Posts

F-Bomb Tweet? Who Cares?

,

It was big news last week when a horrendous tweet was sent out by Chrysler that not only insulted their customers and community, but also dropped the F-bomb.

Chrysler Retweet: “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to f**king drive.”

This is highly damaging to their brand because it is offensive to so many people.  Of course part of what is offensive is the causal use of the F-bomb.  But really, who cares?  Well, a lot of people.  And this is where the Adult Industry and the rest of the world diverge in some ways.

If you are in the Adult Industry and you drop the F-bomb no one really gets upset, at least not in the same way that the vanilla world does.  People might question why you are being unnecessarily crass, but even that may be unlikely.

What is interesting, though, is that the F-bomb is still generally a Twitter no-no. Even in porn you don’t see people using it very much and when they do it is usually in direct reference to a sex act and not used as an exclamation or just for shock value.

Studies have been done to show that negative tweets are no good. They can cause you to lose followers or slow your network growth.  Despite what people say about drama drawing attention, Twitter has shown that Tweeps like to keep it positive.

This makes me wonder if the F-bomb, despite its myriad uses and meanings, is generally thought of as a negative word; maybe that is why even in Adult business it is used with restraint and avoided whenever possible.

Of course the F-bomb was not the only problem with the Chrysler tweet. The fact that it dissed their entire community and consumer base is the bigger issue.  Even porn stars would not be able to get away with genuinely insulting their audience.

The take-away? Don’t bite the hand that feeds you, and use the F-bomb sparingly, if at all.

/by

Promote your porn on Twitter, promote your brand on LinkedIn.

, ,
Veronica Vaughn LinkedIn Profile

Veronica Vaughn promotes herself as a business owner first and adult star second. Like Veronica, keep your social networks connected. Her LinkedIn is for networking but her linked Twitter account is for promotion.

LinkedIn is the largest business networking site.  It is where you go to post your resume, find jobs, meet people, make connections, create business alliances and have access to amazing business resources. This is not generally where you’d think of porn.  In fact, the public does not usually think of any adult star as being invested in business.  However,  the most successful porn stars have great business heads; that is why they are successful. .

LinkedIn has generally been the forbidden network in porn. Most people in the adult industry have not viewed LinkedIn as an adult friendly platform. This is true, it isn’t.  But it is not against people in the adult industry, it is against using the site as a promotion for porn.  In all fairness, it is against using the site as commercial promotion for any business.  The network is not actually about promoting business, it is about building business connections.

Much like Facebook, it is primarily a self monitoring community. If your profile is essentially spam, you risk being deleted. If you spam groups, your posts will be deleted and you may be removed from the group. If you are obviously engaging or promoting illegal activity, you will be deleted.  But if you are focusing on developing your business connections you will be fine.

LinkedIn is a place where adult stars can focus on the business side of their networking –  meeting producers, studios, agents, distributors, managers, etc.  LinkedIn groups are  your greatest resource.  There are groups for every possible topic. Interested in Social Media? Join the group Adult Social Media and keep on top of what is happening in social media in adult entertainment.

Join a group, read the discussion and then take part. The more you use the groups the more they will benefit you.  As you participate, you will meet people and expand your network.

Are you needing information? Ask the group.

Are you needing help? Ask the group.

Are you looking for business connections? Ask the group.

To network on LinkedIn you just need to position yourself as a business person.  Promote your porn on Twitter. Network your brand on LinkedIn.

/by

Facebook: censoring your wall, not your porn

Woman with her breasts covered by a bandeau top that says censored

This photo was taken at the 2004 Adult Expo, and featured in Life Magazine!

Since the release of the new Facebook Fan Page updates the glamour of the cool changes are wearing off and some of the problems are starting to come to light.  The biggest problem is the wall, which is no longer showing all your posts.  Facebook has added an algorithm to the wall that prioritizes posts by popularity.  Beyond that, it chooses which ones to show and which ones to hide.  Interestingly enough, this has nothing to do with content.  Porn on your wall? Sure, it is a problem for Facebook but not for the algorithm.

Page owners and fans are noticing that not all posts are showing up on the wall. Unfortunately there is not much that can be done about it.

There are 2 setting for viewing posts on your wall:

1. Everyone

Posts by everyone means that posts by you and by your fans will be displayed on the wall.

2. Fan Page

Post by Fan Page means that only posts made by the Fan Page admins will appear on the wall.  If your settings allow comments, fans will still be able to comment on your posts, they just won’t be able to make their own posts on your wall.

I generally encourage pages to show posts by everyone. Allowing your fans to participate on your page gives you more chances for engagement.  I’m not changing this recommendation. Although the new algorithm is affecting the effectiveness of this setting, it is not negating its effectiveness entirely.

