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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
I am not a veteran. I have been with the site for a little over 1 year. I can bend and turn with the best as far as dealing with traffic changes. I recently also have experienced the $0 shift for the first time but I just assume there will be another wave at another time and I prepare for it. Yeah I do get in my tizzies, it's scarey to not be able to afford child care as OP stated, it's frightening to be single with no safety nets, there's a lot to consider. One thing I have learned though (which has been a recurrent theme throughout my entire life) is stress management is most important. When I get stressed I tend to be less attractive, therefore I attract less paying members.
Yesterday I decided to take the day off from cam to pamper myself and reconsider my mental health which has been almost manic because I am so stressed about money. I mean, hysterics!! Even though I am nowhere near meeting my goal this week I believe if I don't pull myself together and show a more calm exterior I stand less and less of a chance at making those goals. So basically to me, the traffic I attract is just that, the traffic I do or don't attract. When I am ugly I get ugly traffic, when I am pretty I get pretty traffic.
That said, the only real visible change I have noticed in SM traffic is the overwhelming amount of underage members. I think an affiliate must be advertising in some very questionable corners of the internet.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SarahTime
I'm not worried about SM at all. My average hourly rate is going up, my income is increasing, I have zero complaints. The bottom line is that camming is not for everyone. I don't know how the rumor got started that everyone and anyone can "make it" camming, but the reality is that no, not everyone can. I'm not trying to be discouraging but that is just how it is.
I would like to suggest though, there are state programs you can participate in to get child care taken care of while you work, and honestly if you are not even making $50 when you are online, you should consider something else because it doesn't sound like camming is working.
Also, if you insist on camming try camming while your son is in bed at night. I also have an almost two year old as well as twin 5 year olds, and I do all my camming at night after they are in bed.
Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do!
Thanks. I love camming, I'm comfortable doing it, and it satisfies me. A result of camming is that I now have a work ethic--I'm online every day, whenever my son sleeps. I'm not *ready* to give up on this. I want it to be for me, and I will keep trying, and I think those are the important things.
Also, the thing about state-run childcare programs is that, in order for me to receive low-cost or free childcare, I have to enroll my son in the childcare of my choice first, and then apply for benefits. The application process takes weeks, and I don't have childcare startup money.
I never want to end a post on a negative note. I signed up for a new camsite last night, and I hope I have better luck with this one.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
I haven't been camming long at all; only since the end of April. I started out on SM first, with virtually no knowledge of camming (not to mention I unknowingly signed up through a useless studio that took 10%). In the two months I was there, I never made over $71 in one shift. All my other shifts ranged between like $15-30 if I was lucky. To make that $71, I had to do like 25 pvts back to back and dildo the fuck out of myself. Traffic was shit, the customers were jackasses, and I hated the encoder. My hourly pay was a joke. I realized that SM is NOT my style at all. Then I moved to MFC, and I am doing MUCH better. MFC's atmosphere is way more suited to me and my personality. Thankfully, SM did not make me quit camming. Because if camming had to be like it was for me on SM on every site, I would have quit for good. I say all that to say, the site that turns out to be a goldmine for one girl, will be another girls' failure. Try another site on the side, OP. Keep trying different ones until you find what works for you and your hustle. Don't give up!
Oh, and I would totally love a critique on MFC, because I've been there for like 6 weeks now and while I'm doing relatively well, I am always looking for ways to step it up. MFC is and will stay my home site and money maker, so constructive criticism would be great. So if any of you lovely ladies care to critique, let me know :)
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
No, I am not worried at all. Streamate has insane traffic, the best traffic I have had on any other large network site. I had a very good day today, unlike the slow day I just had a few days ago. I looked at my earning spreadsheet from last year, and my hourly rate has MORE than doubled. And if anybody would like to PM me. . . hint hint ;) I wouldn't mind opinions/criticism myself.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jessica1001
I've been wanting to critique you forever, but I can't do it via email or pm, because I have so much to say that it'll take too long. IM or phone, bb.
