Long before the massive surge in popularity for indie content via camming, clips and premium social media — heck, even long before the internet itself — amateur video content was already one of the most popular genres in the adult entertainment business.
Just ask Homegrown Video, whose four-decade legacy is testament to the enduring power of palpable authenticity and intimacy. They are one of the very few brands with such a storied history to remain relevant and laser-focused after all these years, delivering curated homemade scenes to a growing fan base that simply cannot get enough of viscerally real sex.
I think the best way to describe our approach is that we are focused on being the amateur porn version of HBO Max, curating relevant content with series updates that people want to come back for.
From the era of VHS to DVDs and then the online distribution of content, Homegrown Video has been there every step of the way, adapting, pivoting and watching analytics closely to seize upon the latest trends.
Partnering with creators to ensure submissions are not only in line with their standards, but also primed for popularity, the team behind Homegrown Video collaborates closely with top purveyors of everything from swinger fare to hotwife scenes.
Now, with YourPaysitePartner flexing behind-the-scenes power to accelerate the potent brand, as well as a robust affiliate program and a refined content creator process, Homegrown Video unveils its grand plans for continued success in this company profile interview.
XBIZ: As you reflect on four decades in adult entertainment, what company milestones are you most proud of?
HGV: The biggest achievement we are proud of is our longevity. In our four-decade history, we have seen a lot of companies come and go from this space while we have managed to stick around. Our fans are a huge part of that, as well our commitment to our core principles of finding and curating the best amateur content from around the world.
Being one of the first studios to go online with our catalog, we also embraced not only amateur content but risky niches early on when they were considered by most to be too gross and on the fringe of what people wanted to see. In the early ’90s, we focused a great deal of time and resources on content streaming that would work on dial-up connections. Then we turned our attention to our live member section chat, allowing members to log into the portal and vote on what was going to be the next site update.
In the mid 2000s, we became one of the first studios that went all in on tubes, submitting content for marketing purposes. We realized the tubes gave us enough data in a quick amount of time to make better decisions on how we navigated through those years.
Also, we led the fight — teamed up with eight other companies — against Acacia, the patent troll trying to tax all streaming videos. Even though this cost us a huge amount of time, money and attention, it was important work that we are glad we did. Now that they were defeated, everyone is able to stream videos freely without being worried about patent issues.
Being able to pivot our business model to navigate the changing times has been integral to making it this far. This, coupled with our early adoption of the paysite platform, has given us the ability to create our community which in turn led to better communication and a closer relationship with our fans and our business partners. Without the help of these relationships, we would not be here talking with you today.
XBIZ: How have you adapted to the ever-shifting industry since inception, especially with the recent surge in popularity for homemade content?
HGV: The surge in popularity of amateur content was no surprise to us, as we have been riding that wave for a long time. The fact is that most people start out with enjoying professional content but end up coming around to enjoy amateur content once they have more experience.
The toughest shift we have seen was in 2008 when the entire industry hit a wall stemming from the dawn and surge of free and often stolen content found on tube sites. We had to reimagine how to run our business without completely going out of business. Tubes were a big issue for us since they naturally were taking our exclusivity over the adult amateur market, but at the same time they helped us realize the type of business that would survive in the ever-changing environment.
We ultimately had to learn how to use analytical data to drive our business forward. This was not easy by any means. Traditional porn revenue streams were hard to change, but eventually we were able to sit down and see what content and scenes produced the best conversions, so we were able to model our offerings based on that.
We see ourselves as an aggregator of amateur content around the world. There is a ton of amateur content out there, but not all of it is worthy of being part of the Homegrown Video library.
XBIZ: Discuss working with YourPaysitePartner and the ways in which you are collaborating on achieving new goals together.
HGV: Our collaboration with YourPaysitePartner has really helped us adapt to the reality of the business today. YPP has been instrumental in bringing our fans the amateur experience they have come to expect from us.
Going from a business that did all of its functions in-house to trusting YPP with so many important aspects of our business, it cannot be understated how scary that can be. Fortunately, YPP has not only exceeded our expectations, but they have helped drive revenue and manage our paysite business, so we can focus on what really matters: sourcing premium amateur content.
XBIZ: What is your approach to marketing in today’s modern landscape vs. your first decade or two in the biz?
HGV: The first two decades in this industry were simple compared to today’s industry. During that time the industry was really focused around VHS sales and broadcast, so marketing was done via magazine ads and hoping your box cover got someone’s attention at the VHS store. Our focus was to get our many DVDs out wholesale to video stores and then build up a customer base of fans who wanted to order more videos. Those were the days, haha.