The other problem with the algorithm is that your most recent posts may not be showing up on the wall. This means that timely updates are not as successful.  When you make a post it will still show up in the newsfeed as usual, but its presence on the wall is up to the algorithm.  This is a big source of frustration for pages that specialize in time sensitive updates.

The good news for the adult industry is that the algorithm does not seem to discriminate based on content.  So if your posts are not appearing on your wall, it is not because of the content.  Essentially you can post as much adult content as you want and the algorithm won’t care. Of course if your content is rated higher than PG-13 you are at risk of violating Facebook’s terms of service and having your account deleted.

So Facebook still has its own forms censorship, but they are not related to the shift in its algorithm.

/by

Google Gives Social Proof to Porn

, ,
Sexy woman wearing a tank top that says "google"

Time to talk to people on Twitter, because Google is giving social proof to porn.

So often I see porn stars on Twitter who only tweet content and don’t interact with anyone.  I know we are all the center of our own universes, but if you want to get the clicks you have to  take part, so you can be with them virtually at the center of their universe. I always tell people that the key to a strong social media presence is engagement. You have to talk to people.  Well, that just became even more important.  Google announced yesterday that social search is becoming a truly relevant part of the overall Google search function. This means that Google just gave porn the power of social proof.

Why connections are important

Everything about your web presence is interconnected.  The web is a big web! When you have a website, it gets listed on search engines like Google, who then crawl your site for content and post that content on the search engine. When people search for specific terms that relate to your post, it appears in the search results.  That is SEO (search engine optimization) in a nut shell.  So, if you create a Twitter and link your site, Google picks that up too.  When you tweet content, that content may come up in search results too.

Google has integrated a low level of social search for a while, but they just gave it Viagra.  Search results will now show you if one of your friends has shared a link. It is now connecting all of your connections and integrating them into your search results.

Who are my friends?

Google’s social circle has gathered information based on your usage. If you have a profile or gmail, you will have a more accurate social profile.  They collect links to social profiles they believe to be yours. Then they take all the friends associated with Twitter, Flicker, gmail, contact lists, etc. and count them in your network.

Social Proof

Friday Feature Photo: Portrait of Burlesque Dancer Kylea Killeen

Friday Feature Photo: The beautiful Miss Burlesque 2010, Kylea Killeen

Showing if a friend or even a distant connection has shared a link acts as a very powerful form of social proof.  Say you are looking at 5 web links, trying to decide which site to go to, and you see that 3 of your friends shared one of the links. You are far more likely to go to that link.  It is the Internet version of word-of-mouth.

Social proof to porn

Porn has had an issue with social proof outside of social networking for a while.  There are tons of websites, so unless you know the name of a specific company it can be hard to find the precise site you want.  Search engines have notoriously been a challenge for porn sites with SEO.  Google has created a black list for their auto search so people don’t accidentally pull up porn search terms.  This is fine for safe browsing, but those terms are based on the most used SEO keywords. This helps the casual searcher discover more effective search terms, but if that casual searcher is searching for porn they are S-O-L.

The new social integration will provide social proof to all adult sites.  If someone has a site link that  is retweeted a lot, this will now appear in the connection recommendation in the search result.  This is excellent for driving traffic to a site.

Retweets matter more than ever!

This is why it is even more important for adult tweeps to interact with their fans.  If you want people to retweet your links, you need to give them more of a reason than a sexy pic. If they talk to you and feel like they have a relationship with you, they are far more likely to retweet your content.  And now, the more retweeted you are the more relevant you will be in Google.

Friday Feature Photo: Kylea KilleenKylea Killeen is this week’s Friday Feature Photo.  I first met Kylea at a club in New Mexico where she was performing. Out of all the beautiful girls in the club, she was the one that captivated me. She is sexy and sensual. It is no surprise that she is Miss Burlesque 2010, Miss Nude US Performer of the year 2009 and a Playboy Golf Girl.  Make sure you check out this up and coming performer, she is not to be missed! Go to her website at www.kyleakilleen.com and follow her on Twitter @kyleakilleen

/by

Does the New Facebook Fan Page Help Porn?

,
Woman in red dress holding her head and screaming

Most of the changes are good. One change is bad. You'd better know which one!

Most of us have just gotten use to the last batch of changes on the profile. Now Facebook has just done a major overhaul on the Fan Page. Last Friday, Facebook announced they have made changes – not just to the layout, but to the functions of the Fan Pages as well.  Many people in the adult world have had a lot of challenges using Fan Pages, but many of us still use them.  This new functionality might help get the word out about your page without having to rely on advertising (which is basically impossible) or posts, which are not necessarily shared because of content.

