Is Social Media the best tool for adult content creators?

The adult industry has definitely changed a lot since it’s golden era in the 1970s’. From high-value productions, like Behind the Green Door or The Opening of Misty Beethoven, to VHS tapes, we now live in a world where technology and the internet made pornography affordable and accessible to anyone who owns a smartphone. Nowadays, it’s more simple than ever to record and produce a pornographic film. All you need is an iPhone or a GoPro. “With the gradual introduction of adult industry marketing; SEO for porn websites and porn social media accounts, it is incredibly easy to grow brand awareness if you have perseverance and are targeting the right markets.” says AdultPR.

Why now? In an article by Cosmopolitan, the publication states: High-end is out and DIY is in. In the mainstream industry, high-end production is down and the production of gonzo porn — which does away with plot and expensive costumes and sets — is way up. What does this mean exactly? “Livechat performers and porn actors no longer want to be dependent on production studios, they want to be entrepreneurs, to produce and sell content on their own terms.” says Sharesome CEO, Tudor Bold. “Technology encourages that. We see a huge trend of creators selling content peer-to-peer on websites like ManyVids or Clips4Sale. Even porn giant Pornhub launched its own ‘Model Payment Program’ for independent content creators.” In an interview for Insidehook, Performer of the Year nominee, Eva Lovia, speaks about how she decided that it makes more sense to “do everything on my own.” And she’s not the only one following this path. “I think right now, unless the industry makes a bunch of changes, you’ll see more girls leaving and doing it on their own,” Lovia said.

Since you can’t really make use of traditional marketing tools to promote your NSFW content, Social Media is your best option. The main advantage in this case, is that everybody is using it, it’s the biggest trend in history and it’s impossible not to find an audience for your particular kinks. You can’t throw a rock without hitting a porn consumer, that’s for sure. One quarter of the worldwide search engine queries are related to pornography. Basically, consumers are already waiting for new and exciting content on a daily basis. “With laptops, high-speed WiFi, cell phones, and newer technology, we can pretty much get porn anywhere, anytime”, says author Shira Tarrant in her book The Pornography Industry: What Everyone Needs to Know. The new generation of NSFW content creators are now running their own businesses. They are reaching out to their fan base on Social Media and turning this fan base into revenue — just like any other influencer does.

The common issue with NSFW content is that almost all mainstream Social Media platforms, like Facebook, Instragram or Snapchat, with 2.3 billion active users, do not allow sex workers to fully express themselves. The good news is that the internet didn’t forget about them, and how could it? 12% of all content on the internet is pornographic and $3000 are spent on porn every second. Luckily, the adult content creators have plenty of alternatives out there, and they should take advantage of them and promote themselves any way they see fit. Social Media is here and available to everyone and the restrictions that are currently trending on all mainstream platforms should not be reason enough to discourage SWers from doing what the heck they want with their bodies and their lives.

One very important rule, though, regardless of the industry! Don’t go opening up accounts on every Social Media platform that you consider relevant, just for the sake of crossing them off your list. You need to be present and actively engage with them. Having an account on all platforms known to men does not automatically mean you are successful on Social Media any more than owning a tennis racket makes you ready for the ATP. Maybe do a little research first to see which of the many adult-friendly platforms out there is better suited for your type of content. Webcam Startup published a complex and highly useful article about what these platforms have to offer, tips and tricks on how to use them, dos and don’ts, everything you need to know in order to make an informed decision. Better to grow a large fan base on one or two networks, than small flocks on a dozen platforms. Everything is difficult at the beginning, but once you reach the realms of success, your fans will follow you everywhere. Still, be careful, because it’s twice as hard to stay relevant than it was to get to the top. One wrong move and all your progress can slip through your fingers.

So, why use adult-friendly platforms to promote yourself as NSFW? We’ll give you a Top 5 compelling reasons: Social Media is 100% free, it’s the fastest way to reach mass amounts of potential followers, it allows you to communicate with them in a more personal way, it builds brand loyalty and finally, you can be your own master, without anyone bossing you around. Unless you’re into that kind of stuff, which is cool :D.

