educational

The Competitive Edge: 2

In part one, we looked at mainstream entertainment and the benefits of offering more choices and value. In this conclusion, we'll look at targeting customers and using technology:

In the end, it is the end users' experience that keeps them interested and not just content. Good content is critical; however, caution must be exercised to not overlook the quality of your users' experience, while focusing on the quality of your content. Ease of use, simplified navigation and clear and concise disclosure is what brings in new members while also keeping the members you have.

To be competitive in the new global market, one must be open to new ideas, embrace new technologies, and most importantly, realize that you no longer compete with just a few similar sites. You now must learn to compete against all forces that are vying for your users' dollars. Solo and amateur sites usually offer more than just content; they also allow the perception of a relationship with the talent. This increases the user experience and is a large part of the success of these sites.

In addition, revenue streams are expanded because of mainstream site resources that few adult sites still utilize. Lucrative, honest and consistent affiliate programs like Amazon.com's are now very common in the mainstream market. Advertising sales are used in lieu of banner trades while creating communities of common interest. Geo-targeted advertising increases the value and impact of those ads, and user profiling helps to better define the psychographics of their audience.

Targeting Customers
Understanding an audience is really what makes mainstream media really fly. A target audience is the group you want to reach or are already reaching. The mainstream market fully understands the buying habits and use trends of their target audience. They spend millions on defining how to hit their target without wasting valuable time and resources. By surveying users, they can build upon a dynamic that is valuable, and with the use of online tools, make it more personalized. Information gathered is then compiled in order to design plans that accommodate the largest request of users. The music industry uses many methods of tracking consumers, starting with radio play and in-store sales. From what they learn, they create. And better yet, often times this information can generate additional revenue streams, as the reporting can be sold to industry analysts, research groups or to the content producers themselves.

One of the largest concerns the mainstream market has communicated to me regarding online deployment is simplicity of use. The feeling is, and I must concur, that if the deployment path is too difficult for the end user to use and too confusing to learn, then you will loose customers. Keeping business models simple is the key. If you are an idea factory, those ideas should be spread over a wider area of sites rather than trying to use all of your ideas on just one site. If the idea works on one site, then slowly introduce that idea to your other sites. If you are ready to build a video-on-demand site, then build it first and learn it well before you convert any other sites.

I believe that if we are to learn anything from the mainstream market it is from their attention to details, which could be a result of experiencing so many failures over the years. To market a mainstream product, extensive research is done, then tested and adjusted. It is a slow process of fine tuning by working on one element at a time, and only then moving to another. You don't tune all of the strings of piano at the same time and the same holds true with a finely tuned, web-centric presence.

The last and perhaps the best quality I see from the mainstream market is their vigilance to find qualified technology partners. The due diligence process the mainstream market takes is critical to its success and it is rarely based on the best price. It is always based on best practices, as their primary concern is that it works.

Technologies are engaged by limiting their resources to as few providers as they need; this is done by finding application services and software that cover the widest area of need from those resources. This may be a given to most, but I'm still surprised by how may clients I've seen that will piece together a product from as many low cost, low-end services they can find, with the idea of when they become successful, they will upgrade. Guess how many of those reach the level of success that allows them the option?

So, if I could offer any level of advice from my own personal years in the mainstream entertainment business, it would be to build for growth, understand your market and most importantly, learn the benefits of outsourcing so you can focus on your own core competencies — the most important of which is your focus on the details.

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

profile

WIA Profile: Leah Koons

If you’ve been to an industry event lately, odds are you’ve heard Leah Koons even before you’ve seen her. As Fansly’s director of marketing, Koons helps steer one of the fastest-growing creator platforms on the web.

Women in Adult ·
opinion

What France's New Law Means for Age Verification Worldwide

When France implemented its Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law on April 11, it marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing global debate surrounding online safety and access to adult content.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

From Tariffs to Trends: Staying Resilient in a Shaky Online Adult Market

Whenever I check in with clients these days, I encounter the same concerns. For many, business has not quite bounced back after the typical post-holiday-season slowdown. Instead, consumers have been holding back due to the economic uncertainty around the Trump administration’s new tariffs and their impact on prices.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Optimizing Payment Strategies for High Ticket Sales

Payment processing for more expensive items, such as those exceeding $1,000 per order, can create unique challenges. For adult businesses, those challenges are magnified. Increased fraud risk, elevated chargeback ratios and heavier scrutiny from banks and processors are only the beginning.

Jonathan Corona ·
profile

WIA Profile: Lexi Morin

Lexi Morin’s journey into the adult industry began with a Craigslist ad and a leap of faith. In 2011, fresh-faced and ambitious, she was scrolling through job ads on Craigslist when she stumbled upon a listing for an assistant makeup artist.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Still Rocking: The Hun Celebrates 30 Years in the Game

In the ever-changing landscape of adult entertainment, The Hun’s Yellow Pages stands out for its endurance. As one of the internet’s original fixtures, literally nearly as old as the web itself, The Hun has functioned as a living archive for online adult content, quietly maintaining its relevance with an interface that feels more nostalgic than flashy.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

Digital Desires: AI's Emerging Role in Adult Entertainment

The adult industry has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to embracing new technology. From the early days of dial-up internet and grainy video clips to today’s polished social media platforms and streaming services, our industry has never been afraid to innovate. But now, artificial intelligence (AI) is shaking things up in ways that are exciting but also daunting.

Steve Lightspeed ·
opinion

More Than Money: Why Donating Time Matters for Nonprofits

The adult industry faces constant legal battles, societal stigma and workplace challenges. Fortunately, a number of nonprofit organizations work tirelessly to protect the rights and well-being of adult performers, producers and industry workers. When folks in the industry think about supporting these groups, donating money is naturally the first solution that comes to mind.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Consent Guardrails: How to Protect Your Content Platform

The adult industry takes a strong and definite stance against the creation or publication of nonconsensual materials. Adult industry creators, producers, processors, banks and hosts all share a vested interest in ensuring that the recording and publication of sexually explicit content is supported by informed consent.

Lawrence G. Walters ·
opinion

Payment Systems: Facilitator vs. Gateway Explained

Understanding and selecting the right payment platform can be confusing for anyone. Recently, Segpay launched its payment gateway. Since then, we’ve received numerous questions about the difference between a payment facilitator and a payment gateway. Most merchants want to know which type of platform best meets their business needs.

Cathy Beardsley ·
Show More