Advertising and Marketing your Escort Service
Anything stated here is an update to all Blueprint books. I still feel that the best form of advertising will be your websites, and of course your local listings. Make it unique and memorable to anyone viewing it, but be mindful that most potential clients are searching from smartphones and tablets these days and kill the Flash and sophisticated galleries that most cannot view.
I have come across many beautiful escort service websites in this last year, but when attempting to view on my Blackberry or Android smartphone, well, the experience was less than desirable. I always check from the laptop and a smartphone. Most of your galleries do not work on other devices. Any business should check what a website looks like and how it functions on all available methods of access – that is defined as PC or laptop, Android smartphone, Blackberry, tablet, iPhone etc… Do not just assume that it works on everything.
Decorate your local listings pages (any premium listings anyway) with unique images from the area you are operating in, not escort photos. Posting images of escorts is likely to backfire in short time and you won’t have a Places page or any other local listing. If you’re in a competitive area in reference to pricing, use the coupons available or offer time of day specials. A couple of the other listing service, like ezlocal.com for example, offer the ability to include specials updates. I like EZlocal for this, but the price for premium services may be prohibitive – you will need to check for yourself.
The best exercise to determine where, if anywhere at all, to place a banner ad is to search using relevant keyword phrases. For example, if we search “vegas escorts” – any directory site showing on the first page of results is a good option. In this case EROS wins as they are the only directory site on the first page.
Now try “miami escorts” and you will see EROS right on top of natural search results. There are several other directories on the first page of results; however, each is mainly for independent escorts advertising on their own. EROS is often used by agencies and escorts alike and a banner exchange is free if you are an advertiser.
Working with Local Hotel Workers & QR Codes
I include some information in the books about how I used to work with bellmen, valets, and concierges in hotels so I will only add new information herein. This is an idea that I had recently and it actually began as an idea to market books. What do you know about QR codes? You should recognize what one looks like by going here and reading:
Most people with smartphones have a QR Code app installed and use it to scan codes sometimes. I have. After thinking about it for a while, I decided that there is no reason you can’t use a QR code on business cards that you pass out to hotel workers and limo drivers and pay a fee for referrals. This business card would be simple and have only a telephone number and a QR code for a website used specifically for hotel or limo driver referrals. I wouldn’t even put a business name on it. Keep it totally discrete. Depending on how you track your referrals, the referring worker’s ID # could be written on the back of the card.
I would have a specific website for this purpose for a few reasons. The main one is that these are not anonymous potential clients on the internet and the cards could only be passed out by those that you have a referral agreement with. Perhaps your website that’s findable by the world will state the usual stuff, but this one could show actual photos of available escorts without the blurring for privacy. You could have many QR codes, though printing cards for too many would get pricey.
There are many uses for QR codes other than on a business card.
You will have to develop this idea more on your own. I wouldn’t want everyone that reads this to do exactly the same thing. Read these articles for more information on how you can use QR codes:
What is a QR Code and Why Do You Need One?
Close-Up With Google’s New QR Code Generator
Get QR Code Generator on Your Google Homepage
QR Stuff (extremely helpful information)
So get to work on this idea. It does have great potential for your escort business.
Print Advertising
I stand by what I stated in the Blueprint books in relation to yellow page listings. The one-liners in bold print are not expensive at all and you will get calls. If you are in a major metropolitan area, like L.A. or Manhattan, it is no longer pointless to have a print yellow pages ad as a result of the July 2012 upheaval with Google Maps / Places listings for escort services in many areas around the US.
If there is a local alternative print newspaper in your area, a small ad will make the telephone ring, but often the callers are seeking major discounts so this depends on the price range at your escort business.
There’s not really much more to say about print ads today. Spend your money on premium local listings online and at least a bold print yellow pages ad.
Social Media Marketing
Facebook is the big thing for many these days, but I confess to never being into it, especially in relation to marketing an escort service. People do though, as they also use Twitter for such purposes. I do know people that have done exceedingly well with marketing other types of business on Facebook and Twitter, but I am not at the point that I’d recommend it for escort businesses.
If it is *your thing* then give it a shot, but don’t be too surprised if the results are not what they are with other types of business. The thing is, in the escort business you do not really want “followers” and “circles” (a reference to Google+). You do not want all of the people connected to the business. Make sense? It should if you read any of my books.
As the “Accused Madam,” Google+ interests me greatly and I am learning all about it at this time, but I do not consider it a good idea for an escort business. Although it has my interest, in the end it won’t work for me because I really do not want to interact and I really do not want followers or circles. Following me could cause you issues with one situation or another in life, sort of like following Wikileaks on Twitter, but probably to a lesser extent. I always assume that I am tracked, whether I am or not.
On the other hand, if you have chosen to open a party business or a stripper-gram business, I think that Social Media marketing (Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin) is a wonderful idea! Imagine your stripper-gram business going viral… and who doesn’t appreciate one of those costumed strippers doing a quick show as a surprise? You are not so limited in this area of adult business and you’d probably develop a following quickly.
Be careful with the content of your ads and/or your listing pages though. The US is more of a conservative market when it comes to adult business than you may believe.
This page will be updated as necessary. Last updated on 7 July 2012 @1:30am EST.