Step aside, Uber. Did you know a good sex life can help you earn that extra side money everyone is looking for these days? We're joined today by Alana who has taken on the role of our special sexy financial consultant and we'll go over five ways that help you use your awesome sex life to make a bit of dough.
Get a Part-Time Job in an Adult (Sex) Shop
Looking to grab an extra paycheque from a part-time job to supplement your income? Working at a sex shop might be the best thing for you. “People looking for a small job to add some extra salary don’t naturally think about looking for work at a sex shop, but it’s actually a pretty good solution if you’re open to that and not too shy about working there.” Alana goes on to add about the versatility and benefits of working at such a place: “The opening hours of sex shop are usually such that they can easily compliment a day job without much conflict, in most cases these places are open only on certain weeknights, afternoons and weekends. The shifts can be flexible and easily fit around your day job, especially if you don’t mind staying up late” Alana goes on to mention that it’s a perfect supplement to people that have part-time day jobs or work on their own as freelancers / contractors. Having a good sex life is key as these places will look for people that are knowledgeable about sex techniques, fetishes and toys and are able to make recommendations and help out clients.
"There is actually a shortage in certain areas as owners struggle to find people that have the necessary softskills and the welcoming, mature demeanor that the new brand of sex shops are looking for in attracting today’s clients. Unlike online retailers, clients at a sex shop will often turn to the sales clerks for advice and guidance. They can't just hire anyone.” The soft benefits of this job include a fun and relatively low stress environment and some good fringe benefits: “Most places will also offer their employees discounts, referral rewards and even commission on certain item sales. But be prepared to meet all kinds of interesting people!”.
But it doesn’t stop at the brick and mortar businesses. In certain more remote areas, distributors located far away or cross-border look for people to carry and stock their items as part of home businesses; either as drop-shippers answering to online requests or as a representative to hold occasional sales in the community. If you live in one of these areas, you can always reach out to major stores in the nearest city and see if you can be of help for a small cut of the profits.
Monetize a Strong Social Media Presence
Social media can offer several opportunities to gain income, but not all of them are as easy as they looks.
To begin, there are paying jobs such a moderators on certain forums or discussion boards. You need to be careful as not all sites pay for moderators (some are only volunteer-based) but in the online adult industry, more moderation is needed due to the nature of the content and so greater opportunities exist. “In the industry today, most of the checks and balances such as screening uploaded images and videos are done by a human. The amount of moderation on certain adult sites can be quite impressive and most companies are willing to pay to keep good moderators around. Discussion forums may do so as well, provided the moderator is knowledgeable and able to foster discussion and provide information to the users; so having a solid sex life at home and an open attitude is pretty much a pre-requisite” Jobs can pay about $15-17 and the hours are usually flexible and done from a home computer, which is perfect for someone looking to make money without the need to commute or respond to a rigid schedule.
Blogs on general social publishing sites or writing on adult-themed sites also represents a potential source of income. “If you are able to build a blog and a strong following, you can easily monetize it with advertisements where you get paid for clicks. Some of the most popular adult blog subjects involve writing about your own experiences, how you’re balancing your sex life with marriage and/or kids, or writing your own erotica. The more authentic and relatable the content is, the more people will want to read, share and interact with you, creating a strong audience base”. The money made through ad revenue may take time to accumulate, but as Alana pointed out it does add up, and eventually it will be significant enough to cash out or can be used to make online purchases. Driving traffic to your blog should be the focus, and don’t overdo it with having ads spatter all over the page. Other sites may look for guest writers and pay you for your pieces, however these are harder to get and difficult if you don’t have some sort of background in professional writing or editing. “If you’re a freelance writer, it’s already a good start but in most cases you need to have your own successful blog first as a kind of portfolio to show off. If the larger sites like what they see, they may bring you on and pay for you contributions, but it’s much harder to go this route.”
