Niche networks
Both ladies indicate that niche networks are often more important for their business. For example, Ancilla is also present on DeviantArt and Rebecca attaches more value to the 400 fans she has on the site Swingers Dating Club than to her more than 7000 Facebook likes.
Taboo-breaking and innovative entrepreneurship
That the erotic industry also thinks about marketing in an innovative way, became clear from a conversation I had later that evening with Sofie from the luxury erotic webshop 210th (pronounced: two-tenth), who also sponsored the much-discussed goodie bag . Sofie aims to give her products a chic and luxurious look, instead of the somewhat flat look that most sex shops have.
Of course she is also present on Pinterest , Facebook and Twitter , where she encourages her likers/followers to break taboos. Unfortunately, 13,000 followers do not seem to RT much. But she also knows how to captivate her audience in other ways.
For example, she collaborates with the luxurious Hotel Librije , where one of 210th's gift boxes with accompanying letter is standard in every room (sealed of course, guests can choose whether they want to use the box (and therefore buy it)). It is unclear how often this unexpected and unique welcome package is discussed on social media, but the number of boxes sold via this channel runs into the dozens per month.
Soon 210th will launch its own line on the market. On the packaging of these luxury care and erotic products is a QR code that refers to an exciting (product-appropriate) assignment to perform together. In this way 210th knows how to share the intimacy of its products with the modern possibilities of smartphones and technology.
Not just commercial
That online media are not only used for commercial purposes is evident from a safe sex campaign in Stockholm, where condoms with QR code on the packaging were distributed. And what happens then…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw4DTcinBss
By the way, this campaign has been (badly) copied by an American Planned Parenthood organization, where people can register and share where they have had safe sex on wheredidyouwearit.com . A pale imitation of the Swedish campaign, but no less effective for that.
Sex and eroticism remain a sensitive subject. That information about this on social media can also go wrong was experienced by Durex South Africa, when @DurexSA tweeted an inappropriate joke and did not exactly respond well to the negative reactions.
50 Shades & Social
(photo via facebook.com/210thbv )
The taboo surrounding sex and eroticism seemed to be slowly crumbling in recent months thanks cambodia telegram data to the immensely popular 'mommy porn' series 50 Shades of Grey. If we are to believe Facebook, there are even hundreds of thousands of people who like “50 Shades of Grey” and tens of thousands who talk about the subject. Taboo?
Yes, it does seem to be a taboo. The 'talking about this' discussions on Facebook are mainly about which attractive man would play the lead role in the film adaptation of the book. The tweets of 50 Shades author EL James are also disappointing in terms of spiciness and @fiftyshadesUK is full of dullness. The tweets of Nick & Simon are even wilder.
However, where sex is discussed online, there are specific forums on the subject, such as Seksualiteit.nl , SheSpot , Seksmeteenhandicap.nl and in a section on the Fok! Forum .
From the various conversations I have had with people from 'the (erotic) industry', I gather that there is still a big taboo on the use of social media in the industry. Maybe it is not so strange that a photo of a sex toy is not liked on Facebook, for fear that all your family, friends and colleagues see that you 'like' a butt plug.
In 2012, sex, eroticism (and intimacy) are still private enough for many people to keep away from social media.