabis innovation has already opened the door to partnerships and conversations that cold outreach simply couldn’t touch.
What You Can Do
Instead of chasing likes, chase conversations.
Build segmented email lists and test deliverability with neutral, compliant copy.
Start a podcast or video series and bring your customers into the conversation.
Offer downloadable content that answers real questions and positions your business as a partner, not a pitch.
Use social proof, testimonials, and word-of-mouth wherever possible.
Partner with platforms (like The High Index) that actually give you usable contact data, not just "engagement."
Final Thought: You Don’t Need More Clicks. You Need More Conversions.
The hard truth? In cannabis, exposure is expensive. Engagement is unreliable. And compliance restrictions mean you’re playing the game on hard mode.
But the flip side? The businesses that crack the code, who build real trust, offer real value, and know what to do with the attention they get, are the ones that win.
Because in this industry, it’s not about who shouts the loudest. It’s about who connects the smartest.
Looking to move beyond fluff metrics and actually grow your pipeline? Come find us at The High Index. And if you're a brand doing something different in cannabis, let's talk - maybe even on the podcast.
Starting up in the cannabis space isn't for the faint of heart. I’ve worked with fast-scaling tech companies, B2B SaaS platforms, and government consulting start-ups, but nothing compares to launching a business in the cannabis industry. Whether you’re a licensed operator or an ancillary business providing products or services, one thing is clear: the marketing rulebook here looks a lot different.
Let’s start with the obvious. Traditional advertising channels? Mostly off limits. Social media? You’re one flagged post away from a shadowban or worse. Email marketing? Watch those words. Even payment processors, the thing most businesses take for granted, come with landmines labeled "compliance."
So what happens when your Instagram post gets 1,000 likes, but zero leads? What do you actually do with your reach in a world where exposure doesn't always mean conversion?
The Illusion of Engagement
In cannabis, vanity metrics can be seductive. Likes, shares, comments - they feel good. They suggest your content is resonating. And sometimes it is. But here’s the hard truth: likes don’t pay the bills. A hundred DMs from other cannabis brands applauding your post won’t keep your lights on if none of them are your customer.
In tech and consulting, we tracked ROI ruthlessly. Every campaign was measured. We had tools to attribute a LinkedIn comment to a $250,000 contract three months later. In cannabis? Good luck. Attribution is murky at best and nonexistent at worst.
But that doesn’t mean it's impossible. It just means you need to get more creative, strategic, and real.
Know Your Audience, Inside and Out
Before you can turn engagement into revenue, you need to know who you're trying to engage. Too many cannabis start-ups skip this step and jump straight to content, ads, or trade shows. But if you haven’t clearly defined your target customer, your sales funnel will leak like a sieve.
Every drop of marketing energy should be poured into reaching the right people - not just any people. When you don’t have a clear buyer profile, you waste time, money, and momentum trying to connect with leads that were never a fit in the first place. It’s not just inefficient, it’s exhausting.
A well-defined customer persona doesn't just help shape your messaging, it also guides where you spend your time and budget. Are you chasing retail buyers or wholesale distributors? Are you targeting dispensary managers or brand owners? Each has a different pain point, a different budget, and a different buying cycle.
Choose the Right Social Channels
Not all platforms are equal when it comes to cannabis visibility and reach. Some are more tolerant, others are more strategic depending on whether you're B2C or B2B.
Instagram works well for lifestyle brands and B2C engagement, but it’s risky. Plant-touching businesses have to tread lightly due to content restrictions.
LinkedIn is a haven for B2B brands, where professional storytelling, networking, and partnerships thrive. It’s ideal for ancillary businesses and service providers.
Twitter/X is more relaxed when it comes to cannabis content and can help boost event-based or trending conversations.
YouTube and Podcasts are great for building trust over time. These platforms give you space to educate and inform, and they work well if your strategy involves long-form content.
You could have 5,000 followers on Instagram, but if your target market is legal counsel at multi-state operators, you’re probably shouting into the void. A smaller, more engaged following on the right platform will always outperform vanity metrics.
Turning Engagement into Sales
Here’s what matters: turning attention into action. And not just any action - a lead, a conversation, a sale.
Start by asking yourself:
Who is actually engaging with your content?
Are they your customer, a potential partner, or just another brand in the space?
Are you creating content that speaks to pain points or just trends?
Then get direct. Move that Instagram follower to your email list. Invite them into your community. Give them a reason to raise their hand.
If you're B2B, especially in manufacturing, wholesale, or service delivery, here are a few stats to consider:
The average B2B conversion rate (lead to customer) across industries is around 2.5% to 5% (MarketingSherpa).
