In 2022, nearly 11% of US adults have used e-cigarettes or vapes [1], and the popularity of these nicotine products isn’t decreasing in 2024. Around 700 vape brands will participate in the 2024 TPE tobacco exhibition[2], so the number of brands will soon match the number of classic cigarette companies.
However, with rising concerns about health risks and an increase in the number of children consuming vapes, both Europe and the US have passed some regulations to limit the advertising of e-cigarettes. Just like with classic cigarettes, promoting the benefits of vapes and selling them to minors is strictly forbidden.
Without promotional content and ads, brands find it difficult to reach their target audience and advertise their latest flavors. There are strict regulations about where, how, to whom and to what extent vape advertising is allowed.
We at NUOPTIMA have found creative and legally approved ways to do vape shop advertising and increase sales. With SEO, high-quality content, invite-only groups and email subscribers, vape brands can promote their products to customers seeking them.
Let’s cover vape advertising from A to Z.
Is Vape Advertising Legal?
Vape shop advertising is legal to an extent, with restrictions similar to classic tobacco advertising.
The regulation of vape advertising started in 2016, with the TRPRs implementing the Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU)[3] into UK law. This TP directive imposed product standards and regulations on nicotine vape product advertising.
The FDA classifies e-cigarettes and vaping products as tobacco products, subjecting them to the same strict advertising regulations as traditional cigarettes.
Offline advertising was first put under the magnifying glass, and many brands were controlled if they sold their products to minors. In the begining of 2024, 2.9% of children aged 11-17 in the UK who have ever tried vaping reported that their first vape was given them by an e-cigarette
company [4]. This implies that vape brands have started to give away promotional vapes instead of selling them.
In 2024, CAP and the ASA started to monitor and flag ads for e-cigarettes and vapes that appeared on social media to people without their consent or/and targeted minors.
E-cigarette advertisers that were targeted are retailers and manufacturers of vapes, employees of e-cigarette businesses or 3rd parties under e-cigarette advertisers’ control (paid partnerships).
This entails that vape brands can’t advertise on television, radio, or billboards. Additionally, sponsorships of events, particularly those with a significant youth audience, are off-limits.
Product placement in media is also prohibited. More specifically, cigarette ads (including vapes) are prohibited in any online media where the content could be actively shared among potential customers who didn’t have an intent of searching for the product.
Therefore, all PPC ads, posts on all social media public platforms, newspapers/magazines, commercial emails or texts promoting vapes are prohibited.
If you are not in the vape industry, learn how to win clients PPC right away.
It’s important to note that regulations can vary by state and locality, and they’re subject to change. Vape brands must stay informed about current laws and consult with legal experts to ensure compliance.
Violations can result in significant fines and legal consequences, so adhering to these regulations is not just advisable—it’s essential for the sustainability of your business.
For example, Australia’s authorities have fined four individuals and companies more than $170,000 for unlawfully advertising or importing vaping products. [5]
How Do You Advertise Vapes?
According to the 22.12 rule, brands can advertise vape products on their own websites and in online space under their control while providing claims that are factual rather than promotional in nature.
Therefore, when in doubt vape advertisers need to check these boxes:
Is my content promotional or factual? If the content contains instances (text, creatives, emojis, etc) that are promotional I may be breaching the law.
Is the content available only to people who are verified potential customers, and content can’t be distributed to other people?
Are my potential customers seeking out this content, or is the algorithm displaying it to them either way?
Are there any specific country laws that may be applicable?
If you are unsure about ads, consult our PPC agency.
Where Can You Advertise Vapes?
Some avenues available for vape brands to market their products:
- Age-restricted websites: Brands can advertise on their own websites, provided they implement strict age verification measures.
- In-store promotions: Point-of-sale advertising in adult-only facilities is generally permitted.
- Direct mail: With proper age verification, brands can send promotional materials directly to adult consumers.
- Trade shows: Advertising at industry-specific events is typically allowed.
- Invite-only groups: With beforehand age verification, people can join dedicated Telegram or WhatsApp groups.
- Social media: Private accounts with disclaimers and fact-based content are allowed to some extent.
In the following section of the article, we will write more in detail about where and how you can advertise vapes on individual online platforms.
How to Advertise Vapes on Your Website
Here is an overview of vape shop advertising rules on websites:
- Factual claims about products are permitted on your own website.
- Ensure all information is factual and non-promotional.
- Avoid using language that goes beyond providing basic product information.
Example of acceptable content:
“Guava Rubicana e-liquid: Contains two nicotine shots. Flavor profile: Guava.”
Example of unacceptable content:
“Guava Rubicana e-liquid: 2 nicotine shots included. Features a sweet and sharp taste of energizing guava that fills your mouth with fruity juice in combination with fizzy sparks. You must try this truly tropical vape juice!”
