Category :tips

Instagram for Cam Models

Instagram for Cam Models: Part One

Are you looking for a social media platform that thrives on its visual appeal? Try Instagram. I have to admit that I’m a bit late to the game when it comes to Instagram, but I’d definitely like to tell you a few reasons why I believe it could be a wise strategic move to further advertise your brand. Instagram, if you’re not already familiar, is a photo-based social media platform. What do I mean by that? I mean that, as you scroll through your Instagram feed, you’ll see that every post is a photo. Of course, posts have a section to describe them, tag their location, as well as use hashtags (ALL immensely helpful to spreading the post), but by and large, the meat of how well your photo will travel (i.e. how much it will be “liked”) is due to the actual content you are posting in the photo that you choose to post. Let me break it down for you.

There are a few important choices that you have when you post a photo to Instagram:

  1. Who is your target audience?
  2. What is your Instagram wall telling people about your brand?
  3. How are you utilizing your Instagram bio real estate?

TARGET AUDIENCE

instagram earn moneyIdeally, you should conceive of your target audience as those who would follow you into your chat room and, hopefully, spend money on you. With that said, you start to narrow. What is it about your physical features that excite your target audience? What is it about your personality that gets them going? How do you engage with them on social media? Do they comment on certain parts of your personality over others? Try to identify who your ideal audience is and work to build them up and keep them close. They will reward you for doing so. They will never want to leave you.

YOUR INSTAGRAM WALL

When people jump to your profile, what do they see? People are going to, most likely, make a split second decision about who you are and what value you will provide them simply by a first glance at your wall. Curate your wall such that potential fans won’t be able to NOT follow you. They will be compelled to follow along. There are many ways to ensure that your wall is expressing your brand the way you want, but here are a few tips: consider using the same filter, consider highlighting a particular theme within your pictures, consider crafting your pictures so that one picture leads to the next and so on. Any conscious effort you put into curating your Instagram wall will pay off.

INSTAGRAM BIO

Instagram Make MoneyYour bio is another area that you’ll benefit from tailoring to meet the expectations of your brand. You can use hashtags in your bio. You can also add a link to your bio. Consider your bio your luxury apartment that’s now on the market. People who come to your page will want to take a look at your “luxury apartment.” Make them want to enter. Make them want to spend some time with you. Most importantly, make them want to “Follow” you and become a fan.

 

Do you like this article? Check out another. We’re here to help. Or, want to know more about Instagram marketing? Read this article.

Texting on Cam for Money

TEXTING AND MAKING MONEY ON CAM

Texting provocative, flirtatious or downright sexy messages to another person is not a brand new concept, but the ability to make money doing it is .. at least in the world of cam modeling.

As any successful cam model knows, it takes hours and hours of hard work, dedication and the commitment to build your customer base. It also takes many hours to grow your brand in a realistic way, create repeat clients, and catch those highly sought after (and generous) whales who will spend big to take you private.

But even when all this is said and done, even when you’ve established yourself as a dedicated, successful and independent cam model there are always new ways to connect (and make good money) when you’re not on the clock. Today, I’m going to go over three ways that you can use to make more money, ways that are easy to implement and, if you haven’t already tried the, well worth your time. Are you ready? Let’s dive in.

Creating a Loyal Fan Base

SMS Cams TextingFans want to connect with their favorite models. They want to get to know the other person on the other end of the camera; to learn about their hobbies; to appreciate their quirks and mannerisms. Fans also want to know that you’re a real person. Knowing this, the ability to become friends and a trusted confidant is what separates the good cam models from the GREAT ones! Yes, it takes time, it takes dedication. Always, tt takes perseverance. But above all, it takes the ability to show up every day on cam with a winning personality that says, “YES, I’m worth your time .. YES, I’m worth your attention.”

Successful cam models with a loyal and dedicated customer base appreciate the importance of keeping to a schedule, logging on consistently and engaging with their fans … after all, if they won’t do it, another model will!

Make Yourself Approachable

Loyal customers, invariably will want to learn about the “real” you, not the persona you present on camera. They will want to express themselves to the real personality, likes, dislikes, hobbies, interests and passions that fill your life. As such, the appeal of being able to call someone on the phone, or even better, the ability to be able to text with someone “after hours” adds a new, exciting and profitable way to stay connected with your clients when you’re not camming. Just as importantly, give your best customers the chance to feel that they have a better “more exclusive” connection to you that the majority of your other customers might not have.

