Perhaps the biggest difference between running a business 10 years ago and running a business today is the role social media can play in your success. As of 2019, 79 percent of the United States population and 91 percent of businesses had social networking profiles, making the medium extremely effective for connecting not only businesses with potential customers but also businesses with other businesses. Because most marketing has moved to digital platforms and more people rely on social media for news, reviews, and to find new products and services, embracing social media is a no-brainer for savvy stores.
So, what can social media do for your adult and how do you use it effectively? Let’s take a look at some of the ways that companies like East Coast News and the businesses we work with use social media to effectively connect with end users and collaborate with other businesses.
Social media is helping adult stores become true resources for their audiences, both online and offline.
Why social media?
My team and I have found that social media gives us a whole other avenue of communication with our customers, one that allows us to communicate with them on a daily basis but at their leisure. Customers can visit social media pages to see new product, and get educational info, sales tips, and even a few laughs — never underestimate the power of a meme. Adult business can use social media to promote sales and deals, share information about popular and brand-new products, provide sexual health and wellness information, send fun sex-positive messages to followers, and even to collaborate with vendor partners to promote one another. Social media also represents a service that companies can provide to vendors: showcasing their brands and products quite literally directly to those who make the buying decisions.
Some of our customers have found social media to be a great asset for promoting their businesses and even encouraging people to hop offline and come into their stores to shop! Especially for adult retail establishments, using social media can be a fabulous opportunity to connect with potential shoppers who may feel intimidated to walk through the doors; posting images and videos of walk-throughs and displays can show followers what it’s like to come in and quell any fears they may have.
We’ve also seen our customers use social media to promote in-store events, provide sex education and expert tips, and even spread awareness of local and social issues important to the community. Social media is helping adult stores become true resources for their audiences, both online and offline.
Be a social media master!
Getting started on social media is not always an easy task, but the results make all the work worthwhile. Here are our top three tips for mastering social media:
1. Never forget the “social” in social media: Social media success requires interaction with followers. This includes “liking” and commenting on other accounts’ posts as well as responding to comments left on your own posts. Remember, social media algorithms respond to engagement; as more people engage with a post, more people will see it. To build a following, consider hosting contests and giveaways as well as consistently following the accounts of people who follow your account (also known as “follow for follow”). And be sure to keep an eye on your DMs (private messages that are only seen by you and the sender) and reply to them. Nothing sours a relationship faster than ignored messages.
2. Make sure you are seen: Maintaining a consistent presence on your customers’ feeds requires frequent posting. For stores just starting out on social media, it can be very effective to share a mix of original content like store photos and product demo videos and reposts of relevant content from complementary accounts — especially from the brands you sell. Our best advice is to post a healthy mix of these two kinds of content and use apps like #repost to make it easier to share others’ content quickly while making sure they get credit.
3. As an adult business, stay safe: Each social media platform has different parameters for what they consider “adult” content. Some platforms don’t allow phallic shapes, nipples (usually nipples of women, not men), or suggestive sexual photos while others have fewer restrictions. The very nature of the adult retail industry means that we need to stay aware of these rules and post appropriately for each platform, else we risk being penalized. Read through the terms of service for each site before you start posting and stay aware of the possibility that your account could be suspended, hidden from search results, or otherwise restricted simply for being associated with sex and adult.
With a little work, social media can be a tremendously effective tool for engaging with end users, customers, complementary businesses, and for brick-and-mortar stores, your local community. Apply the information you’ve learned here and see how social media can take your business to the next level!
Lynda Mort is the vice president of East Coast News. With 25 years of experience in the adult market, ECN is a major, respected distributor of adult novelties in the U.S.
