Each month, industry news media organization XBIZ spotlights the career accomplishments and outstanding contributions of Women in Adult. WIA profiles offer an intimate look at the professional lives of the industry's most influential female executives.
From a news editor’s standpoint, publicist Dusty Marie is the cream of the crop of professionals you want to work with.
Public relations is about having, building and continuing relationships with media and influencers.
And, you want to work with her. You really do!
There are only a few PR specialists in adult who can effectively get the word out with clarity and consistency (we’ll disclose upfront that we worked with Marie in the XBIZ offices not so far long ago). And Marie, who operates the Dusty Ink public relations boutique, is one of them.
With diligence and creativity, Marie’s work is top notch, eye-catching and she’s got a big contact list — you can just ask her numerous clients about her efficacy in getting the word out.
To find out the latest and greatest from Marie, our Woman of the Month, we sat down for this exclusive WIA interview.
XBIZ: How did you rise to the very top of adult entertainment public relations biz?
Marie: Wow. Thanks. It’s nice to be mentioned as among the very top! I’d say success for me has come from hard work (of course), always continuing to educate myself on the latest trends and techniques for marketing and social media, the ability to self-motivate (since I’m lucky to work from a home office) and aligning myself with companies and brands that are as motivated as me to be innovative and creative in our approach.
XBIZ: What are some of the essential components of a compelling press release?
Marie: A compelling press release needs to first and foremost be newsworthy, so find an angle that stands out and makes media want to cover it, and of course, always lead with the five Ws: who, what, when, where, why … and sometimes how.
I find including an image link as well as an image that is SFW and ready for use for the news outlets and blogs helps to get your story out faster too — help the media help you, by getting them everything they need to do their job fast and effectively.
XBIZ: Servicing a global industry like adult can be a 24/7 adventure. Is it really?
Marie: It can be a 24/7 adventure; however, we have more online tools to help us navigate a very connected global industry.
To do my job and be able to balance a personal life I take advantage of great programs to efficiently do my social media management as well as press release and newsletter dissemination.
Plus, there are plenty of email management tools and online collaborative work sites to keep a team working fast and stay in constant contact. My job would be so much tougher without all of these tools!
XBIZ: Some smaller operators like to wing press releases themselves, and the results are typically quite poor. Why should every business owner consider a public relations specialist?
Marie: Public relations is not just sending out press releases (however, a good PR helps to get you noticed and maximize the impact of your other marketing efforts).
Public relations is about having, building and continuing relationships with media and influencers, pitching newsworthy ideas based on your clients, constantly following up and having your finger on the pulse of what is trending and how best to tie in one’s clients, brands and products.
Having a specialist saves a company time and energy they can focus on running their business and knowing that they have someone working to achieve their goals.
XBIZ: What’s your favorite quote and why?
Marie: “Today me will live in the moment unless it’s unpleasant, in which case me will eat a cookie,” by Cookie Monster always seems appropriate for me when things take a turn, be it with work or personally.
And on a more serious note is this quote from a poem by Mary Carolyn Davies: “If I had known what trouble you were bearing; What grief’s were in the silence of your face; I would have been more gentle, and more caring, And tried to give you gladness for a space. I would have brought more warmth into the place, If I had known.”
I think we can all lead with a little more compassion right now.
XBIZ: Where do you like to travel? And what’s your favorite dish?
Marie: Anywhere with nice beaches and warm temperatures is my travel destination and as to food, Latin/Mexican food is always a favorite. Yum, is it taco Tuesday yet?
XBIZ: What do you like to do when not thinking about business?
Marie: When not working I can be found doing home renovations and DIY projects with my husband for our new home (I love to build, repair and get crafty).
I also play competitive beach volleyball and have since moving to Los Angeles many years ago.
And, of course, my weekly hot dates with girlfriends for “wine-down Wednesday” make the week go by faster!