So, if you’re willing and able to respond to a few texts when you’re not working, if you’re willing and able to text and interact with your loyal fans when you’re “out & about,” why not make a little extra income and watch those credits roll in!

Keep Texting Private

modeling on cam textingOf course, privacy is key here. It’s all very well and good having a loyal fan tip you for a few provocative pictures or a more intimate conversation thread – but there have to be boundaries. Not revealing your real cell phone number (and keeping it private) is at the top of the list! Savvy webcam companies like Flirt4Free (among certain select others who have been around for years) know this. They partner with a third party host to provide you with safe, secure cell phone numbers that when used through their site can provide you with personalized text rates, tip breakdowns, variable customer rates, and of course monthly pay outs based on your texting success.

Who wouldn’t want the ability to make extra money for texting in their spare time with fans that wanted to spend a little more?

If you know of any other companies in the cam world you use this sexy texting feature, companies that you love to use other than Flirt4Free, drop us a line. And, of course, if you’re a webcam model, chime in one and all. We’d love to hear from you. If you’ve used texting as a way to build your income with clients, let us know what you thought of the experience. Do you feel it was worth it? What was easy about it? What was challenging?

Interested in reading more about privacy, check out our article on how you, as a webcam model, can protect your privacy online. 

Camming Confidentially: Part 2 General Privacy and Safety Tips

As promised, here’s part 2 (and read part one if you haven’t yet) of my tips for maintaining your privacy and security as a cam model. This post will focus on some important steps for securing both your personal and professional social media accounts. Camming confidentially is of upmost importance. We’re here to help. I’ll preface this by saying that some models who want to focus on their careers simply delete their private social media accounts altogether. Honestly, they’re by far the biggest culprit in opening the gates for your camming life to creep into your private life. But I’m sure this isn’t possible for everyone, so here are some essential steps for keeping your privacy intact.

Privacy Settings

On your personal Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, make sure you use the privacy settings to their fullest. This will keep strangers out, and make sure only your curated group of friends and family members can see your posts.

Use a Nickname

Change your display name to a nickname. If one of your fans happens across your profile and recognizes you, your real name still won’t be visible, providing your privacy settings are maxed out.

Reverse Image Search

If you decide to keep separate profiles for your on-cam and off-cam persona, never mix photos between the two. A reverse image search can lead a curious viewer to your other profile very easily.

Turn Off Location Services

The most popular social media sites have features that tag your posts with your approximate (or sometimes your exact) whereabouts. A fan knowing your exact real-time location can be disruptive or even dangerous. Make sure this feature is disabled before posting to your professional account. Here’s how to do it on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and for turning on “Ghost Mode” on Snapchat.

Touristy Stuff

Never post photos of your neighborhood, local landmarks, your awesome new car, or even your pets to your cam-model profiles. Any aspect of your off-cam life can be a privacy risk.

What the Heck is an EXIF?

Another thing to know is that sometimes the pictures and video you post contain something called EXIF data. This information usually contains your camera model, settings, and editing software. It can also contain location information in some cases. For a better sense of what EXIF data is, and how to remove it, check out this article.

Again! No Clicking!

At the risk of repeating myself: Never open links from your customers. Remember, always operate confidentially. Never open links. Not in chat, email, or a tweet. No matter how trustworthy they seem, this is the best policy. Apart from malware and viruses, there is also software that can reveal your IP address, which can give away your location.

As it is, becoming a cam model will make you something of a public persona. As you gain viewers and fans, many of them will actively try to learn more about you. Also, you will find this both flattering and invasive at times. And while none of these steps, or those I listed in part 1, are cure-alls for keeping your personal and professional lives from uncomfortably mixing, they should offer you several layers of protection when it comes your privacy and your safety. In closing, I hope this was helpful. Stay safe, and thanks for reading.

Camming Confidentially – Part 1 General Privacy and Safety Tips

When considering having a go at cam modeling, there are an awful lot of things to take into account. Among them, safety and privacy are top priorities. This is part one of a list of steps you can take to make sure you’re protected while camming, and to keep your private life as separate as possible from the life you live while broadcasting. Here, I’ll  talk about some general steps you should take. In part 2, I’ll talk about social media. Here goes:

SSL Certification

Make sure the site or sites you broadcast on are SSL certified. Most of the top sites use SSL. It’s a means of encrypting your information to keep it indecipherable to users.