Manufacturing companies average about 3.9% conversion rates across digital channels (WordStream).
Service sector B2B companies convert at a slightly higher rate, roughly 4.6% (Unbounce Benchmark Report).
Retail websites see an average conversion rate of 2.3%, but top-performing sites hit closer to 5% (Statista).
Wholesale and distribution firms often rely heavily on relationship-building, with email open rates averaging 21% and click-through rates around 2.5% (Campaign Monitor).
Companies that nurture leads make 50% more sales at 33% lower cost than non-nurtured leads (Forrester).
Email marketing ROI is roughly $36 for every $1 spent (Litmus), but deliverability in cannabis is a battle in itself.
Paid search conversion for B2B averages 3.75%, though cannabis businesses often can't even play on those ad platforms.
So if you're spending thousands on paid visibility, you better have a rock-solid plan for what happens after the click.
Nontraditional Plays That Worked
Some of the best success stories in highly regulated or restricted spaces come from going around the system instead of through it.
Take Dr. Squatch, for example. This men’s soap company couldn’t compete on shelf space, so they went all in on viral video ads. They didn’t just post content - they created characters, storylines, and high-production-value spots that racked up tens of millions of views. Their sales exploded from $3 million in 2017 to over $100 million by 2020.
In the cannabis space, brands like Miss Grass built loyalty through storytelling and curated editorial content before they had wide product distribution. Their blog and lifestyle platform created a following long before their flower was available in dispensaries.
Closer to ancillary services, consider Grove Bags, a cannabis packaging company. They built credibility by focusing on educational content and clean, conversion-optimized landing pages that explained the science of curing. Their strategy wasn’t volume - it was value.
And of course, in our own case at The High Index, launching a podcast to showcase cannabis innovation has already opened the door to partnerships and conversations that cold outreach simply couldn’t touch.
What You Can Do
Instead of chasing likes, chase conversations.
Build segmented email lists and test deliverability with neutral, compliant copy.
Start a podcast or video series and bring your customers into the conversation.
Offer downloadable content that answers real questions and positions your business as a partner, not a pitch.
Use social proof, testimonials, and word-of-mouth wherever possible.
Partner with platforms (like The High Index) that actually give you usable contact data, not just "engagement."
Final Thought: You Don’t Need More Clicks. You Need More Conversions.
The hard truth? In cannabis, exposure is expensive. Engagement is unreliable. And compliance restrictions mean you’re playing the game on hard mode.
But the flip side? The businesses that crack the code, who build real trust, offer real value, and know what to do with the attention they get, are the ones that win.
Because in this industry, it’s not about who shouts the loudest. It’s about who connects the smartest.
Looking to move beyond fluff metrics and actually grow your pipeline? Come find us at The High Index. And if you're a brand doing something different in cannabis, let's talk - maybe even on the podcast.
Starting up in the cannabis space isn't for the faint of heart. I’ve worked with fast-scaling tech companies, B2B SaaS platforms, and government consulting start-ups, but nothing compares to launching a business in the cannabis industry. Whether you’re a licensed operator or an ancillary business providing products or services, one thing is clear: the marketing rulebook here looks a lot different.
Let’s start with the obvious. Traditional advertising channels? Mostly off limits. Social media? You’re one flagged post away from a shadowban or worse. Email marketing? Watch those words. Even payment processors, the thing most businesses take for granted, come with landmines labeled "compliance."
So what happens when your Instagram post gets 1,000 likes, but zero leads? What do you actually do with your reach in a world where exposure doesn't always mean conversion?
The Illusion of Engagement
In cannabis, vanity metrics can be seductive. Likes, shares, comments - they feel good. They suggest your content is resonating. And sometimes it is. But here’s the hard truth: likes don’t pay the bills. A hundred DMs from other cannabis brands applauding your post won’t keep your lights on if none of them are your customer.
In tech and consulting, we tracked ROI ruthlessly. Every campaign was measured. We had tools to attribute a LinkedIn comment to a $250,000 contract three months later. In cannabis? Good luck. Attribution is murky at best and nonexistent at worst.
But that doesn’t mean it's impossible. It just means you need to get more creative, strategic, and real.
Know Your Audience, Inside and Out
Before you can turn engagement into revenue, you need to know who you're trying to engage. Too many cannabis start-ups skip this step and jump straight to content, ads, or trade shows. But if you haven’t clearly defined your target customer, your sales funnel will leak like a sieve.
Every drop of marketing energy should be poured into reaching the right people - not just any people. When you don’t have a clear buyer profile, you waste time, money, and momentum trying to connect with leads that were never a fit in the first place. It’s not just inefficient, it’s exhausting.