You clearly have a lotttttttt to improve on... this is going to take us a while, Sarah.
:-P
Pssshhhhhhh. :P
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
moonjade6
I know there have been numerous posts lately about how horribly slow SM is for everyone lately.
Usually, I use this site for new info/tips instead of support, but dammit I'm panicking SO hard right now. Please indulge in my rant for a moment. I've been working for a few months, and sometimes it seems like there are more things keeping me from camming than encouraging me. I'm a single mom and my son's almost two, so I can only cam for a few hours a day. That's my biggest burden. I wish that I could afford daycare, but with the way SM's going, rent's not even looking too good right now. The last night I made anything over $50 was two Wednesdays ago.
Yeah, I'm panicking. For the past few weeks, I've just barely made payout. I have goddamn diapers to buy. And my son's clothes are getting smaller. Dammit, I'm downright angry >:(
The only financial keeping me afloat right now is the occasional child support payment and making clips on Clips4Sale. I also have a Clips4Sale regular who inspired me to write a blog, so that keeps me busy. I have a low-rated MFC profile, and I've tried other cam sites, but SM has always worked well for me. Up until now >:(>:(
I'm sure many of you girls are going through something similar. Thursday night and still haven't made payout. Freaking out a little.
I know there's been a lot of speculation on the various causes of this massive drop in traffic. My question goes out to all of the seasoned, experienced cammodels--what do you feel in your gut? Is this going to last past the end of summer like I fear? Have you seen this before, and is jumping ship an option I ought to consider?
I am going to offer my thoughts on this from my perspective and experience. I do think there is something wrong with the lack of paying traffic going around. That said the payout % on SM isn't high enough for me to overly concerned. Payout being 35% is not enough for me to be "exclusive" to one company, therefore at the end of the day I am only going to be looking out for me and not the company. That's why I will gladly tell y'all about split camming even though it is against the TOS on many sites.
I have never once not made payout on SM when I have given it effort. In fact I do not recall the last time I made less then 100/night...well...not true, but honestly it has been months since I have had a less then $100/night. That said I do recall several nights where it took me 10 hours to make just $120. Crappy. But I am a stubborn bitch and do not give up until I make at least $100. I know not everyone in this industry has that type of time, in fact that is one of the reasons why I take so much time away from streamate. As I write this I am sitting in a B&B (bed and breakfast) in NYC with my two dogs, I am currently on a "disc dog" vacation with my dogs. We do frisbee and are doing a training weekend-lots of working the dogs and teaching them things with a world renowned disc dog trainer and his family of dogs. However keep in mind my expenses are relatively low and I have no dependents other then my dogs. I webcam to support my life style, I like to pick up and go places at the drop of a hat and not be accountable to some job/employer. I am in NYC this weekend, but next weekend I will be in Ottawa, Ontario and two weekends from that I will be in Michigan for a weekend. All this driving and getting out with my dogs to different events is costly. This is kind of why I hate free chat so much, I feel like there is a lot of time wasted with customers who may or may not buy a damn thing. I would much rather spend that time training my dogs and getting them prepared for competition.
I have spent a lot on my technology. I do feel kinda peeved about this in a way because some nights working on SM I feel like it is pulling teeth to get customers to spend. I have an i7 processor, a robotic camera, the best internet speed in my area. At any given time I have between 5-20 customers in my room. But that does not always equate to spending customers. I use the encoder and my stream is pretty good.
