Author - Sarah G

Sometimes all it takes is thinking differently about a business. That’s why today I’m covering what you need to know if you’re in the cam industry today. Looking at the business through another lens can help improve your earnings and experience – overall. I’ll cover how to think differently when it comes to camming today.

Look At The Webcam Business Through A Different Lens

Famous words to live by (literally) and they were said by none other than Apple’s own late Steve Jobs. He knew what he was talking about, obviously. Although he was speaking in terms of computers, it really is a great motto to live every aspect of your life by.

Forget The Competition

Stop looking at competition and thinking of how you can do things better than them. Think about how you can do things differently.

For example, you watch another cam girl’s room. You say to yourself “Man, she is really awesome at the hard sell.” She’s constantly pushing for a sale, like a used car salesman that never gives up and never lets you leave without signing on the dotted line.

Now, you try and copy what she’s doing down to a T and you may be successful, hell, you may even be better… but let’s think for a second about how we could do things differently instead. How about mixing soft sells with hard sells? Mixing the art of the hard sell and using it with a subtle sell delivery.

Stop Trying To Copy

When it comes down to it, there is nothing that you can do that will ever be exactly the same as what another person does. That’s why you can always tell the difference between an original and a copy. Sure, they might be almost identical but they never quite match up. Why would anyone want to be a copy of something else anyway?

The Bad Eggs

Let’s take the example of affiliates for big-box cam sites like Streamate.com. A lot of models do not like white labels because there are a few bad eggs that unfortunately give a bad name to the whole bunch.

The models complain about them recording their shows, posting them on tube sites, tweeting out their pics without tagging them, associating them with not-so-good studios, the list goes on and on. Constantly there is something going on in this realm.

There is always a model who is trying to get their shows taken down off of an affiliate site only to get the run around by said affiliate.

Brand Use

The models are upset because their brand is being used and they aren’t getting any type of credit for it, and if they point it out, then they are talked to like they aren’t worth a damn.

It can be a pretty nasty system. So here’s where the “Think different, not better” comes in. Instead of thinking about how affiliates should do things better (which we all know will not be changing any time soon.) We should be thinking about how we can do things differently. Imagine if 10 models created white labels, and then also created affiliate programs for said white label.

Then each model signed up for the other affiliate program and traded promo content for each other. All of a sudden, instead of having the affiliates steal your content and not give you credit… you as the model are taking control, and all of the models are making each other money by using the model’s affiliate link when they use their brand to promote their white label. Still with me?

This Doesn’t Help

It doesn’t get rid of the problem, but if you can’t get out of it, then you might as well get into it. This would put much more industry control in the hands of the models, as well as provide a supportive community for everyone to come together and constantly make each other money.

Next thing you know, the affiliates that aren’t models don’t have the same type of access to the promo materials (because models aren’t creating it voluntarily for them, like they are for the models they are signed up as affiliates with) and so who starts to be the big breadwinners? The Models.

Snapchat…

Another example is Snapchat. Models started out on Snapchat with either just a public Snapchat or a private Snapchat. Then after debating on how to do it better, most models created two separate accounts, one for the public and one for the premium. This is all well and good and serves its purpose, however, it’s a lot of work to run two separate accounts. So instead of doing things better, how about we do them a little differently?

Create ONE Snapchat account and run your private and your premium from the same account. (You can do this by going to your settings and changing who can view your story from Public to CUSTOM.

Even after you switch back to public view, the snaps posted on your storyline during the custom setting will only be viewable by those who were on the approved list.) Voila! A way to do things differently.

Conclusion

Are you picking up what I’m laying down yet? Obviously, the examples above are just that…examples. You can mix and match and try different things out to see what works for you and what doesn’t.

But the truth of the matter is that until we stop trying to be cookie-cutter versions who compete with each other using the same type of style and hustle, we won’t be living up to our maximum potential.

So I urge you, I implore you to start doing yourself a favor and when you are getting ready to log on to your cam room, or film a new video, or start a new project… that you take a second and start to think different, not better.

Dealing with time wasters and trolls on cam is part of the job. There’s no way around this one. You absolutely MUST deal with it – unfortunately. But, it doesn’t have to take up all your precious time and effort. Today I’m covering everything you need to know about the ugly trolls and how to best avoid those who will simply waste your time day in and day out.