A well-defined customer persona doesn't just help shape your messaging, it also guides where you spend your time and budget. Are you chasing retail buyers or wholesale distributors? Are you targeting dispensary managers or brand owners? Each has a different pain point, a different budget, and a different buying cycle.
Choose the Right Social Channels
Not all platforms are equal when it comes to cannabis visibility and reach. Some are more tolerant, others are more strategic depending on whether you're B2C or B2B.
Instagram works well for lifestyle brands and B2C engagement, but it’s risky. Plant-touching businesses have to tread lightly due to content restrictions.
LinkedIn is a haven for B2B brands, where professional storytelling, networking, and partnerships thrive. It’s ideal for ancillary businesses and service providers.
Twitter/X is more relaxed when it comes to cannabis content and can help boost event-based or trending conversations.
YouTube and Podcasts are great for building trust over time. These platforms give you space to educate and inform, and they work well if your strategy involves long-form content.
You could have 5,000 followers on Instagram, but if your target market is legal counsel at multi-state operators, you’re probably shouting into the void. A smaller, more engaged following on the right platform will always outperform vanity metrics.
Turning Engagement into Sales
Here’s what matters: turning attention into action. And not just any action - a lead, a conversation, a sale.
Start by asking yourself:
Who is actually engaging with your content?
Are they your customer, a potential partner, or just another brand in the space?
Are you creating content that speaks to pain points or just trends?
Then get direct. Move that Instagram follower to your email list. Invite them into your community. Give them a reason to raise their hand.
If you're B2B, especially in manufacturing, wholesale, or service delivery, here are a few stats to consider:
The average B2B conversion rate (lead to customer) across industries is around 2.5% to 5% (MarketingSherpa).
Manufacturing companies average about 3.9% conversion rates across digital channels (WordStream).
Service sector B2B companies convert at a slightly higher rate, roughly 4.6% (Unbounce Benchmark Report).
Retail websites see an average conversion rate of 2.3%, but top-performing sites hit closer to 5% (Statista).
Wholesale and distribution firms often rely heavily on relationship-building, with email open rates averaging 21% and click-through rates around 2.5% (Campaign Monitor).
Companies that nurture leads make 50% more sales at 33% lower cost than non-nurtured leads (Forrester).
Email marketing ROI is roughly $36 for every $1 spent (Litmus), but deliverability in cannabis is a battle in itself.
Paid search conversion for B2B averages 3.75%, though cannabis businesses often can't even play on those ad platforms.
So if you're spending thousands on paid visibility, you better have a rock-solid plan for what happens after the click.
Nontraditional Plays That Worked
Some of the best success stories in highly regulated or restricted spaces come from going around the system instead of through it.
Take Dr. Squatch, for example. This men’s soap company couldn’t compete on shelf space, so they went all in on viral video ads. They didn’t just post content - they created characters, storylines, and high-production-value spots that racked up tens of millions of views. Their sales exploded from $3 million in 2017 to over $100 million by 2020.
In the cannabis space, brands like Miss Grass built loyalty through storytelling and curated editorial content before they had wide product distribution. Their blog and lifestyle platform created a following long before their flower was available in dispensaries.
Closer to ancillary services, consider Grove Bags, a cannabis packaging company. They built credibility by focusing on educational content and clean, conversion-optimized landing pages that explained the science of curing. Their strategy wasn’t volume - it was value.
And of course, in our own case at The High Index, launching a podcast to showcase cannabis innovation has already opened the door to partnerships and conversations that cold outreach simply couldn’t touch.
What You Can Do
Instead of chasing likes, chase conversations.
Build segmented email lists and test deliverability with neutral, compliant copy.
Start a podcast or video series and bring your customers into the conversation.
Offer downloadable content that answers real questions and positions your business as a partner, not a pitch.
Use social proof, testimonials, and word-of-mouth wherever possible.
Partner with platforms (like The High Index) that actually give you usable contact data, not just "engagement."
Final Thought: You Don’t Need More Clicks. You Need More Conversions.
The hard truth? In cannabis, exposure is expensive. Engagement is unreliable. And compliance restrictions mean you’re playing the game on hard mode.
But the flip side? The businesses that crack the code, who build real trust, offer real value, and know what to do with the attention they get, are the ones that win.
Because in this industry, it’s not about who shouts the loudest. It’s about who connects the smartest.
Looking to move beyond fluff metrics and actually grow your pipeline? Come find us at The High Index. And if you're a brand doing something different in cannabis, let's talk - maybe even on the podcast.
Alex DeFazio
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