I hate to already spoil this, but really neither of them is better than the other. Whether you focus on a newsletter or writing a blog is gonna depend on your goals as well as the outcome you’d like to see. And while neither of them is better than the other, each has their own benefits and drawbacks. So let’s talk about them.
Blogs
If you’re finding yourself drawn to writing, storytelling, and more long form content, blogging might be for you! Whether your blog caters to other sex workers or to clients, blogging is a way for people to get to know you over time. While you may be limited in your tweets or ads as to a word count, you own your blog so you’re free to talk as much as you want.
I’ve had several clients tell me that what sealed the deal in terms of wanting to set up a date was being able to read through my blog and get a better picture of who I am.
Blogs are also great for SEO purposes. If you’re refreshing your blog every week or month, over time you’ll have an incurable backlog of fresh content with all the keywords and phrases you’re prioritizing! And the addition of all these keywords and phrases making you list higher in search results can help establish you as a leader in not only sex work, but whatever niche in sex work you have. Do you brand yourself as a nature lover? Start a blog about all of the hikes you go on with recommendations for hiking dates. Foodie? Show off your skills in the kitchen or put out a weekly restaurant recommendation.
While a newsletter goes away after it’s in a persons inbox, a blog will live on your site as long as you let it! Don’t like something? Delete it! You can’t erase a newsletter that’s already gone out.
I think whatever you do, it’s important to keep it regular and dependable. Can only manage once a month? That’s great! Want to make it weekly? That’s awesome! But keeping your blog consistent gives your readers and clients a schedule to look forward to and expect.
Newsletters
I’m sure you’ve heard by now - you don’t own your followers on social media. Essentially this means that your Twitter account could get suspended any day, IG could ban all sex workers, OnlyFans could go under, and all that work that you put in would just be gone. Your followers wouldn’t know where to find you, and you wouldn’t know where to find them.
So, what if you had a way to keep a list of ways to contact your followers, subscribers, and clients on a regular basis? Here’s where a newsletter or email list comes in! Even if you’re not “shadowbanned,” realistically very few of your followers see your posts. It’s an unfortunate reality. But if you’re serving up a weekly, biweekly, or monthly newsletter, you’re able to speak directly to all your regulars and potential clients. Use make sure you’re regularly exporting your contact list in case you also get booted off your email marketing platform (been there!)
Newsletters aren’t really gonna help your SEO, but they are a great way to build an intimate relationship with clients. Personally, I use my newsletter to share a closer glimpse at a less “glamourous” version of myself - selfies, stories about my cats and chickens, and general details I might not post directly to social media. It’s also great for sharing big news, sending out exclusives, and making a small group of people feel special. Announce your next tour on your newsletter first. Send out a discount code to your clip site of choice. There’s a plethora of options here!
A few tips for newsletters - have your name in the “from” part as emails from names are less likely to be sorted into spam. Also, the template simple and plain! An email with lots of graphics and videos and such is also more likely to be sorted into spam. Be aware of your platform’s Terms of Service, as well. You might have to keep the nudity to a minimum (or not at all!) with certain businesses.
A great tip I got from another sex worker was to put specific date ideas in each newsletter. Sometimes what’s stopping clients from booking longer dates is having no idea what to do on said dates. Talk about restaurant openings, cities you’d like to visit, recipes you’d like to try.
Keep your emails short and sweet. No one likes an email that drolls on and on and on. Get the requisite info out, and leave them wanting more.
Verdict
Neither is better than the other. In fact, bogs and newsletters can go hand in hand. You can easily convert bog posts into newsletter content, and vice versa. Why work harder when you can work smarter?
Whatever you decide on, just make sure to back everything up somewhere permanent (hard drive preferably!) Nothing feels worse than losing massive amounts of content because you got deplatformed. Better to be safe than sorry.
So what should you do? Do you have the time to do both? Awesome! Can only do one, once a month? Equally great. Keep it consistent, keep it going one term, and expect to see results over time.
Are you a sex worker with a story, opinion, news or tips to share? We'd love to hear from you!
We started the tryst.link sex worker blog to help amplify those who aren't handed the mic and bring attention to the issues ya'll care about the most. Got a tale to tell? 👇☂️✨