A new job that has been gaining momentum is the social media influencer, and nowhere is it more influential than in adult products. “There is nothing today preventing you from opening a social media account (under a screen name if desired for confidentiality) and populating it with pictures or posts promoting products to your following (respecting the rules of the platform at course). But the hard part is building that following and competing with the others out there doing the same.” You don’t need to hit Kardashian level to get some companies interested in sending you samples to model and promote via images or posts. Adult toy makers, lingerie companies and others love having others promote their items and then share / promote / retweet this feedback on their own accounts. “Reviews from others look more authentic, interactive and potential buyers may contact the reviewer directly on social media to get more info. It’s becoming the ideal situation for a manufacturer or retailer in this age of social media, especially for more sensitive or discreet products. We’re seeing a trend today where a larger chunks of advertising budget is being diverted towards shaping the brand’s social media influence.”
Become a Sex Toy Tester
OK, so maybe having a full time job as a sex toy reviewer isn’t for you, but this is an area where you can get some good value out of your sexual prowess and willingness to experiment. “With the emergence of social media, sex toy OEMs are counting more than ever on customer reviews and social media presence. If you build a decent social media following, either on a social platform, blog (see above) or forum you can reach out to several OEMs and be asked to join their distribution list.” One some may pay a small fee for your review or promotional services, Alana warns that you must disclose such payments in your review. “But just because you’re paid to do the review, doesn’t mean that it isn’t authentic. If you’re not happy with the product or if you don’t want to promote it, you should contact the manufacturer to return the money and explain what you didn’t like about the product so they can use your feedback”. But even if you’re not paid, due to the nature of the product it’s basically yours to keep, so there is an advantage to doing the work free of charge provided you’re given free samples. “As a minimum you’ve basically found a source of free adult toys, which isn’t bad either”
Sell Your Sexy Things and Services
Another way to make money is to take to online retailers to sell your adult-themed wares or services. If you are handy in making items or available to offer services like boudoir photography, you can find buyers and a place to sell it “Even on mainstream sites like Etsy, people are selling anything from hand-sewn custom lingerie to BDSM furniture. Having a good sex life can lead you to finding new things and then turning around and selling them to others” As with any adult-themed item, people may be shy to walk in to a store and will prefer to order items online. “Most online buyers are willing to pay a premium for discretion and customization, and this is something anyone handy or creative enough can provide."
It doesn’t mean starting from scratch either: "some people make a good income on assembling things like naughty gift baskets for bachelorette parties, birthdays or wedding showers with customized themes, games or messages.” The key to a successful run in an online marketplace is to do your research in pricing, abide by the rules of service (especially in the case of adult-themed items) and don’t sell anything that could dangerous if misused (accidentally or intentionally) like certain BDSM items.
Make Money as an Adult Model
Wait – maybe at first glance you don’t think you needed to reach the level of turning to making porn to make some extra money, but we’re not recommending you to sell yourself out just to make a quick buck. “There are a lot of fun and sexy videos and photos that can be a good activity between you and your spouse and posted discretely on platforms like PornHub and monetized.” Alana alludes to examples of fun activities couples could do and then transform them into something that generates hits and income on such a site.
“It doesn’t have to be hardcore and it can very discreet, where people will not even know it’s you. You don’t need to show your face if you don’t, and sites like PornHub even suggest to wear masks if you're shy. There are niche interests that generate lots of hits, such as having your spouse film in a voyeuristic manner in your lingerie or undressing. For ultimate discretion, a BDSM video is easy to make where you can wear a head-to-toe costume or mask, and will not expose you much depending on the props used. Alana pointed out an example of a latex catsuit bondage video that generated over 10,000 hits.
“These sites will pay you a percentage on each time your video generates a view or ad hit. Shop around and see what is most advantageous for you, but sites like PornHub get billions of hits per year, so even though the amount appears tiny, it can add up quickly if you use the right keywords and make the right type of video.” Most sites will only pay out once a minimum is reached, so it may be a while before you see any payout. But overall it’s a fun experience for couples wanting to be a bit more out there and it will certainly can give your pockets a boost.
Time to hustle out there, my dear readers :0)
- BSYNH
- AR
