By Rose Crompton, Content Writer
@RoseC_Leic
Marketing is essential for any business. But marketing adult industry businesses comes with its own unique set of challenges.
How to market an adult industry business
As a sex worker, marketing your business isn’t easy. But there are plenty of opportunities out there.
In my years as a content marketer and copywriter, here are the techniques I’ve found work well for mainstream and adult industry businesses. Perhaps some will work for you, too.
Tip 1: Get a website
Having a website is a must for any business. Your website is the foundation for your marketing efforts. And I’m not saying that because I’m a website content writer.
A well-constructed website attracts traffic and (when done right) works hard to covert that traffic into bookings.
One Australian survey found that half of consumers dismiss dealing with a business if they can’t find a website. This leads to missed opportunities.
So, my absolute number one marketing must-do tip if you’re serious about growing your brand and business is get your own website. Setting one up can cost you as little as zero pence.
Here’s how to set up a bare bones website in just a few hours.
Tip 2: Talk to your audience
Content marketing builds relationships between your adult business and your audience. It’s a conversation. Understand where your audience wants to hold that conversation and you’ll increase your content marketing success.
Clients and prospective clients may want to hear from you via:
- Blog articles
- Video content
- Social media posts
- Email articles/newsletters
- Podcasts.
Creating content (in any form) takes time. As a new business or someone who’s time-poor, focus first on the channels your audience is playing on. This is likely to give you a better return.
Tip: Work out which channels to target by looking at where your ideal audience is interacting with your competitors.
Content marketing should engage your audience and provoke action. This doesn’t always have to be a direct sale. But when making your content have a clear outcome and business benefit in mind.
Ask yourself: why am I making this? Who am I making it for? And what action do I want them to take after seeing this content?
Use your answers to guide you.
Tip 3: Start an email list
Of all the content marketing strategies, email marketing reigns supreme. I mean, 99% of consumers check their emails every day. You’re six-times more likely to have someone click through from an email compared to a tweet. And 59% of professional marketers say email brings the best returns on investment.
I also believe email can be so much more effective than social when marketing adult industry businesses. For clients registering an email address and keeping it private is much simpler than managing multiple social media accounts and their notification settings.
Creating and growing an email list is hard work and can be slow going. You’ll also need to be up on GDPR laws, but most email services will have you automatically covered for this.
Take a read of this article for inspiration on making the most of email marketing.
Use your email list to promote your tours, availability, new clips, photo sets, etc. and don’t be shy of self-promo when it comes to email marketing. After all, the people on your list have opted in. They want to hear from you and they what you’ve got, which makes them likely candidates to convert.
Tip 4: Promote yourself
Censorship laws (yup, like SESTA/FOSTA and age verification) are making promotion increasingly difficult. Here’s our article on how it’s also making it more difficult to access services. But there are options.
You might want to start with established directory platforms. They already have a large amount of web traffic, so setting up a profile on one or two of these sites can help in the early stages of your business.
If you’re looking to raise your profile in the industry further still, you could try the following:
- Pitch to publications (to model or write)
- Be a podcast guest
- Attend adult industry shows and parties (to network with colleagues)
- Get involved in industry groups (perhaps even become a spokesperson)
- Send out press releases and check the #journorequest hashtag on social media.
Tip 5: Know the marketing laws
Marketing can be a lot of fun, but there are rules and regulations every business has to play within. And there are more rules still if you’re marketing an adult industry business.
If handling your own marketing get familiar with the basics of marketing law. In the UK? Get the government lowdown here. Be aware of these rules. They may impact what you can or can’t put out there. If you’re ever unsure about your content being above board, consult a lawyer with adult industry knowledge.
Read more about the criminal law and UK sex work.
Start on your marketing
Setting up your website, creating a social media presence and looking for promotional opportunities are great starting points. Really, each is a discipline in its own right. There’s so much more I could geek out on say about each tip and making the absolute most of them.
If this has caught your attention and you want to further your marketing efforts, please feel free to get in touch with me. I’m happy to offer quick bits of advice, or let’s work together if you want something more structured.
About Rose Crompton
Rose Crompton is a content marketer and copywriter. She writes websites, blog articles and emails for a range of small and medium businesses, including those in the adult industry. Using her inquisitive journalist skills and upbeat, can-do energy she makes sense of your mish-mashed ideas so they’re transformed into into useful content. You can find out more about her (and even see what she looks like!) over at rosemcrompton.com
1 comment