opinion

Labor resources for marketing

Where do you spend your labor dollars related to the overall marketing and business growth of your pay sites? When you look around the industry, you can see different approaches to how best to spend money on business people to grow your business. Note that regardless of the titles: marketing, sales, business development, affiliate relations, traffic management, public relations or otherwise, the goals are generally the same for pay site operators. You are looking to increase visibility, traffic and customer volume for your site(s).

Some companies have entire business side departments with multiple staffers and contractors handling various tasks that will increase their bottom line. Other companies have one person in place to handle everything. Which is better/more efficient? At first glance, it’s not an easy answer since companies with both heavy and light marketing payroll budgets are hitting their goals. Some companies in the industry have high turn over in their marketing departments, which means that more time than necessary may be spent on sourcing talent, rather than training talent and providing the needed resources for marketing professionals to accomplish their tasks and do their jobs well. Other firms will see great returns from matching needed company resources to talented pros that can bring their companies’ business to the next level.

If you are in a decision making role and trying to determine whether to set up a team or hire a full charge person to handle this side of your business, consider a mixed approach to the solution. You may not want six people on payroll to make sure that affiliates and traffic buys are being cared for efficiently, but note that if you focus on the efforts of one person, you will still need to provide a range of resources beyond personal compensation to allow that person to shine for you.

Assume that your marketing pro(s) are going to need a robust affiliate back end that will allow for multiple levels of methods of tracking performance of everything from brand campaigns to keyword specific media buys and everything in between. While you may only have one ‘marketing’ person, this individual will need to be supported by some labor hours from graphic designers, programmers and others on an ongoing basis. This is realistic and you should plan accordingly.

An ideal scenario from my point of view: get yourself someone who can manage the overall business development and marketing process to start with. Make sure that person has access to realistic promotional budgets, programmers and a designer (even if programming and design are outsourced in your company). Allow this manager to create a strategy for overall growth while they grab the ‘low hanging fruit”, i.e. – traffic sources they are already familiar with that will be profitable for your company. Make sure that the manager knows your operational methods, billing processes, traffic counting methods, etc. inside and out.

Once the manager gets good traction, only then should you look at expanding your business development/account management team to include specialized staff (or contractors) that will contribute to the overall growth of your business. Always remember that labor costs need to be factored into your marketing and growth budgets and that these expenses should be treated as investments for the mid to long term, not as short term gambles to make a quick buck.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

The 'Wall of Shame' in Adult Retail: Deterrent or Dilemma?

Retail theft affects all kinds of businesses, but adult retailers face unique challenges when it comes to loss prevention. One of the more controversial strategies some retailers have adopted is the “wall of shame,” a public display of shoplifters caught in the act.

Rin Musick ·
profile

Segpay Marks 20 Years of High-Risk Triumphs

Payment processors are behind-the-scenes players in the world of ecommerce, yet their role is critical. Ensuring secure, seamless transactions while navigating a rapidly changing regulatory landscape requires both technological expertise and business acumen.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

The SCREEN Test: How to Prepare for Federal Age Verification

For those who are counting, there are now 20 enacted state laws in the United States requiring age verification for viewing online adult content, plus numerous proposed laws in the works. This ongoing barrage has been exhausting for many in the adult industry — and it may be about to escalate in the form of a potential new AV law, this time at the federal level.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Mitigating Retail Shrink Through Intelligent Video Solutions

Retail shrink isn’t just a cost of doing business — it’s an existential threat. Theft, fraud, operational inefficiencies and employee mismanagement chip away at profits in ways that many business owners don’t even realize.

Sean Quinn ·
opinion

How to Master Team Dynamics for Business Success

Having the right team in place is everything. Whether getting a startup off the ground and thriving, or safeguarding an established company, the right — or wrong — people can mean the difference between a successful venture and a failed dream.

Juicy Jay ·
opinion

The Power of Authenticity in Selling Pleasure Products

I’ve been working in the pleasure industry for more than two decades. For a significant chunk of that time, I thought that to be successful in sales, I had to fit a mold. I assumed that selling meant following a formula: say the right things, use the right voice and present myself in a way that was guaranteed to convert.

Kimberly Scott Faubel ·
opinion

Eight Steps to Fast-Track AI Site Approval for Processing

Artificial intelligence is a hot topic these days. AI technology is speeding up the way we do business across all industries and offers numerous benefits, from automating processes to increasing efficiency and scalability.

Cathy Beardsley ·
profile

Dennis DeSantis on Building a Blockbuster Career in Adult Retail

The adult industry and the mainstream Hollywood scene often intersect, and few executives are more familiar with that crossover than Dennis DeSantis.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
opinion

How to Secure High-Risk Transactions With Network Tokenization

Ensuring the security of data as it moves through digital channels is the foundation of safe transactions, and crucial for your success. If your business can’t secure transactions, you’re exposed to myriad processing traumas.

Jonathan Corona ·
profile

'Pleasure Professionals Place' Facebook Group Marks 5 Years of Fostering Connections

Where can you find the pleasure industry’s most tantalizing, trending and relevant conversational banter? For once, we’re not talking about a trade show after-party!

Colleen Godin ·
Show More