Geoblocking

The top cam sites allow you to use Geoblocking. This allows you to block users by IP addresses associated with your own city, state or country. Meaning your local family members and neighbors will not be able to see your stream. This is extremely important, but it’s not a catch-all. It’s not uncommon for live-cam customers to use VPNs that provide IP addresses in different regions, or to overcome Geoblocking restrictions while traveling. Also, if you’re ever a guest on another model’s stream, you should find out what their Geoblocked areas are and make sure they don’t conflict with yours.

A Stage Name for your Stage Name

This should go without saying, but always use a fake name and birthdate. Never reveal important vital information to your guests and customers, no matter how much you like them. You can celebrate your fake birthday with your viewers, while still keeping your real DOB a secret. Sometimes, when customers visit you often and feel they’ve formed a relationship, they’ll be desperate to learn your real name. It’s a good policy to have a second fake name in the back of your mind for these occasions. Your privacy is still protected, and your customer gets to feel special at the same time.

Cam-Persona Email

Create a separate email address for your modeling persona. Do not use your personal email address for promotional social media accounts, like your cam-model Twitter or Instagram page. It’s searchable on most social media sites. For more on locking down your personal and professional social media accounts, check out part 2 of this article here.

Vague Conversation

I’ve already mentioned the importance of your stage name and a fake DOB. But sometimes it’s easy to let things slip while camming. We’re only human, after all. And our job as cam models is to connect with other humans. But it’s good, safe practice to be vague about what you do when you’re off-cam. Talk about your favorite music, but don’t mention the upcoming concert you have tickets for. Talk about your favorite food, but leave out the names of restaurants you love. Talk about a steamy college encounter, but don’t mention the name of the school or the professor involved. It’s a hard but important line to walk when you’re building relationships with fans and customers. The less specific information they have, the safer you are.

Clean Broadcast Space

Some models love changing locations. Broadcasting from your backyard or your kitchen can be cool and intimate in different ways. But you have to pay attention to what they can see apart from your beautiful face. Family photographs on your nightstand, framed diplomas or certificates, and even the view out your window can hint at your real identity and location. I personally prefer to have one designated “clean” space for broadcasting. It’s simpler and requires less maintenance.

No Clicking!

Never open links from your customers. Not in chat. Not in email. Not in a tweet. No matter how trustworthy they seem, this is the best policy. When camming, always exercise caution. Apart from malware and viruses, there is also software that can reveal your IP address, which can give away your location.

Wish Lists

As your customers start to feel closer to you, they’ll want to send you real, tangible presents. Enter the wish list. Some of the top sites, like Flirt4Free.com, have their own internal wish lists. If they have one, use it! If you end up using a service like Amazon instead, there are a few precautions you should take. Set up a P.O. box or UPS box under your stage name and in a zip or post code that is not your own. A customer can use delivery tracking to find out where their gift was sent. Set up an Amazon (or whatever) account using your stage-persona email only, and make sure your shipping address is not displayed.

Gifts in Return

Some models hold raffles and contests in their chatrooms while camming, and give away prizes. Customers love it, but they can also learn your approximate location through the post. I think digital prizes like photo sets and videos are the safest way to go. But if you must mail someone your dirty undies, send it from a city that is not your own.

Of course, with anything in the information age, nothing is guaranteed.  Despite your best efforts, there may still be an awkward conversation with family members or friends in your future. Being a cam model is rewarding, lucrative and fun, but it also becomes a public persona. If the thought of this kind of exposure creeping into your personal life is extremely upsetting, you might want to consider a different career. Be sure to check out Part 2 for some tips on locking down your personal and professional social media accounts.

Thanks, and keep camming!

For more, please check out PART TWO!

TIPS TO SUCCEED AS A CAM NOOB!

There are a lot of advice blogs for cam models, and it follows that there is a lot of advice, a lot of tips. Most is helpful. Some is subjective. Before getting into the subtle nuances of why we do what we do, I thought I’d boil it all down to some basic policies that work for me. Adopting these practices helped me a lot when I was starting out, and continue to serve me well as time goes on. I’d like to think this is geared specifically toward men, but I hope it helps girls too.