  • Profile style layout

    The layouts now share the same style as the redesigned profile. This streamlines pages and profiles, making them easier for people to use, because they share similar features.

  • Posting as a Page

    You now have the option to post comments on other people’s pages and profiles as your professional page name. This is a big benefit for increasing engagement for your page.  As an adult page, you can now comment as your “brand” name on others’ posts or walls. This allows for increased visibility for your page while you interact more with your fan base. But you still have to be careful of being flagged for spam!

  • Photo Strip

    The photo strip we have become accustomed to seeing on our profiles is now on your page. Instead of the photos being the most recently tagged images of you, they are the five most recently uploaded photos. This can only be done by the admin, but if you post your pics carefully you can create a really nice photo strip that helps your branding.

  • Change your Category

    You can now change the category of your fan page. It used to be that once you picked a category for your page you were stuck with it. Maybe you set yourself up as entertainment, but now you want to switch to personality or to a brand. Now you can!

  • Featured Likes

    A page can now Like another page. These Likes are featured on the left side panel of your page. Beyond that, you can assign “Featured Likes”, meaning you can designate special pages you want to focus on. This is a fun way  to show favor to another page by giving them what amounts to prime passive advertising real estate on your page.

  • Featured Page Owner

    Just like Featured Likes, you can feature a page owner. This will also appear on the left side panel of your page. This is a great way to draw attention to a specific person.

  • Filtered Wall

    This is the big bad! Facebook is now filtering your wall posts. You have 2 choices. One is to only display the posts from your page, which will show chronologically. The other is to display all posts. Facebook is filtering the “everybody” setting by popularity. So, not all posts, tags or mentions will be displayed on your wall. Plus, to be even more frustrating, they are not being shown chronologically either. Posts from today might be directly above a post from last week, or a post from three weeks ago might be at the top of your wall!

That’s the overview of the latest changes. I will explore these a bit further and give some tips on how these can work to the advantage of your adult fan page! Stay tuned!

/by

Pink Visual is in the Cloud

, ,
The locker icon from PVlocker.com

Pink Visual is lifting porn into the new era of cloud computing.

Pink Visual is taking a major step forward in porn technology with the announcement of their newest site PVLocker.com What is PVLocker?  Porn in the cloud!

Let me explain a bit about cloud computing. Most people don’t seem to know anything more about it than the Windows Cloud commercials, which makes it seem that this is something Mr. Gates can take credit for inventing.  The cloud is like having a computer online. It is a location independent server that holds your files.  Basically, it is an online hard drive you can get access to anywhere, from any computer, including mobile devices.  Assuming, of course, that you have all the proper verifications to access the information.

The cloud acts as a backup hard drive for your important files, and it is also great for sharing files with other users, especially when project collaboration is key.  A big advantage is being able to reach it from another computer, or your phone, or your iPad.  I contact my cloud drive from across the room, because it is easier to access the drive then it is to transfer documents from one computer to another that are not on the same server.

Sexy image of Madam Kitty in red lingerie

Madam Kitty is a sexy and capitvating independent phone sex girl.

The interface of the cloud can be something as basic as a system of folders, or something fancier that is replicating the desktop of your home computer.

What does this mean for porn? It is creating a new distribution and storage solution for porn content.  Pink Visual will allow people to buy porn (from Pink Visual) and store it on their PV cloud drive.

So why is this great for porn?

  • People will be able to store their purchased porn online.
  • They will be able to access it from any computer or mobile device.
  • They will not have to store it on their hard drive.
    This is a huge benefit; some people do not want to store porn on their computers for fear that others may find it (the biggest fear by far). Or fear of downloading viruses.  It also keeps their hard drive from getting filled up with video files, which take up a lot of space, because high quality videos are large files.
  • Free from subscription sites.
  • Store the videos you want, creating a custom porn library.

Currently the site will only allow you to store videos you buy from Pink Visual, but they do have plans to make it into a true cloud storage solution, where you will be able to store content from other sites as well. This does make me wonder if they will make agreements with other content distributors to allow their content to be stored in the locker; an embedded code that permits cloud storage would also help prevent the potential storage of pirated porn. They could also license those sites to have a download option that goes to the PV Locker.

The big difference from traditional cloud solutions is that there will be no sharing. This is part of Pink Visual’s commitment to battling piracy. You can only view and store your own videos.

