Today, I’ve partnered with Dangerous Lilly, marvelous darling, and Red Hot Suz to create a multi-post guide to sex toy industry social media. Hopefully through these guides, new and old companies can be educated on how to maneuver through marketing sexuality in a professional way.
I know what you’re thinking. Taking sexy out of sex toy marketing? Isn’t that the whole point of this industry? Well… not exactly. Sex toys can be sexy, but when we’re talking about marketing and behavior by sex toy companies, we need more professional and less sexy.
Non-consensual Marketing: Get That Dick Off My Timeline
Almost every time I open Twitter, without fail, there’s a dick on my timeline. (Sometimes they’re in my mentions too, but that’s a whole different conversation.) It’s not uncommon to scroll through my timeline and see photo after photo of naked people, or close-ups of genitalia. A staggering amount of these photos are posted or retweeted by sex toy companies, and usually either depict people using their toys, or marketing images that include photos of naked people.
I’ve since unfollowed or muted many of these companies, but it just takes a quick look through some adult businesses’ social media accounts to find evidence of this. (And that’s just the social media side of things – on some companies’ websites, you’ll find the same images.)
So, what’s the problem with companies sharing images of people’s genitalia on social media? It’s non-consensual. It’s incredibly jarring to scroll through my Twitter timeline, catching up on new posts from fellow bloggers, and suddenly see an image of someone’s naked body, people having sex, or people using sex toys. And, for people with sexual trauma like myself, seeing those images can be harmful and triggering.
Consent doesn’t fly out the window just because a Twitter user happens to be following a sex toy company: people shouldn’t have to assume that your account is NSFW with regard to explicit images just because you sell sex toys. Believe it or not, sharing images of naked people using your company’s sex toy is not a prerequisite to selling said sex toy. Shocker!
Fixing these consent violations is easy: don’t share images of naked people, their genitalia, or people having sex on your social media accounts. If you feel it’s absolutely necessary to include such photos on your website, make sure customers don’t see those images by default. It’s not difficult to add a content warning to let folks know that the next image they’ll see is explicit. When in doubt about whether something is okay to share or not, always err on the side of consent and keep it off of social media.
You’re Here to Sell Sex Toys, Not Flirt with Bloggers and Customers
This should be obvious, but unfortunately it’s something some sex toy companies (read: shitty men who work at sex toy companies) do. As a company, you should never, ever be personally sexual with bloggers and customers. Bloggers have seen it all: from companies being sexually suggestive over Twitter direct messages, to offering a dildo in exchange for explicit video, and general flirty, unprofessional interactions, we have a lot of problems in our community.
For me, this also includes crossing personal social media boundaries. I’m very close with some folks in the #blogsquad, and many of us are friends on Facebook and follow each other on Instagram. Because of the mutual friends we have on social media channels, sometimes my personal accounts pop up in companies’ “who to follow” suggestions… and their staff requests to follow me or add me as a friend. Please, companies, don’t do this. It’s incredibly unprofessional.
These are easy problems to fix. Remain professional at all times. Recognize that bloggers are professionals. Get out of our direct messages. Respect customers. This really isn’t difficult, and I almost can’t believe I had to write this section.
Sex Toys Aren’t Naughty, They’re Normal
I talked about this in my post on 7 commitments sex toy companies can make in the new year, but it’s worth rehashing here, too. “Naughty” language is around every corner in the sex toy industry: you can find it wherever you look, from company names to product descriptions to marketing materials.
While some companies might claim this language is lighthearted or harmless, it’s actually stigmatizing and silencing. Using sex toys is completely normal, but attaching “naughtiness” to them adds a layer of shame that is absolutely unnecessary. There’s nothing naughty about pleasure, but companies often make it seem that way in their social media posts and interactions.
There are a few layers to tackling this marketing issue as a sex toy company, and it depends on if you use naughtiness as a selling point, or if you’ve branded your entire company on naughtiness. (Or both. Look at you, you go-getter!) If you use naughtiness as a selling point, especially on social media, move away from that. It’s just as easy to write a promotional tweet that refers to sex toys as being naughty as it is to write one that affirms sex toys as normal. Have a discussion with your social media manager about how to craft tweets that advance sexual freedom instead of unintentionally shaming people.
If you’ve branded yourself as a “naughty” store (if you have the word “naughty” or “secret”, etc. in your name), the way I see it, you have a couple of options. First, you can rebrand entirely. This is the more difficult route, but an incredibly important one: rebranding (and explaining the reason behind it) can show your customers and the larger sex blogger and educator community that you mean business and you’re committed to being better. Second, if rebranding seems too daunting or complicated, you can add a section in your “About” page on why “naughty” is part of your brand, and how your company values have changed over time. It’s really all about accountability and holding yourself to a higher standard.
If you are a company and you see yourself reflected in this post, please take it as both education and constructive criticism. Bloggers, educators, and customers should not have to be subject to consent violations, unprofessional behavior, flirting, and shaming. If there are changes you need to make, make them. In doing so, you’ll demonstrate that you’re committed to learning, listening, and creating a safer community for all of us.