Study after study has indicated the single largest share of internet users’ time is spent on social media. With the active population of social networks running into the hundreds of millions, it pays to think of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other hotspots as sales channels — active tools, not just billboards.

According to the social media marketing specialists at Curalate, “Content on the social [networks] is introducing people to things they never knew they needed in their lives. And that’s going to be transformational for digital commerce.

“Visual content shared on social media has become the new storefront,” Curalate’s analysis continued. “It entices people to explore and, ultimately, gets them to buy.”

How effective is social media at encouraging sales? In an August 2017 survey of social media users ages 18-65, Curalate found 76 percent of U.S. consumers have purchased a product they saw in a brand’s social media post. Nearly 60 percent of people between 35 and 65 have purchased something they discovered on social. Of those who purchased, 11 percent bought right away; another 67 percent did so at a later date. Social media marketing evidently has a long tail.

Seventy percent of consumers who buy online follow their favorite brands on social media, and 77 percent say they’ve seen a product they want to learn more about on a brand’s social media channels.

The Curalate survey indicated consumers find images and videos the most compelling social content, but even in those categories not all content is created equal. Word-of-mouth remains the best sales tool a product can have, and in the digital world, WoM takes the form of user-generated-content. Fifty percent of respondents said UGC makes them more likely to buy products they find on social media.

“Consumers trust UGC,” Curalate’s surveyors noted. “It’s authentic, helps people envision products in their own lives and can be the catalyst that leads to a sale.”

What kind of UGC content is most effective? Verbal endorsements are good; memes are better. The most effective UGC for product sales is images and videos of products in the real world, not catalog shots. Potential buyers are wise to studio techniques for enhancing products. They want to see what others actually have received.

What does this man for adult entertainment marketers? First, if you’re not using social media networks as direct sales channels, hop on that train immediately. Don’t be afraid to present social denizens with a product and a compelling call to action.

Second: Get creative. The adult industry always has known how to market using visuals, which is why the social networks are full of XXX-rated images and videos. Sure, those work, but try reimagining some of the tired tactics in unexpected ways.

Third: Encourage fans to spread the word. A recommendation from one fan will spread father and faster and result in more sales than 10 from a company.

Bottom line?

“When people follow others on social, they’re intentionally opting to receive content from that person or brand,” Curalate’s researchers noted. “That content can cause people to ask, ‘What’s that?’ Creating moments of discovery represents a massive opportunity for e-commerce — the opportunity to go beyond search and to introduce people to their next great find.”