Rules to follow:
- Stick to factual descriptions of products
- Avoid using persuasive or enticing language
- Ensure proper age verification measures are in place
While traditional vape shop advertising channels may be restricted to vape products, your website can serve as an all-in-one platform to promote your vape offerings.
With search engine optimization (SEO) techniques and creating high-quality content, you can effectively advertise vapes on your website and attract your target audience without strict regulations. Here’s how to do it:
1. Conduct Thorough Keyword Research
The foundation of successful vape advertising on your website lies in understanding what your potential customers are searching for. Use SEO tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Google’s Keyword Planner to identify relevant keywords and phrases. Focus on:
- Popular vaping terms: ‘vape,’ ‘e-juice,’ ‘e-liquid’ (avoid less common terms like ‘e-cigarette’)
- Location-based searches: ‘vape shop near me’, ‘vape store in [your location].’
- Specific product searches: ‘CBD vape’, ‘no nicotine vape.’
- Informational queries: questions about vaping, e-juice, and finding vape stores
Vaporesso ranks for more than 28K vape-related keywords, including location-based “vape stores near me” and informational queries such as “ how old do you have to be to vape”.
The easiest way to find relevant and high-intent keywords is to look into what your competitors are ranking for. You can check their organic keywords in the Site Exloper tab on Ahrefs or perform a Keyword Gap Analysis if you already rank for certain keywords.
2. Optimize Existing Pages and Create New Content
Once you’ve identified your target keywords, optimize your existing web pages and create new ones to maximize traffic potential. This involves:
- Including relevant keywords in your page titles, headings, and content
- Creating dedicated pages for popular product categories or search terms, such as “disposable vapes” and “nicotine vapes”.
- Developing informational content that answers common vaping questions
- Ensuring your content aligns with user search intent (navigational, informational, commercial, or transactional)
For instance, if you sell disposable vapes, create a comprehensive page that explains what it is, its benefits, how to use it, and showcase your product range. This page can then target the high-volume “disposable vapes”’ keyword and related long-tail variations (“cheap disposable vapes”, “best disposable vapes,” “new disposable vapes”)
3. Develop a Content Strategy
To effectively advertise vapes on your website, you need a well-formed content strategy. This involves:
- Creating pillar pages for main topics (e.g., “Everything You Need to Know About Vaping”)
- Developing supporting content that links back to these pillar pages
- Regularly publishing blog posts, guides, and articles related to vaping, such as “How to start vaping,” “Is vaping legal?”, “Are vapes better than cigarettes?” etc.
- Optimizing your product and category pages with keywords and aligning with the SERP.
4. Implement Local SEO Tactics
If you have a physical vape shop, local SEO is crucial for attracting nearby customers. To improve your local visibility:
- Set up and optimize your Google Business Profile
- Create location-specific pages on your website (e.g., “Vape Shop in South London”)
- Include your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) consistently across your site
- Encourage customers to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile
5. Build High-Quality Backlinks
While creating great content is essential, getting other websites to link to your content can significantly boost your search engine rankings. Some strategies to build backlinks include:
- Guest blogging on relevant vaping or lifestyle websites, such as the VapingPost.
- Creating valuable resources (like infographics or research) that others want to link to
- Participating in industry forums and discussions on Quora/Reddit (while avoiding spammy practices)
- Developing free tools or calculators related to vaping (e.g., a nicotine strength calculator) that others will link to
Interested in optimizing your website? Learn more about vape seo here.
How to Advertise Vapes on Facebook & Instagram
Let’s recap what the legal restrictions for advertising vapes on social media are:
- Public posts on social media platforms are generally prohibited for promoting nicotine-containing vape products.
- You can’t use paid advertising or sponsored posts for vape products on these platforms.
- Private, age-restricted groups or pages have some limited options for sharing factual information.
Example of prohibited content: A public Instagram post showing vape products with captions like “Best vapes in the UK.”
Rules to follow:
- Do not post about nicotine-containing vape products on public social media accounts
- Avoid using influencers or third-party accounts to promote your products
- If using private, age-restricted accounts, only share factual, non-promotional information
The best way to promote your vape brand on Facebook is through private groups. Choppa Vapes ( one of the most famous Lancashire-based brands with 80+ vape products) has a community of over 40K people.
What is important is that they clearly state the age limit and even have a pre-verification process. In a private Facebook group, brands can write about new products and let users discuss vape topics, ensuring that only members who want to read their content can access it.
As part of their vape shop advertising tactic, most famous brands have removed their public profiles and created these mini-communities where the rules are a bit looser.
A similar scene can be seen on Instagram. Many brands use either private profiles or post carefully selected posts on their public ones. Popular vape brands such as Vaporesso, Gold Bar, and Voopoo have public accounts but carefully display content and follow the rules we mentioned.