What really peeves me is the amount of girls who give out advice to other girls that essentially says "bend over backwards for the 'potential' customers". I am sorry, but I am on webcam to get PAID and if a 'potential' ain't paying I have no issue telling them who the fuck they are to me. Yes I may potentially be blowing off money, but I promise you 95% of the time my intuition is right. And quite frankly I think its rather rude of potential customers to expect a cam girl to engage with them for more then a few minutes without dropping at least some sort of tip, and yes $1 does count and is polite. I sometimes go in to other cam girls rooms with my member account, and when I do I always tip at least $1 for light conversation. Everyone's time is worth something and if you believe this BS put out there then you are really selling yourself short. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying tell every customer "go private" the second they walk in, but please do not think engaging in conversation with them for 5+ minutes is required when they are not tipping a single dollar. When I go in to someone's room I do not expect them to entertain me with conversation for free, I know what the site exists for and why the girl is on the site. I do not go private unless I really need to know something, but I do tip usually right after the initial 'hi'. If a customer truly likes me he will compliment me with his credit card ;). If a customer likes me and who I am he will contribute to my lifestyle and not just talk a load of BS. Money talks, bullshit walks.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
OJenni!
What really peeves me is the amount of girls who give out advice to other girls that essentially says "bend over backwards for the 'potential' customers". I am sorry, but I am on webcam to get PAID and if a 'potential' ain't paying I have no issue telling them who the fuck they are to me. Yes I may potentially be blowing off money, but I promise you 95% of the time my intuition is right. And quite frankly I think its rather rude of potential customers to expect a cam girl to engage with them for more then a few minutes without dropping at least some sort of tip, and yes $1 does count and is polite. I sometimes go in to other cam girls rooms with my member account, and when I do I always tip at least $1 for light conversation. Everyone's time is worth something and if you believe this BS put out there then you are really selling yourself short. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying tell every customer "go private" the second they walk in, but please do not think engaging in conversation with them for 5+ minutes is required when they are not tipping a single dollar. When I go in to someone's room I do not expect them to entertain me with conversation for free, I know what the site exists for and why the girl is on the site. I do not go private unless I really need to know something, but I do tip usually right after the initial 'hi'. If a customer truly likes me he will compliment me with his credit card ;). If a customer likes me and who I am he will contribute to my lifestyle and not just talk a load of BS. Money talks, bullshit walks.
Thank you for sharing your perspective. As for the customer conversation thing in free chat, I agree wholeheartedly with you. If after about five minutes the customer hasn't even expressed interest in a show, he's kicked. Quicker if he's talking dirty or saying something like "stroking it right now bb". Erm, no, that's not how it works.../:O
I feel a little less panicked now. Every time I get down, I always try to talk myself into trying a new tactic. I've read some of the other posts here about how looking stressed, impatient, or bored on cam could scare away potential customers. So this afternoon, I taped notes up on my screen listing my positive traits and encouraging my personal prosperity. Whenever I felt bad, I looked at the notes and found myself genuinely smiling and joking around with the customers; my personality shone through. My traffic was double the norm! I'm going to try this again tonight. Thanks for the tips ladies! I realize now that I really have to make sure that I'm doing my job correctly on my end before I can blame my lack of earnings on the site.
(I'm still going to do that other site I signed up for, though...)
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
OJenni!
What really peeves me is the amount of girls who give out advice to other girls that essentially says "bend over backwards for the 'potential' customers". I am sorry, but I am on webcam to get PAID and if a 'potential' ain't paying I have no issue telling them who the fuck they are to me. Yes I may potentially be blowing off money, but I promise you 95% of the time my intuition is right. And quite frankly I think its rather rude of potential customers to expect a cam girl to engage with them for more then a few minutes without dropping at least some sort of tip, and yes $1 does count and is polite. I sometimes go in to other cam girls rooms with my member account, and when I do I always tip at least $1 for light conversation. Everyone's time is worth something and if you believe this BS put out there then you are really selling yourself short. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying tell every customer "go private" the second they walk in, but please do not think engaging in conversation with them for 5+ minutes is required when they are not tipping a single dollar. When I go in to someone's room I do not expect them to entertain me with conversation for free, I know what the site exists for and why the girl is on the site. I do not go private unless I really need to know something, but I do tip usually right after the initial 'hi'. If a customer truly likes me he will compliment me with his credit card ;). If a customer likes me and who I am he will contribute to my lifestyle and not just talk a load of BS. Money talks, bullshit walks.
