CYBERSPACE – Of all the transformative technologies, platforms and applications which have emerged via the internet, perhaps no other has been as impactful, global and far-reaching as the phenomenon of social media.

While estimates vary, most sources peg the number of Facebook users at around 2.2 billion people, with a little over two-thirds of adults in the U.S. reporting they have Facebook accounts, of whom 75% access Facebook daily.

Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest and a handful of other sites and platforms also boast user counts in the hundreds of millions. These users are not unique to each platform, of course – the Pew Research Center says the “median American” uses three of the following eight platforms: Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, WhatsApp, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

In addition to having expansive market penetration, social media is far more effective for producing user engagement than are other forms of media. For decades, marketing experts have extolled the benefits of “word of mouth” marketing – and there’s no better accelerator for the word of mouth than social media, in part because the platforms actively encourage sharing and re-sharing of items published thereon, making users more likely to pass along stories, images and links they see on their social media feeds.

Naturally, all this traffic, interaction and consumer engagement makes social media platforms attractive places to advertise and promote products, services and content. As is often the case with adult content and products, however, the terms of service and acceptable use policies of social media platforms make it difficult (in some cases, nigh impossible) for members of the adult industry to effectively promote their wares on many social media sites.

Social media companies don’t prohibit the display, distribution and promotion of pornography on their platforms out of some deep seated anti-porn bias on the part of their owners or operators; they prohibit porn (and other objectionable content) due to the presence of minors on their platforms and the corresponding public pressure to keep their sites and apps “clean.”

Still, despite the barriers and challenges presented by the social media platforms’ policies (and the often-inconsistent enforcement thereof), many adult performers have established a strong and active presence on those platforms which don’t summarily bar their participation, like Twitter. Taking advantage of an environment which enables them to interact directly with fans, producers and peers, performers have leveraged Twitter into an outstanding promotional and marketing platform, in addition to an expressive outlet in which to put their personality and creativity on full display.

Throughout June, YNOT will be focusing on the complex, tricky, but potentially highly-rewarding relationship between social media and adult entertainment, exploring ways in which members of the adult industry can (and have) made the most of social platforms to promote their work and raise awareness of their brands. We’ll talk to experts and analysts about issues ranging from legal and public relations risks to tips and pointers for growing and maintaining a large social media following.

Along the way, we’ll look at trends in social media, the varied demographics of major platforms, trends in social media use, metrics you should pay attention vs. those which may not be as significant as they seem at first glance (spoiler alert: harnessing user engagement is more important than simply racking up “likes”), ineffective social media tactics to avoid and the potential value of niche social networks where the adult entertainment industry might be more welcome than it is on certain major platforms.

We’ll also examine how recent changes in American law, including the establishment of the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) and ways in which the new law could restrain adult entertainment companies and performers who have nothing to do with human trafficking, but whose activities and expressive works some in government seem determined to intentionally conflate with reprehensible crimes.

Whatever difficulties and challenges may arise in promoting and marketing adult content and products in the social media environment, the popularity of the platforms and sheer size of their collective user base makes navigating their policies and restrictions worth the effort.

In other words, the question is not whether adult entertainment companies, performers and producers should use social media to expand their reach of consumers, but how they should go about doing so.