| "Our entire industry has felt the crash. Turns out our recession-proof profession wasn't very recession proof. Everyone's cut back on the extras and doubled down on the hustle." |
It really doesn't matter that the doom sayers were predicting a world-wide economic downfall for years. It's always a shock when the crash hits you personally. I've felt the crash. You've felt the crash. Our entire industry has felt the crash. Turns out our recession-proof profession wasn't very recession proof. Everyone's cut back on the extras and doubled down on the hustle. Some have closed up shop altogether. People have been laid off. Ad buys have decreased. These are the hardest times we've ever faced. Harder than when the DOJ instituted those changes to 2257. Harder than the handful of arrests for obscenity. Harder than when VISA raised its fees. Harder Acacia. This economy shit is industry-wide and has zapped every single one of us right where it hurts - in the bank balance.
I suppose you know what's coming next. I'm going to tell you there's an upside. A silver lining. A rainbow after the storm. Unicorns, puppy dogs and cotton candy. Well, I'm not going to waste your time with useless platitudes. I'm simply going to state a fact:
We're a little worse for wear. Our bluster has been replaced with cautious optimism. Our happy-go-lucky attitudes have turned solemn. More than ever we have come to realize the the Internet is indeed, serious business and the days of bling and bullshit are over. The adult Internet is not dead. It has suffered a blow but not a mortal one. What hasn't killed us has made us stronger. Okay. Sorry. I couldn't resist a few platitudes but they are far from useless.
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Now we must prepare for the hard slog to recovery. The rough times aren't over. Unfortunately, desperate times make desperate people do nefarious things. There will be spammers and scams and cheating. Webmasters will delve into dark places they never imagined. Some will skate on the edges of legality while other will dive right over. Don't be one of them. They will be caught and punished.
As cold as this may sound, perhaps such a thinning of the herd is needed. These are the kinds of times that test the mettle of the people involved. Cheating is weakness and the benefits are short-lived. The key to longevity is the ability to adapt to change. Those of you that work honestly will come out the other side, stronger and better.
There is always a way to make money that doesn't involve shady practices - even in porn. Thousands of webmasters are going to give up, leaving the door open for you to snag their traffic, cull their niches and carve out your future. While there will also be an influx of newbies, they will have to start from ground up. You, the experienced adult webmaster, have the advantage.
Whatever you do, don't languish. Whatever effort you're putting in now, double it. If you've got sites that are dead in the water, cut them loose. If you've got sponsors that are unproductive, dump them. If you've had some great idea bouncing around your brain, now is the time to make it a reality. If you have to cut costs, then cut costs. Then again, if you've got money to spare, there's no time like the present to spend it on smart investments. If your designs skills are lacking then for heavens sake go purchase a professionally made template. If you've been buying low-end content, fork over the extra bucks to upgrade your images and video. If you still can't garner the massive hits, pay for a gallery spot or buy some traffic. If you've been at this game for more than a year, it's time to take chances. It's time to work it like it means something.
I can't predict when the economy will be better. All I know is that it will get better. After all, we just over the summer slump. With cold weather, people return to an indoor life. Horny college students are back in their dorms. This fall and winter may not be our savior but there will be an uptick. Don't be unprepared. If and when things take off, the take off will be swift. Snap out of your shock. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Get on with it.