I'm so with you here. I think certain women forget we are the ones setting the pace. Just like a husband, you have to train them on what you expect. Not the other way around.
I am so tired of being called a bitch and every other derogatory word men use on women simply because I refuse to show my titttsss, assss, feet bb.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
When it comes to SM these days, I try not to worry about things I have no control over and instead work on shifting my focus to making sure all my ducks are in a row in case a fast exit strategy is needed.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Arguably, SM and other adult webcam hosts have now reached a 'mature' business model. In a nutshell, this means that 'market growth potential' i.e. reaching out to new first time customers ( with actual money to spend ) has just about been exhausted. This also means that available 'labor' no longer lags customer demand. On top of that you can throw in the impact of HD, which has significantly increased 'operating costs' for webcam hosts where internet bandwidth usage and streaming server capacity are concerned.
When any business shifts from the 'rapid growth' mode to the 'mature' mode, a 'value' equation then takes over. This involves 'quality' versus 'quantity' issues for the customer base. This involves 'cost control' measures being implemented by the business operator. And for better or worse this also involves an increased number of 'willing workers' having to compete for a no longer growing pool of customer dollars.
SM is clearly now pursuing an emphasis on 'quality'. The obvious example is SM providing heavily favorable weighting for camgirls who invest in the necessaries to produce a true HD video stream. Another not so obvious example is SM also providing heavily favorable weighting for Porn Stars and other 'niche' girls. Thus the long term future of SM is likely to be very favorable for Porn Stars, 'niche' girls, and top camgirls ... providing they make the necessary investment to produce a true HD video stream. The long term future of SM for 'marginal' camgirls, for girls who cannot / do not make the necessary investment to produce a true HD stream etc. will be far LESS favorable.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cvarga
I'm so with you here. I think certain women forget we are the ones setting the pace. Just like a husband, you have to train them on what you expect. Not the other way around.
I am so tired of being called a bitch and every other derogatory word men use on women simply because I refuse to show my titttsss, assss, feet bb.
That's part of the reason why I do not like this shift towards "free chat" sites and sites like MFC where only 5% of the room tips for the show. Fuck, when the gas station starts giving out free gas (ie show up at the pump and pump what you want not that "buy xyz 1234 times and get a free tank") and grocery stores start giving out free groceries, then I will be all over this "free chat" BS. Fuck it pisses me off so much.
Back in the day free chat was for proving to the potential customer that you were real and not some cop out or fake. Now a days we are expected to provide entertainment (be it conversation, sex, etc) for free. I just don't feel that bullshit. And that whole "I need to get to know you" line is just a way for them to get something for nothing from you. It reminds me of men who take women out to "date" at a coffee shop...just reeks of cheap classlessness. And I do not have trouble telling that to them.
In free chat I dress provocatively (usually bra and undies and even a few hairs hanging out), and offer light conversation like "hello, how's the weather today?", etc. If they want to engage with me beyond that they have to pay up or GTFO. Yeah be nice to your customers and talk to them like a human being, but don't bend over backwards having deep philosophical conversations for free. Don't take demands for ass or tits for free either, we are not robots or dogs that take commands.
My weekend here in NYC has cost me $700+. $350 for the training, $200 or so in gas and another $150 or so for food/misc. That's life and its not cheap. So a customer thinking he can monopolize my time without paying a damn dime is not a customer of mine! I am sort of a hippie/nomad and much of my time is spent on the road where I cannot webcam, so when I am home I appreciate it if men are not trying to get everything for free from me. I am usually out of town for this frisbee stuff with my dogs 2-3 weekends each month. Everywhere from Ontario, NY, GA and sometimes even as far as FL. That's some distance and financially it drains my wallet. The dog competitions are cheap to enter, but it can be very expensive on the time and gas! Spending $400 on gas to get to FL not to mention the fact that we spend literally days driving there. What I do is not cheap by a long shot.