Time Wasters and Trolls on Webcam

We all know them and none of us love them. They are the notorious time wasters and trolls that come in and invade our lives and our cam rooms.

Time Wasters Will Cost You

We’ll start with the easy. Time wasters are exactly what they sound like. Dudes that come into your room and gobble up your time for free like it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet special. (Excuse me? No free refills here!) They will come in your room and I’ll be honest, some of them are downright friendly as hell.

They’ll get you talking and hanging out, and before you know it, a week has gone by. Then, just when you feel like you could list off all of his hobbies in chronological order because he never shuts the F*$# up, you realize…. he’s never spent a dime. Not a single penny. What in the actual hell is life.

I would love to tell you that these are far and few between, but the fact of the matter is that you will probably deal with more time wasters than any other type of person combined. It is, unfortunately, just another part of the job, comes with the territory, so it’s best if you learn how to spot them and nip them in the bud right away.

How To Limit Freeloaders

I find that the easiest way to limit the freeloaders is to explain the rules of your room, or the rules of your show by using the peanut butter and jelly method. Don’t know what that is?

The Peanut Butter and Jelly method is a way to teach people how to do things in the most extremely literal sense possible. Things that most people would omit because they assume that it is common sense, all of a sudden don’t apply.

You do the method by having all the ingredients for a tasty PB & J. Subject A is going to make it while Subject B tells them how.

Subject B: “Get two pieces of bread”

You would think that would be enough, but since Subject A has to take every instruction literally and cannot do anything extra, they have no way to get the bread out of the bag. What Subject B should have said is:

“Untie the twist tie for the loaf of bread. Open the bag. Reach in the bag and grab 2 pieces of bread. Take the bread and lay it on the plate.”

It’s the same analogy with listing out what is and what is not acceptable. For example, my public email is set to send an automatic response to every email it receives. The automatic response lists a separate email to send to if they are wanting to book a skype show or order a custom video.

It lists out what the email should include and when they can expect a response in return. It also tells them where to go to get merchandise such as my Snapchat, posters, panties, etc. And different payment options.

It Really Does Help – A Ton

I cannot even begin to explain to you how helpful this has been in saving me time and energy. If people aren’t serious about purchasing your product, they probably won’t take the type to type out ANOTHER email to send to a different source, or they won’t go to the site and actually purchase the item.

It’s almost like a security blanket to the emails I do receive on my other account. I know that they are sincerely interested because they have taken the time to contact me where it was stated.

Regulars Time Suck Too

The other thing you need to watch out for is when regulars are time wasters. I wish that this never happened, but it does. They will start hanging out in your room, and I honestly think that sometimes they feel like they are your friend so they don’t need to tip anymore. They forget that you’re working.

Take it as a compliment, you’re so damn good at hustling these guys that they forget you’re even doing a job! (But even when you take it as a compliment, remind them that they can either pay room rent or they can GTFO)

The Trolls Suck BIG TIME!

On top of the horrible time wasters, you can also count on the notorious trolls to come through with their talons, trying to bash everything in sight and leave you in a bloody, guts everywhere, heaping mess on the floor. Sometimes they are so good at finding that one thing that is your weak spot that it’s almost unbelievable.

The only thing that I can really tell you is that you need to develop thick skin to be a cam model. There’s no way around it, if you are sensitive then they will sense it and they will come into your room, and they will eat you alive.

You’ll be curled up in a crying, sobbing mess at the end of the night. You need to grow a pair, build up those walls and keep them reinforced with mother f*%$ing nuclear weapons. You cannot, I repeat, CANNOT give a damn about what other people are going to be saying about you. They will pick on everything, even if it isn’t true. IF you give them a reaction, then you are doing exactly what they want.

How To Have Fun w/ Trolls

If you want to have some real fun with trolls, when they come in your room, play along with whatever they are saying. Turn it around on them so that your entire room is laughing at them. It works surprisingly well. The trolls either leave because you are un-trollable or sometimes (and this is my favorite) they turn into paying customers. Now I’ll drink to that. I’m all about the conversions, baby.

Keep in mind that both time wasters and trolls will always be a part of camming. Without them, we would take for granted the genuinely amazing clients that cross our paths. With them, we are stronger and more badass bitches who ain’t nothin’ to F*%& with.