Now, let’s dig deeper into each of the 5 points mentioned above. Almost 90 percent of marketers say their social marketing efforts have increased exposure for their business, and 75 percent say they’ve increased traffic. As mentioned above, Social Media is 100% free, you have nothing to lose by trying it out. There are statistics all over the place proving that this is the best instrument to promote yourself or your business nowadays. If you are an adult content creator, you are not a stranger to Social Media for sure, so make sure to maintain an active presence. It literally won’t cost you anything.

Growing a large fan base is a key factor, especially in the adult industry. A new porn movie is rolled out every 39 minutes, so it’s safe to say that the adult industry is not going anywhere anytime soon. There are adult-friendly platforms out there that allow you to put links to your Paysites and drive traffic to them. This way, you provide an opportunity for the public to find your other web content. It won’t just boost your traffic numbers and your SEO ranking, it will also bring in the type of visitors you want to attract.

With this in mind, let’s move on to the next reason on our list. It’s crucial that you keep an active Social Media presence, connect with your fans and build a relationship with them. Stay in touch as much as possible with your followers by answering their questions, entertaining and delighting them with your latest hot stuff and even forming bonds over shared kinks. Ask them what new content they would enjoy seeing in the future and you might just end up pleasantly surprised by their ideas. It’s a great way to expand your horizons. Set your limits, though, and never do anything that can make you uncomfortable.

Brand loyalty is the effect of you truly engaging with your community. You allow your followers to see you as a genuine human being, who cares enough to make time and connect with them on a more personal level. Basically, when your relationship with the public is solid, due to your strong active presence on Social Media, the bond created shows fans that you value them, not just as a source of income, but as people. In such a large and competitive sector, like the adult industry, that can make a huge difference.

Last but not least, the wet dream of so many people these days, working for yourself. This will definitely be one of the most fulfilling experiences of your life. You won’t have to depend on production studios anymore, you can release and sell content on your own terms and Social Media is the easiest way through which you can accomplish that. Technology is on your side and, in the present society, it’s the best tool you can ask for. With more than three billion people around the world using Social Media every month, it’s undoubtedly not a passing trend. Oh, and the best part, you’ll have so much fun, it won’t even feel like a job.

Let’s take Sharesome for example, a social media platform created explicitly for adult content creators. There are a few simple tips & tricks that you can follow in order to kickstart your profile. For starters, add your profile picture, maybe the same one you use on your other platforms(i.e.Twitter, ManyVids, Clips4Sale, Chaturbate etc.), so that your fans will recognize you easier. Also, add a cover photo and a short description about yourself. The best way to monetize your content on Sharesome is to add links to your Paysites and drive traffic to them. You can choose one of your links to be added under every post you make.

Follow and post your hot stuff in the most relevant and popular Topics. These topics are communities with shared interests, so find the ones that your content would fit in and start sharing (sharing is caring :D). This way you reach the right audience and grow your profile faster than on any other social network. Also, make sure to read and respect the posting rules, which are pretty simple and straightforward, nothing exaggerated. Add your Sharesome profile link on your other sites. This will not only help your profile grow, but fans will also discover your other social profiles and drive them to a safe and adult-friendly platform, where your sexy content will always be available and free of censorship. There are lots of other unique features that you can use, but we’re not going to spoil the fun. You will have to discover them on your own.

We quoted Romi Rain, 2018 XBIZ Performer of the Year, in a previous article and her words were so inspiring, that they are worth mentioning again, especially since they fit perfectly with the subject that we’re covering in this article.

I think we are already in the middle of the most important changes in the past decade for creators in adult entertainment. Our fan base reach and earning potential has been proven to be unlimited. True fans support their favorite stars now more than ever in so many ways and I think it’s only going to continue growing. Social Media is what really changed the game for so many of us. We are all realizing that we are truly the product and our fans will support us and often genuinely want us to succeed because that means they will likely see more and better of us. It’s never been easier and more worthwhile to take control of our image, brands, and products and because of that we get to enjoy it more and thrive longer!