But yeah I am the bitch because I won't do extensive conversation for free. Yeah I am such a bitch because I have bills and a life to pay for.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Charlotteslut
This might ruffle some feathers, but I think every sex worker should have other skills and a back up plan so that this type of work remains a choice, and not something you have to rely on because you have no other options.
While I agree with this in statement in theory, the sad fact is that a lot of girls have gone into this type of work because there was no other options for them. I am one of them. I have an severe anxiety disorder that makes a 9-5 job impossible for me. I know I am not the only girl here with this problem.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
^Wow Lusty, could not have said it better myself.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
justanothercamgirl
While I agree with this in statement in theory, the sad fact is that a lot of girls have gone into this type of work because there was no other options for them. I am one of them. I have an severe anxiety disorder that makes a 9-5 job impossible for me. I know I am not the only girl here with this problem.
This is actually plan D for me. Plan A, B and C already failed. In this economy whoever coined the phrase, "you must have a college education to make it in this world" wasn't around for the depressions of the 1930's and 2000's.
Having a piece of paper or even two pieces of paper that claims you are smart doesn't even get you in the door anymore. I no longer believe plan A or B will come into fruitation for me again so am working on bringing back plan C to get out of plan D which is camming. I hate camming with more passion than any other point I have felt at my lowest.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
^ must be hard to make $ doing something you hate
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Hey Jenni
I agree, what kinda camera are u using?? I miss my camcorder with remote control:(
Quote:
Originally Posted by
OJenni!
I am going to offer my thoughts on this from my perspective and experience. I do think there is something wrong with the lack of paying traffic going around. That said the payout % on SM isn't high enough for me to overly concerned. Payout being 35% is not enough for me to be "exclusive" to one company, therefore at the end of the day I am only going to be looking out for me and not the company. That's why I will gladly tell y'all about split camming even though it is against the TOS on many sites.
I have never once not made payout on SM when I have given it effort. In fact I do not recall the last time I made less then 100/night...well...not true, but honestly it has been months since I have had a less then $100/night. That said I do recall several nights where it took me 10 hours to make just $120. Crappy. But I am a stubborn bitch and do not give up until I make at least $100. I know not everyone in this industry has that type of time, in fact that is one of the reasons why I take so much time away from streamate. As I write this I am sitting in a B&B (bed and breakfast) in NYC with my two dogs, I am currently on a "disc dog" vacation with my dogs. We do frisbee and are doing a training weekend-lots of working the dogs and teaching them things with a world renowned disc dog trainer and his family of dogs. However keep in mind my expenses are relatively low and I have no dependents other then my dogs. I webcam to support my life style, I like to pick up and go places at the drop of a hat and not be accountable to some job/employer. I am in NYC this weekend, but next weekend I will be in Ottawa, Ontario and two weekends from that I will be in Michigan for a weekend. All this driving and getting out with my dogs to different events is costly. This is kind of why I hate free chat so much, I feel like there is a lot of time wasted with customers who may or may not buy a damn thing. I would much rather spend that time training my dogs and getting them prepared for competition.
I have spent a lot on my technology. I do feel kinda peeved about this in a way because some nights working on SM I feel like it is pulling teeth to get customers to spend. I have an i7 processor, a robotic camera, the best internet speed in my area. At any given time I have between 5-20 customers in my room. But that does not always equate to spending customers. I use the encoder and my stream is pretty good.
