By Natalie Pannon
The vast majority of the adult industry has abandoned Facebook, and for good reasons. From having to use real personal information or face the odds of getting it all shut down to being very strict about sharing and/or linking to adult content, the days of using Facebook as you do Twitter are long gone.
The well-known rule of thumb is that Facebook wants your adult content at least two clicks away from any links you publish on your website, which makes it very hard to set up conversion funnels. But where there’s a will, there’s a way. Even with Facebook, there are ways.
Here’s an option that takes a bit more work but can convert traffic for you. In fact, this may be a very viable avenue given the current low XXX industry saturation on Facebook after the collective flight to more open-minded social platforms.
For starters, you’ll need a public-figure Facebook page. You will first create a real-person profile to be your administrator, in which case you probably don’t want to use a fake name. That page can be mostly empty, provided you use a real name for which you have an ID. If you’re ready to risk it, you can even use your own real name. Facebook won’t link it to your page in any way, unless you make the mistake of posting as yourself. You’d have to literally walk into that one, though, as as the default setting is “posting as page.”
When you are finished setting up the profile, you can proceed to create a Page, which is a commercial, promotional or professional presence. You probably want to create one as a public figure.
What not to post
Here’s one of the most important points: you do not want to try to bend Facebook’s rules and post nudity. There’s no point. Facebook isn’t made for that, and the only reward you’ll get is a ban.
Post about your hobbies, experiences and the fun times you have, and use only SFW content and images. This isn’t about your adult content or your cam room; this is about you. As a model, you know better than I that fans who pay to see you on cam or join your website want to see you. If they were looking for porn, there’s plenty of that around. So, do what you enjoy and post about it. Connect with people and communicate.
The basic rule to earning a large following on any social media is — ta daaaa! — being social. Spamming your social feeds with only “join my website,” “see me on cam” and “tip me here,” won’t get you very far. Remember: You are nurturing relationships, not trying to sell to each person who likes your page. Be authentic and have fun. That’s the key.
Conversion: Get those email addresses
Having fun is fun, but ultimately this is also about your work and career. This brings us to conversion. Converting all the likes your page receives will take an extra step. When your page has enough likes and interaction going on, you want to start collecting emails.
“Emails?” you ask. “Why the hell do I need emails? Sending them links to pay me?”
Well, no. At least, not as your first step.
The trick here is to make them want to get emails from you. Tell them it’s a premium deal. Let them know you’re running a newsletter, and if you find them worthy, they might get to join. This should not be all over your page but, rather, covertly discussed as a big secret society that only the chosen may access. Hint that Facebook has limitations and some things you just can’t share on a public page.
On the tech side, most mailing services have newsletter signup pages. This way, you can send the link to sign up to your mailing list, and the user will get added automatically. Not having to update manually is nice, but mail services can cost. If you’re not ready to invest and not sure whether you’ll get enough emails, start with a basic Google form. It’s free, simple, informative, customizable and exports in a pretty table with all data right there.
Done? Now it’s time to be creative.
Emailing your secret society
Write a series of emails that are personal, slightly flirty and fun to read. Include some images. Don’t overdo the graphics; the emails should not look like spam selling Viagra. (The Almighty knows we already get too many of those.)
You probably want to send at least five emails before you mention wanting to sell something. Remember: Your followers haven’t been weeded for non-adults, so at this point you don’t want to send anything you wouldn’t want a 16-year-old to see. Make it sexy, flirty and “secret,” but no nudity or hardcore.
Keep in mind you’ll probably schedule at least a week between emails. I’d recommend two. Don’t rush the sales. The more anticipation, the better conversion you’ll get.
Once you’ve collected your first 5,000 email addresses, set up a mailing list with an email tool. I recommend YNOT Mail. In addition to having all the bells and whistles necessary for effective inbox delivery, YNOT Mail is adult-industry-friendly. It will protect both your privacy and your email reputation, offers affordable plans and will not shut you down for selling adult services.
Send the five emails of your “secret” mailing in progression. You can choose to trigger them at a certain time after the user is added to your mailing list. You can also set it up so each new email signup is added automatically, triggering the email to drip to them at intervals you set. Your sixth can be the one with a call to buy.
What should the sixth email say?
Before you send your call-to-purchase email, think hard about what you want the recipients to buy. Sending traffic straight to your cam room might not be the best option, since you will not be able to be live on cam 24/7. Besides, you want to keep the user to yourself so you can sell more things to them without risking they’ll go spend on others if you’re not on cam. You probably also want to convert them into a recurring-payment plan — one that will re-bill automatically every month, growing your profit like a snowball.
The page you send email recipients to — called a “landing page” — should be reliable in making the sale for you even when you’re offline. Creating a fan-oriented website might be your best bet. If you don’t have one yet, check out ModelCentro.com for an easy-to-use and free-to-setup website platform.
Why this strategy will work
Aside from making great sales, a few other considerations make this marketing gig feasible.
For one, Facebook’s audience is composed of older people — those who actually still check their email. These same people enjoy a personal touch and do not go for “discounted offers” as their main buying trigger. Facebook dwellers want to be social and interactive, which is why directing them to an interactive website experience is a good idea. These well-nurtured fans later can be converted to buy live cam shows, content, goodies… You name it.
Engagement is the name of the game. Use it or lose it!
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Natalie Pannon is the Head Sales and Marketing Manager for ModelCentro. Find her on Twitter at @CentroNatalie and email questions to natalie@modelcentro.com.
Image © Atanasis.
