Modern cannabis community trends

Are you using Instagram?

In past few years social media (and particularly mobile) changed not only our relationships but also our media, interests and even our politics. We are overwhelmed by information flow from social networks (particularly facebook and twitter). Every area of human interest is now amplified through this network revolution.

I think that the change didn’t miss Cannabis business & entrepreneurs. With movement towards legalization or medical tolerance in some US states, there are now viable and 100% legal businesses that need to fight for their place on sun and promote through marketing channels just like any other legal businesses do against their competition.

One of the trends I’ve identified is Instagram (no, its not weed delivery service )… In particular many US companies (growing farms, seedbanks, dispensaries and paraphernalia sellers) are building their brands using Instagram. There are numerous breeders running their IG profiles including good old boys including Breeder Steve and BushyOlderGrower to name a few.

It is told that users are moving from online forums like ICMag to the Instagram… The problem 1) I see is that IG is not run by canna-positive or at least independent entity and 2) IG is oriented to photo sharing, not sharing the information and categorizing the knowledge about growing, breeding or using cannabis. This is domain where online forums excel, only forums can set the discourse. Instagram is too fast and shallow in this area imho.

Maybe users will split to these two principally different types of platform or they will endlessly “oscillate” between these two worlds. And these two platforms will affect and inspire each other. For example one of the reasons I see for moving from to Instagram from old vBulletin forums is that future is mobile (it just has to be comfort mobile app). vBulletin and other forums haven’t been able to offer any sensible mobile app and browsing forums though small screen is just horrible. Luckily Overgrow.com is 100% mobile ready (and you can put this site as icon to your home screen which will then behave as application).

What do you think about these trends? Are you using Instagram? Or any other social network? Are you still avoiding social networks in connection with weed?

Bottomline:

World is changing and we have too … Priority for us is safety of our visitors and members. But I think that modern site like Overgrow should be present probably on such network. But you can take my word, that we won’t be publicizing any of photos you upload per se. I can promise that…
In the contrast to the Instagram or Facebook which don’t respect your authorship or intellectual property rights we regard your photos as yours and won’t be using them anywhere without your written consent.

Looking at stats from past few days it seems clear that also here on Overgrow, visitors are using mobile devices significantly. Particularly small screen devices (36% of visitors).

I hope you are satisfied with user experience and comfort when using your mobile phones browsing Overgrow.

Few tips for Mobile browsing:

Uploading works great from mobile phone (There is link “Upload” in reply box that will bring dialog to upload photo from library or shot new one using camera). You don’t have to be afraid of uploading straight from your mobile phone as we strip all EXIF tags and anonymize your photo for you.

I’ve also found that it is best to use some photo optimizing software to downsize and reduce photo dimensions. By doing it you are also reducing file size, so upload is much faster (and you also save our disk capacity on the server). I can recommend Desqueeze app for iOS. I’m sure others will help recommending app for Android.

I have instagram but im never on it anymore. Gave up facebook 2 years ago and now i just dont do much socializing on or offline. Dont care for it. Its ruining peoples lives. Desensitization at its finest

Hi @lotus710, thanks for sharing your view.

I’d like to encourage more people to vote in poll. I’m looking forward to your opinions.

We used to be about med patients and the game. Now the biz has been added to the game. The rules or thoughts on moving foward has changed.

I say roll out your vision for the site on the legal biz and see whats happens. People need to be helped.

It’s the principal, in My opinion. Bad Seeds banks n cannabis products companys prefer Insta&Face to their usually “fantástical/legendari” and/or false little descriptions bout their strains/products… But in a forum like this is where easily ya can distinguize bad companies from the other good ones, who trust more in work n cality than in comercial advertisements…