Handicapped by the staggering limitation of 1,000 words (the original title of this piece was "The Aly Drummond 1,000-Word Guide for Video Producers — and Others — Who Want to Make Money Online, but Aren't Sure Where to Start"), I’ll choose them wisely and start with five that are central to your success: This is not rocket science!
There are some very clever people out there and some of those very clever people have created amazing means with which to miraculously make more money with adult content. This not only includes the Internet (which is, of course, the epitome of clever), but also the latest developments in content distribution through cell phones, PDAs, iPods… and whatever remarkable new technology they’ll invent next week to serve up porn with your morning espresso.
As clever as all of this is, it can also be quite daunting for those who are themselves very clever and successful in other areas. Many businesses are understandably inclined to focus on what they’re already good at and disregard unfamiliar territory. For those of you for whom this rings true, allow me to destroy the mystique and show you how simple this can be, without interfering too much with your regular schedule or threatening your retirement fund.
Let’s say you’re in proud possession of a pile of adult videos, for which you have the rights, licenses, and legal documents. While those videos may be enjoying healthy distribution through adult video stores and catalogs, you’re just a few steps away from an easily expanded potential.
If you’re sitting on that pile of video tapes but have no interest in further complicating your work week, you can still put them to better use. Just stand up, walk over to the phone, and call a few people who already distribute or offer videos online. As long as your legal documents are in order, there will usually be someone out there who will be happy to relieve you of the burden of content. While you’re likely to make less money than if you were a little more involved, someone will be happy to do all the work while you enjoy the new revenue streams generated by simply standing up and picking up the phone.
If you’d like to be a little more involved, just find a few people who know what they’re doing. I’m not an attorney, so I avoid giving legal advice. I’m also not an engineer or a doctor and therefore have no expectations of myself to perform well within either area. (Some people do seem to think I’m a therapist though, god help them.) In the same vein, I’m also neither a programmer nor a Web designer.
Given this deep understanding of my own limitations, it seems only logical that when I want a website built I find a good Web designer; when I want videos to be encoded in multiple formats I find a good video encoder; and when I want a triple non-fat dry cappuccino with a side of I Dream of Jenna, I find a barista with a Ph.D. in nuclear physics.
Likewise, stick with what you’re good at and delegate website development to someone who knows what they’re doing. The professionals and service providers you’ll need can be found in adult industry publications and directories both online and off. (Get AVN’s Industry Directory by calling 818-718-5788, or browse the online service directory at Ynot.com.)
Most new content distribution platforms have the ability or requirement to download photos and videos from a website, so having one built is a logical first step. To have a website built, find an experienced Web designer or developer. What may sound a little foreign to you really shouldn’t to them.
You’ll also need to find a billing company to process your sales and a good hosting service, which is where you keep all your website components and encoded content. You’ll see ads and listings for these companies in the publications and directories I mentioned previously, but it’s also a very good idea to ask around or request references, as these businesses are not all created equal.
Seeing as you’re going to the effort of expanding opportunity, make sure you provide content with multiple download options, as opposed to a single size of video that’s only viewable on a PC. Again, this really isn’t complicated; it simply requires that you find a video encoder and request that each video be encoded in multiple formats.
As an example, if I wanted to put a copy of Wrong Side of the Tracks on my fabulous video-capable iPod I would go to RascalVideo.com, find the "video download" section and select "iPod" as my download format. By some miraculous feat of science, a copy of the video would then make its way onto my computer and directly into my iPod the next time I attached it. How clever!
What you need to understand about this is that in order to play videos on an iPod or a Sony PSP they have to be encoded to certain specifications and then stored on the Internet so that they can be downloaded by consumers. Similarly, videos that are playable in QuickTime or Windows Media applications, or are high-bandwidth (big) versus lower-bandwidth (small) are also each encoded to certain specifications. A good video encoder knows these specifications: You just need to know what to ask for.
The various video formats and sizes I recommend you currently make available for download are: Windows Media and QuickTime high-bandwidth downloads at 700k or more; Windows Media and QuickTime lower-bandwidth downloads at around 300k; and iPod and PSP formatted downloads. I also encourage you to offer choices of video clips, full scenes, and full-length features.
Once you’ve got all that accomplished, keep surfers interested by adding new content on a regular basis. And make sure you promote all your download options on the front of your website… because you may as well let the rest of the world know just how very clever you actually are!
Aly Drummond, a prominent and candid online adult industry veteran, is head of Webmaster Relations at online consumer guide, TheBestPorn.com. She can be reached at [email protected].
