If there is one thing that I am constantly asked its “how can I do what you do?”…while I’d like to give a simple answer, unfortunately there isn’t one. I’ve gotten to where I am by working hard, paying my dues and dealing with a lot of bullshit along the way. I’ve spent 3 years dedicating myself to making videos and done my very best to keep what I do honest, reliable, fun, educational and up to date.
That said, while making videos on the topic of sex/sexuality isn’t something I can give much help on (since it’s all a matter of perspective, comfort level and education), what I can help you with is becoming a sex toy reviewer and/or making some money on the side selling products online.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be writing a weekly blog dedicated to different aspects of the Sex Toy industry that are geared to helping you find great companies to work with, learning how to write a sex toy review, finding companies that will send you toys for either a really low price or free and helping you learn how to link/market them to your potential customers.
As I’ve said before, it’s not easy…but if you have a passion for doing something you love, helping others discover great toys, learning about their body, becoming comfortable in their sexuality and aren’t too interested in keeping up with the Joneses (i.e. you don’t really give a shit what people think) then this is a great way to get into the business…
Now that that’s out of the way, lets get started!
Creating a Blog for Reviewing Toys
Before I even begin I have to stress one thing; in order to receive toys and make money through affiliated sales you have to be the legal age within the Country you/the company resides. For the most part if you’re 18 you should be fine. That said, it’s always best to check what the legal age is before getting started.
The first thing you’re going to need in order to review toys is a blog; it doesn’t have to be flashy, sophisticated or highly technical ~ it just needs to be a site that allows you to add links, pictures, post “adult” themed content, be cheap (if not free) and relatively easy to use/update.
To help you out these are a list of sites that I suggest simply because they have all of the above needed features and are completely FREE! With most of them you have the option of paying for the upgrade, but it’s not necessary when you’re first getting started.
WordPress – http://www.wordpress.com/
Blogger – http://www.blogger.com/
Blog – http://www.blog.com/
Livejournal – http://www.livejournal.com/
Of course there are many more but these are the ones I tend to frequent most simply because they have been the easiest for me to navigate. On that note, you don’t need to sign up for all of them (unless you want to) just posting to one will suffice. That said, if you want to take on the challenge of managing more then one blog feel free, just know it will be time consuming and may quickly become overwhelming.
*Quick note – when it comes to entering your user information make sure that you have chosen a username that you like and want to actually use. Some sites don’t allow you to change it after you’ve hit the send/accept key and then you’re pretty much stuck with it.
*Also, if you’re trying to remain anonymous on the web don’t pick a nickname that people know you by, instead go by something that’s rarely ever come out of your mouth. That way if someone decides to do a random search you’re more likely to stay hidden.
Customizing your Blog
Once you’ve found a site that you like and have received your confirmation that it’s up and running, feel free to take some time and see how it works. Press buttons, go through pages, experiment, accept, delete; basically just see what things do and have fun. Don’t expect to be able to manipulate the site the moment you sign up, that rarely ever happens. Instead take the necessary time to allow yourself to figure things out and if you get overwhelmed don’t forget, you can always do a search the problem you’re having and more often then not find an answer.
After you’ve gotten comfortable with the way the site works and think you have a good idea of how to change things, spend some time customizing the site. Make it something that is easy on the eyes, easy to read and navigate, highlights the things you want to show and is something that you feel is a good representation of you/your alter ego: remember you’re building your “brand”.
If you find that you’re having some problems with coming up with a background or color scheme there are sites online that can help you find just what you’re looking for. One of my personal favourites is ColorLovers, it’s great or coming up with color schemes and finding combinations you might never have thought of – http://www.colourlovers.com/
*If you’re still not sure what type of look you’re going for take some time and go through other bloggers/reviewers/companies sites and find features that you like then see if they fit for what you’re trying to do. Just do you’re best not to copy others too much, unfortunately some people do take offense to that. Also, make sure that you NEVER take someone else’s review without permission and if you do, never claim that it is your own.
Here are some examples of reviewers that I LOVE!
Pop My Cherry – http://popmycherryreview.com/
Epiphora – http://www.heyepiphora.com/about/
Essin ‘Em – http://essin-em.com/
AAG – http://aagblog.com/
Garnet Joyce – http://askgarnet.com/
Brit Is Shameless – http://britisshameless.com/
Tristan Toramino – http://www.puckerup.com/EN/home/
Ducky Dolittle – http://duckydoolittle.com/
Pleasurists – http://pleasurists.com/
The Beautiful Kind – http://thebeautifulkind.com/
(there are many more, which I’m sure you can find links for on each of the above mentioned pages)
The Bare Necessities
Once you’ve got your design figured out you’ll want to start adding headers and categories for all the reviews/articles/posts you’ll be creating.
Some things you may want to include in your blog are:
An About section (and header)
-this section lets the reader know about you, who you are, what you do and how you got into it. You can divulge as little or as much as you’d like. Just remember to keep things like you’re real name, address, phone number and personal info out of the picture for safety reasons.
A Reviews section (broken into subcategories if possible)
– this is where you will place all your reviews for your readers to easily find. If you are able to break it into sub categories (i.e. vibrators, dildos, butt toys, lubes) you’ll be able to help you’re reader find what they are looking for without much of a struggle.
A Contact section (and header)
– this is where you post the information for companies, readers, fans and friends to get in touch with you. I suggest you create a secondary email account that is specifically used only for this. Your safety is important!
A Links &/or Resources &/or Advertising section (and header)
-this is where you’ll put the links to companies that you are an affiliate for, resources like websites you’re on and promote, as well as provide information about your advertising rates (when the time comes)
*Of course you can always add more categories/pages as you feel necessary. These are just the basics that I think should be present in every toy review blog.
Wrapping It Up
I don’t think there is much else I can tell you in regard to getting started and setting up your blog, especially where the very basics are concerned. As I said, it does take some time and will require that you fiddle around a bit until you find something that works for you and that you really like.
Just remember, if you find you get stuck or start o get overwhelmed don’t worry, we’ve all been there and when you don’t have a tech person to do the tech work for you it’s just part of the process. Take a breather, step away from the computer and come back to it when your ready…just be patient…it will come in time.
For those of you that already have a blog up and running, next week I’ll be focusing on setting up affiliations (that’s where you can make money), linking you to great companies, helping you fill out forms and getting you ready to start writing reviews.
*I’d start with writing the reviews but if you have nothing to link to in your post, it’s almost silly.
If you have any questions about setting up your blog do your best to find the answers online, if you can’t feel free to send me a message and I’ll do what I can to help.
Hope your having a great afternoon!
Kara_Sutra <3