Another famous vape brand, Elfbar, has a perfectly optimized Instagram account according to the vape advertising standards. Elfbar Global is a private account with a disclaimer and links to their other channels – discord group and official website.
How to Advertise Vapes on TikTok
Advertising of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes is generally prohibited on TikTok, as it falls under “online media and some other forms of electronic media” where such advertising is not permitted.
In 2023, the ASA ruled against a TikTok post by a third-party marketer featuring an individual using vapes and making references to specific products. This was found to be in breach of the Code.
Example of prohibited content: A TikTok video showing someone using vapes throughout their day and mentioning specific brands or products.
Rules to follow:
- Do not create or sponsor content promoting vape products on TikTok
- Avoid using influencers or third-party accounts to promote your products on the platform
A grey area (for now) on TikTok is providing only factual and informative content about vape products. Geekbar has been posting only product packaging on their TikTok page; however, their page is public and doesn’t have a disclaimer, which should be stated clearly on the TikTok page.
How to Advertise Vapes on YouTube
Here is a recap of the legal restrictions for advertising vapes and e-cigarettes on YouTube:
- Paid advertisements for nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are prohibited on YouTube.
- Content on a brand’s own YouTube channel might be treated similarly to a website but with strict limitations.
Rules to follow:
- Do not use paid YouTube advertising for vape products
- If you have a YouTube channel, ensure it’s age-restricted and only contains factual, non-promotional information
- Avoid creating or sponsoring content that could be seen as promoting vape products
Popular vape brands don’t have YouTube channels because of the strict and not completely defined prohibitions. Therefore, we don’t advise new vape companies to have public accounts on this channel.
There are independent review YouTube accounts such as DEF Grimm Greene, Vaping Insider, Mikes Vapes, and Jai Haze that cover all topics related to vapes. However, YouTube has started to limit the creators’ reach and monetization options while imposing restrictions and disclaimers on vape shop advertising.
Additional Vape Advertising Channels
Apart from the most popular channels, here are additional ones you can try and what rules to follow:
Rules to follow:
- Ensure all communities are strictly age-restricted and private
- Share factual, non-promotional information
- Avoid using persuasive language or promotional offers
Commercial emails promoting unlicensed nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are generally prohibited. However, there may be some scope for responding to specific consumer requests:
- Make sure recipients have specifically opted in to receive the information
- Maintain marketing lists in line with GDPR
- Provide an opt-out option with every communication
- Keep information factual and non-promotional
Example of acceptable email content:
“As requested, here are the specifications for our ‘CloudMaker’ device: 2000mAh battery, 2ml tank capacity, compatible with 0.5ohm coils.”
Vape Seminars and Gatherings
While not explicitly mentioned in the documents, seminars might be considered under trade show rules:
- Advertising at industry-specific events is typically allowed
- Ensure attendance is restricted to adults only
- Focus on factual information rather than promotional content
Famous vape seminars are Vape Expo UK, Vaping Expo Italy, Word Vape Show, UK, etc. Check out the full list of vape trade fairs on TrustIcert.
Groups (WhatsApp/Discord/Telegram/):
The ASA considered a post on Elf Bar’s Discord server acceptable because:
- It was accessible via invitation only
- Content was not shared with other Discord users outside the server
- The server was considered analogous to Elf Bar’s website
The last channel where you can subtly promote your vape products are subreddits like” r/Vaping”. Make sure to stick to informative content and answer user questions and doubts rather than promoting the brand directly.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve done a detailed overview of vape advertising laws and prohibitions, as well as some right & wrong ways to promote your vape products.
Out of all the channels we mentioned above (social media, groups, email, etc), the one that is the easiest to control and promote effectively is your website. With high-quality content visuals, product/category pages, and a FAQ section you can easily convert people that land on your website.
However, landing on your website requires SEO optimization. The team at NUOPTIMA are SEO & growth experts and know how to tailor our SEO expertise to your business goals.
Book a free call with our team today to discuss how a good SEO strategy can turn your website into your most profitable channel.
FAQ
Advertising of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes is heavily restricted. It’s allowed on marketers’ own websites (factual claims only), in trade-targeted media, and potentially to advertise business existence. It’s prohibited in most public media, including newspapers, social media, TV, and billboards.
No, vape PPC advertising is not legal for nicotine-containing e-cigarettes not licensed as medicines. This includes paid online ads, search listings, and social media placements.
References
- https://news.gallup.com/poll/267413/percentage-americans-vape.aspx[1]
- https://www.jsbvape.com/2024/01/27/list-of-vape-brands-and-companies-participating-in-2024-tpe/[2]
- https://health.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2016-11/dir_201440_en_0.pdf[3]
- https://ash.org.uk/uploads/Use-of-vapes-among-young-people-in-Great-Britain-2024.pdf?v=1723555613[4]
- https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/22/vaping-advertisers-and-importers-hit-with-170000-in-fines-by-tga[5]