Pink Visual’s leap into cloud computing represents the next era of porn storage and distribution. As Q Boyer, Director of Public Relations for Pink Visual said, “Looking at the current trends, including the popularity of social media and social networking, it seems pretty clear to me that consumers are actively rejecting all such attempts to dictate terms to them. They want their entertainment when they want it, where they want it, and how they want it.” Pink Visual is meeting that need with technological gusto!

The image featured in this post is of Madam Kitty. She is a sexy and captivating independent phone sex girl.  I have spent a lot of time talking with her on Twitter and have enjoyed every second. Not only is she sexy, she is smart too. Make sure you go to her website at www.madamkitty.com and follow her on Twitter @madamkittys *

*Featured images are not paid and 7 Veils Media, Inc. does not have any financial association with the image, company or website. They are given by the owner of the image specifically to be used for the 7 Veils blog.

/by

What is the Next Big Trend in Porn? (part 1)

,

Now that the dust is settling from the Adult Entertainment Expo (AEE) and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), people are asking what is the next big trend in porn?  CES and AEE happening at the same time is more than just a ploy to get geeks to mingle with porn stars. Porn has traditionally been on the cutting edge of technology.  We are the early adapters and often the trend setters and influencers of the adoption of new tech.  Porn is the reason VHS won over Beta. That seems like decades ago…well, it was decades ago, but it was a technology that had a lasting impact on the movie industry as a whole, as well as personal video and home electronics.

The first trend: Mobile

The next trends in porn are mobile apps and engagement.  Porn has been blackballed from mobile apps on iPhone and iPad, but porn is like sand from the beach. It is everywhere and no matter what you do to try to get rid of it, you will always find it hiding somewhere. Many of the new apps meant for mainstream media have porn sneaking in and accessing it.The goal of mobile is to make porn consumable from any platform. “The eventuality of DVDs going away is something that’s scaring lots of companies,” says Farley Cahen, chief operating officer of Digital Playground. The industry needs to adapt to stay viable.  With free porn on the rise and DVDs sliding, porn needs to step up its game if quality legal porn is going to stay viable.  Mobile is the answer to this.  Sites like Jessejane.com have a “sniffer” code on their site that detects when someone is on an iOS and optimizes the content, including video, to play on that device. Pink Visual used a different business model that created their primary revenue stream from wireless and internet, while using DVD as their secondary stream.  This is positioning them ahead of the curve on the transition away from DVDs.Hotels are reporting a loss of income from rentals because people are accessing porn from their phones and iPads.Despite Apple’s refusal to allow porn on its devices, porn apps are focused on the iPhone market.  Most are developed specifically for the iPhone. With the news about Verizon releasing their own iPhone on February 10th, the market for iPhone porn apps will grow by about 2 million over night.One of the big benefits of mobile apps is that they are not limited to video.  Mobile can mean video, phone calls, video calls, turning your phone into a vibrator, interactive games and more.  It is allowing the porn experience to be more thorough and comprehensive.  Though the phones might not give you 3D porn, it can give you a 3D experience.On Wednesday, see part 2 of the next big trend in porn!

/by

Las Vegas, I have Landed!

,

Las Vegas Sign

I have arrived at the Adult Entertainment Expo! Las Vegas, I am here – and I am ready to tear up the town!

Since I did get on a plane at 6 am I’m a little beat. So I’ll freshen up, transform my travel-worn hair, face and clothes into sexy and cute, and go talk to all the wonderful stars!

I will start live tweeting soon and will post pics to the 7 Veils blog and Twitter feed.

Stay tuned!

/by

Going to Porn-Con! AEE, here I come!

,

AEE Logo

On Friday I am heading off to the biggest show in adult entertainment…Adult Entertainment Expo (AEE), also affectionately known as Porn-Con. AEE is the biggest conference of the entire year for everything that concerns adult entertainment.   Everyone in the industry will be there:  meeting, connecting, selling, networking and showcasing.  So yes, I will be there too.

I will be part of a panel called Selling Through Social Networks. Moderated by Jay Kopita from Ynot.com this panel features brilliant and well-informed co-speakers: Eric Bernstein from Embalaw.com, Danny Dover from SEOmoz.org, Peter Housely from Naughty Tweet, and Matt Pierce from Pink Visual.  I am looking forward to being with such an exciting group of industry leaders.  Make sure you come and see us!

Besides schmoozing with all the wonderful stars and speaking on the social media panel, I’ll be at the AVN Award Show. This is the biggest award night in the industry, and I can’t wait to see all the beautiful stars walking the red carpet.

I will be live tweeting and posting pics throughout the weekend.  I will even try to get some video to share with you when I get back…maybe even some fun and sexy stuff from the show.  So follow me on Twitter to get the live tweets, @7_veils or check in on the blog to see what I post.

/by