BEWARE THE STARE

Staring at your chat screen in silence is one of the first things what will drive customers out of your room. In radio broadcasting, they call it dead air. There will be days your customers will be talkative, conversational, and make requests of you. There will be days they hang on your every word. But there will also be quiet first-timers looking for a way to get to know you. In times like these, it’s important to remember you’re an entertainer. You must entertain. Tell a sexy story. Ask them questions. The best cam sites have a “whisper” feature in chat. Use it, and don’t be afraid to be intimate! It’s a great tool for getting shy customers to open up. They’ve come to engage with you. Invite them to and you’ll be surprised by the results.

ONE THING AT A TIME

Don’t text or make calls while camming. Don’t do your homework. Keep your music at a level where customers can still hear you talk. Customers will not feel engaged if you aren’t paying attention to them. We’re human. Stuff comes up. If something pressing needs your attention, tell your viewers you’ll be back soon and log out to take care of it. If you don’t think this is a big deal, check out the review sections of Chaturbate or Flirt4Free and see how much customers like a distracted model.

HONESTY IS THE BEST… WELL, YOU KNOW

This is a 2-parter. First, be as honest as you can (without risking your safety and privacy) about yourself, your likes and dislikes. While the sexy stuff is a big part of camming, the personal connections you make are equally important. Your repeat customers (aka your biggest tippers) will inevitably be the ones who feel close to you both inside and out. But you should also be honest about your limits. If a customer asks you to do something you’re not ready to do, tell them you can’t politely and apologetically. Don’t lead them on! Even if they go elsewhere to meet those needs, you’ve established a non-judgmental trust that could bring them back for many tips to come.

KEEP YOUR “TOOLS” HANDY

Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. I mean to say, if you keep toys, costumes, and fetish stuff nearby, it’s right there when someone asks you to use it. When someone in chat says “do you have duct tape and nipple clamps?” and you say: “yeah, I’ve got them right here,” a couple of things happen. First, they know they’ve come to the right place. Second, they feel safe in sharing their desires with you. Trust is huge in getting repeat customers. And it’ll net you nice tips.

SURE, I’LL DO THAT RIGHT AWAY

On the subject of repeat customers who ask you to do stuff: when someone asks you to do something, get to it right away. Especially when doing a paid show. This is a time-is-money environment. Dragging out your strip routine when a paying customer is asking for more actually risks you losing that customer. Short term gain, long term loss.  Customers who come away from your show feeling satisfied will come back. Customers who think you teased too much, or they had to overspend to see that cockring will probably go elsewhere. It’s simple math. You earn less from one 45 minute show on Monday than you do from Three 25 minute shows over the course of a week.

I-C-U

I’ll get into this at length in another post, but one tip is to always ask your customers if they have a cam too. Most of the big cam sites have a camera-to-camera feature, and I’ve found that this is one of the best ways to make your customers feel engaged, and let them know you’re interested in more than their money. Some will be too shy to try it, so don’t push. But it’s always good to let them know they have the option. Interactive toys that respond to tips can also be a big draw. I’ll have some more in-depth write-ups on these in another post as well. But think of it like this. Cam modeling is to porn as video games are to watching TV. One is passive, where the viewer just watches. The other attempts to immerse you, and make your thoughts and decisions feel important. The more immersive you cam show is, the more customers will return for its “replay value.”

HAVE FUN ON CAM!

Here’s our final tip. Yeah. It’s a job. Yeah.  We’re in it to make a living, first and foremost. But I find a lot of customers get turned off when you get too financial about things. This doesn’t mean you should give away the goods for free. It means, you have to entice them into spending money, entice them to tip, instead of asking for or demanding it. It’s a skill. You can learn it. Flash. Tease. Play games. Part of what they’re paying for is the fantasy your friendship and money grubbing breaks what actors call “the fourth wall.”

Of course, there’s a lot more to doing this successfully than what I wrote here, but I hope this is a good jumping off point. Stay tuned, as I plan on elaborating on all this and more very soon. Thanks for reading!

Interested in reading more? Check out our article on “Cam Modeling Basics,” which will definitely help you as you progress down this exciting cam model path.