by Peter Berton

Some months ago, YNOT took at look at Pinsex.com. It is the adult version of Pinterest, allowing porn fans to ‘pin’ their favorite porn pictures and videos by category online, so that other users can share them, comment on them, and add more of their own. Users can also look up individual porn stars, escorts, gentlemen’s clubs, shop for sex toys, go to live webcam sites, or sign-up for adult dating.

Well, the folks at Pinsex have been busy since we spoke to them last November. So YNOT.com contacted Pinsex founder/CEO Christian Thorn and Pinsex online marketing manager Joao Matos to get caught up.

YNOT: What has been happening with Pinsex since last you spoke with YNOT.com?

Christian Thorn: There has been so much happening that I hardly know where to start. First of all, we have launched our mobile site, which has been a long time coming. At the same time, we have redesigned the look and feel of the website and added new sections that better explains who we are and what we can offer at Pinsex.

As well, we have taken full control of all our ad-space by integrating our own ad-server.

We have segmented our white brand offerings per market on all the major markets, to be able to offer every market what it wants and at minimum shipping costs.

We have closed a total of 500,000€ in funding just some days ago, and we are already preparing the next round for late summer where we will be looking to take in 500,000€-600,000€.

YNOT: Please tell us about your site redesign: What did you change and why?

Joao Matos: We thought that there were several things that could be improved in terms of design to make it easier to navigate, and at the same time give the site a more “clean” design.

We also noted that there were many users that weren’t sure how to create a board and a pin, and didn’t really follow other users. Since these are some of the key functions to really enjoy Pinsex, we decided that we needed to help our users out in explaining this in a better way and give tips on how to get a better overall experience on Pinsex.

YNOT: What about your mobile site? What have you done here?

Christian Thorn: We have tried to keep it simple, and we have focused completely on delivering the best possible user experience, with the Pins as the main attraction.

The other thing that we thought was really important was for people to be able to easily share the pins they like. To do this, we added a Share button which makes it easy to copy the link to any pin. Then you can just paste the link on any mobile social platform you’re using such as Whatsapp, or Google Hangout, and that way share content with all your friends.

In the somewhat longer perspective, the idea is to offer our users a similar experience no matter if you are accessing from a mobile phone, a computer, laptop or tablet. We think that with the launch of our mobile site we have moved much closer to reach that goal.

The mobile site will be in continuous development and new features will be added almost on a weekly basis.

YNOT: How do you make money from Pinsex?

Joao Matos: We think advertising is the best way to make a project like Pinsex work. We have been thorough in our implementation of our ad-space, since our most important concerns are the members and visitors of Pinsex.

We started by adding text ads, which we think are less intrusive to the users and can be very appealing for the publishers. It gives space for an image plus plenty of text space so advertisers can give wings to their writing abilities and creativity. It’s similar to what some known mainstream social networks are doing.

We needed some more ad spots, so we also included two common sized image banners, one in the home and the other below each pin, which gives great visibility. This is key for any big publisher!

The menu tab was another good idea due to its high click-through rate and the fact that it doesn’t harm the look and feel of our site, which is really important for a visual site like Pinsex.

The feedback we are getting from our users and members as well as our advertisers, make us believe we have made the right choice so far.

YNOT: What have you learned about this kind of website, as a marketing tool, since you launched?

Joao Matos: As a marketing tool, our site is fantastic. Whether you are an amateur who want to promote your content, and maybe even make a name for yourself, or if you are a website owner wanting to create more traffic to your site, Pinsex is really a helpful tool.

The fact that we segment our advertising to such an extent, means that the traffic we pass along to our partners is highly qualified, leading to more sales and better results for both sides.

YNOT: What’s next?

Christian Thorn: We have two very important things coming up shortly.

The first is the launch of a completely new product, which is coming up in a few weeks. I’m sorry I can’t tell you anything more about it now, but its something that we have very high expectations about. I’d love to come back to you about it in a few weeks!
Second, in order to continue to grow and develop new functionalities, we have started another round of investment of 500,000-600,000 Euros, which we expect to close by late summer. So far both private investors and venture capital funds have shown a large interest to participate. This will take us to the next level, and that’s when the real fun begins.