Surely those of us involved in the business of selling adult entertainment — be it a niche lifestyle specialty, straddling the mainstream with alternate fashion or running a kink group — consider Facebook and FetLife when looking to expand outreach and advertising.
But if we take these two platforms off the table – Facebook for being notoriously sex negative and anti-adult and FetLife for maybe being too community concentrated — how would one best go about advertising?
We spoke to representatives from STL3 events, Dawnamatrix Designs and The Sissy Parlor to get some insights and ideas.
Following Kinks on Facebook?
STL3 is one of the most successful kink communities in the U.S., with their “Beat Me In St. Louis” event just celebrating its 20th anniversary. Although the group enjoys a healthy FetLife presence, this not-for-profit kink organization reaches out to the community in other ways, updating older members and looking for new.
“We use a Google Groups email group to communicate all of our monthly business, private events, meeting notices and announcements,” Jennica, the president of STL3, told YNOT.
“Also, many of us attend other events, and in our conversations with others, we often mention our own events. We also might place an advertisement in one of the other event programs,” she added.
Regarding Facebook use and community engagement, Jennica explained: “Unless someone is publicly ‘out’ about their kinky lifestyle, they won’t usually follow or affiliate themselves with STL3 on Facebook where their friends and family might see and get recommendations to follow that page as well.”
Covergirl Kink, Mainstream Opportunity
Dawn Mostow, the CEO and head designer for the latex fashion brand Dawnamatrix Designs, is in a unique position for spreading the word about what she does.
While Mostow creates bespoke fashion for alternative lifestylers, she has also done work that is highly mainstream. She created an inflatable dress for musical artist Katy Perry’s appearance in a Covergirl cosmetics commercial, has seen her accessories on television’s “Gotham” and dressed Beyoncé’s dancers for a VMA Awards performance, among many other high-profile endeavors. Mostow also enjoys consistent mainstream coverage of her creations in magazines like Interview and global imprints of Vogue.
In her view, the “mainstreaming” of what she produces has expanded the Dawnamatrix brand’s reach.
“A mainstream-style advertisement or editorial photoshoot featuring a model dressed in latex immediately calls to mind the original influence — roots in BDSM fashion,” Mostow explained. “And these days, so many images in fashion magazines use this type of imagery, it is immediately accepted and embraced.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BB1O9JlsFtc/?hl=en&taken-by=dawnamatrix
Session Spaces and Community Outreach
Based in South Florida, Ava Durga employs a decidedly soft approach to her outreach.
As “Ms. Ava,” Durga provides men with bi and femme fantasy fulfillment, cross-dressing, basic makeovers, domestic service and discipline, corporal punishment, sissy slut and sissy maid training, sensory exploration and supportive female coaching and companionship with Ms. Ava’s Sissy Parlor.
Like STL3, Durga reaches out directly to the community she serves.
She explained, “My best clients find me through web search. I don’t do any proactive marketing on FetLife other than my business’s group there.”
Durga has also organized community events and meetups.
“A few months ago, I started a meetup group for crossdressers and TGs in South Florida called the Blue Belles. While a terrific investment of time and money, I think I’ve just scratched the surface of its potential,” she shared.
“A meetup may not be transferable to other types of adult businesses, but for what I do I think the idea of doing something as a community service, reaching my potential client base could be adaptable somehow,” she added.
Get Creative With Alternative Ideas
If you can play within the rules of selectively-enforced terms of service or you feel there is new business in community-specific spaces, there’s nothing wrong with advertising adult or alternative lifestyle pursuits across FetLife or Facebook. Even community spaces have their rules and limitations though, and there are plenty of other ways to get the word out to customers new and old if you indeed skirt some kink in what you do.
Get creative with your outreach and find places and spaces (and customers) you may have been missing.
Editor’s Note: Dawnamatrix Designs dressed Kylie Jenner in her *infamous* Interview mag spread. Even for the biggest Kardashian hater, this is incredible…
https://www.instagram.com/p/-xgKamsFgp/?hl=en&taken-by=dawnamatrix
Image via Ms. Ava