During that time, we found it hard to outshine our largest competitors: companies like Vivid and Wicked. When it came to marketing and PR, much of the oxygen was being sucked out of the room. We were able to thrive because we had something that was completely opposite of what they were offering, making it much easier in some respects.
When the internet came along, that changed everything. Seeing one business model succumb to another business model was extremely fascinating. Thankfully, we successfully made the pivot to doing business online. Looking at the way the business evolved eventually to a free model, we started to look and embrace non-traditional business models to keep the business going. Similar to bottled water, you can sell people porn even though it’s free. The trick is knowing what people want and giving it to them.
Our marketing now has evolved to a much more personal endeavor. We market different ways to different people. For example, our approach to a 60-year-old fan is different than it is to a 20-year-old fan. We have found new ways to reach customers through niches, social media and fandom. Analytics plays a big role in figuring out what to do and not do.
XBIZ: Describe the kinds of niches that seem to sell best for you and how you take action on those analytics.
HGV: We have found niches like swinger, hairy, creampie, big cock, MILF, anal and BBW have always been popular, so much so that some series that started in the ’90s are still being updated to this day. Over the last 10 years, we became more adept with analytics and we found new niches that have driven us to greater popularity, including hotwife, cuckold, BWC and BBC. As we ventured into each niche, we would look to the analytics to find out what’s working, then rinse and repeat. For example, MILF popularity turned into a hotwife trend, which in turn led us to cuckold and interracial hotwife.
XBIZ: What sets Homegrown Video apart in the paysite game? Discuss how webmasters can tap into Homegrown Cash and the benefits of becoming an affiliate.
HGV: We really do not like to think of ourselves as a traditional paysite, as we are looking to acquire members who also become our fans for years to come. Our paysite approach is to offer them a way to get the most out of their fandom in one place.
With Homegrown Cash, webmasters have payout options ranging from 50% rev share or pay-per-join. We also offer holiday sales and events with special membership pricing throughout the year. Webmasters who promote the Homegrown Video family of websites not only bring us new fans, but they also expand the video library of their own members with fresh content, which in turn will help retain long-term revenue they might have otherwise lost.
XBIZ: Which of the various Homegrown brands in your site portfolio are most successful, and which are growing quickly or present unique opportunities?
HGV: “Homegrown Video” the series continues to be a strong brand in our portfolio and continues to be popular on all the available distribution channels. We have also had a strong and growing following for our “Homegrown Video Classics” brand, where we have seen a resurgence in people wanting to watch content from the ’80s and ’90s. And of course, “Homegrown Swingers” and “Homegrown Hotwife” continue to grow in popularity year over year.
XBIZ: How do you approach vetting content submissions and working with creators to monetize videos?
HGV: There is tons of great amateur content online, but not all of it is a good fit for the Homegrown Video brand. We encourage content creators to submit any and all of their content for review, as this definitely leads to some interesting submissions. What is supremely important is that the scene contains people who are there to have fun and enjoy themselves. Second to that, it’s imperative that the creator has the proper 2257 documentation for everything in the scene. Without the documentation, we will ultimately not be able to accept the content.
If a creator can pass our vetting process, we then encourage them to submit material that our fans would like to see. Nowadays, we will often get multiple submissions from a creator, which gives us a lot of latitude to try things out with our fans. If there is something that our fans respond to, we have definitely gone back to the creators to encourage them to submit more of that type of content. This has led us to some amazing amateur couples scenes. For example, we had a couple send us their sexy vacation videos. It was all kinds of stuff from jet skiing topless to having a foursome with another couple. Fans loved it and we then encouraged them to make more.
In addition, we also offer rev share and bonuses for content creators with a positive track record. Of course, we are looking to make a profit, but we want to support our amateur content creators to ensure that they are happy to keep creating content for us.
XBIZ: What’s next for Homegrown Video in 2022 and beyond?
HGV: I think foremost we will continue to evolve and be relevant to our fan base. Our goal is to continue to offer the best curated amateur content as well as classics from our 40-year library. I think the best way to describe our approach is that we are focused on being the amateur porn version of HBO Max, curating relevant content with series updates that people want to come back for.
We look forward to the changes that this industry’s future will bring to our marketplace, driving our business in directions we have yet to imagine. Homegrown Video is committed to doing what it has done for the past 40 years: bringing our fans the best amateur content this world has to offer.