What really peeves me is the amount of girls who give out advice to other girls that essentially says "bend over backwards for the 'potential' customers". I am sorry, but I am on webcam to get PAID and if a 'potential' ain't paying I have no issue telling them who the fuck they are to me. Yes I may potentially be blowing off money, but I promise you 95% of the time my intuition is right. And quite frankly I think its rather rude of potential customers to expect a cam girl to engage with them for more then a few minutes without dropping at least some sort of tip, and yes $1 does count and is polite. I sometimes go in to other cam girls rooms with my member account, and when I do I always tip at least $1 for light conversation. Everyone's time is worth something and if you believe this BS put out there then you are really selling yourself short. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying tell every customer "go private" the second they walk in, but please do not think engaging in conversation with them for 5+ minutes is required when they are not tipping a single dollar. When I go in to someone's room I do not expect them to entertain me with conversation for free, I know what the site exists for and why the girl is on the site. I do not go private unless I really need to know something, but I do tip usually right after the initial 'hi'. If a customer truly likes me he will compliment me with his credit card ;). If a customer likes me and who I am he will contribute to my lifestyle and not just talk a load of BS. Money talks, bullshit walks.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
hmm how long have you been camming? lol...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
alys
^ must be hard to make $ doing something you hate
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
alys
^ must be hard to make $ doing something you hate
It's defiantly (yes, I said defiantly) more tolerable when the money is there. My philosophy at this point is, "ya gotta do what ya gotta do.. so do it, make your money and gtf out"!
This business is not for everyone. I have a very traditional Italian upbringing. I went to college for my Mrs. degree and not because I wanted a career, and even that went against my families wishes. My patriarch started a business shortly after coming to America with an 8th grade education so he felt people didn't need an education to be successful and college was a waste of time and money. Women tend to hearth and home and when they aren't home their place is working in the family business by her husbands (or her family's) side.
I thank the lord I did complete my education because as it turned out, I never did get my Mrs degree, not through college. It wasn't until my late 20's did I become engaged, and it took 1 1/2 years of wearing his ring before I finally lost my virginity.
Camming is not easy for me. I'm doing what I "gotta" do. I'm no spring chicken anymore so I'm making the most I can and am making arrangements to put it to good use.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Quote:
**Another thing! Be nice to EVERYONE in free chat. Even the ones who come off like beggars. The guys that I perceived as being the most broke losers, have turned out to be my most highest paying regulars, many times.
I think that this is a really important thing to keep in mind! No matter how much experience with customers we have, there are ALWAYS going to be the ones that surprise us...hopefully with a looooong private just when we need it ;D
I know that panicking about the future doesn't help my cause in the present. I'm more worried about my current situation, though. I was looking at my SM Paid Time Online stats, and this week only 6% of my time spent online was in paid chat. Last week it was 8%, and a month ago (when I was doing reasonably well) it was 18%. Still frustrates me, because I know that if I could be online for more than a few hours a day, I'd have a better shot at building more regulars and getting more privates. I'm SURE there are paying customers that can only be online in the afternoon/early evening, and I'm missing out on that because of my matriarchal duties.
But still there's hope! My family lives halfway across the country; in a week I'm visiting home, and my mom wants to take my son for a month. This sounds like a great opportunity for me to get my shit together and work my everloving ass off! The odds are great that my earnings will increase during this time. Crossing my fingers...
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
I actually just posted a little something in verified about how mindset makes a MAJOR difference....
But beyond that - No, I am not worried about streamate dying or disappearing....the sex industry is a pretty incredible one, because it seems that no matter what happens in the world, people will always pay for sex. ALWAYS. All that really matters is your ability to adapt to the changes in the industry as it grows.
We have already seen some big changes recently, with the addition of gold shows. And as camming gets more media attention (all the various "reality" documentaries and shows about camming, as well as some sex industry memoirs), it leads to more girls working and more customers watching - which has its benefits and drawbacks.
As Melonie has mentioned many times in CC, SM cannot continue to grow indefinitely. At some point, there will have to be a change - it just won't be possible to allow anyone with a webcam to sign up, as the site won't be able to handle the load. I agree that the industry is starting to move toward quality over quantity.
I think that both traditional studio porn and camming are going in the same general direction - an overload of girls wanting to work and willing to do anything (or near enough) for a quick buck is making it harder to earn the way that we used to. Why would you pay $5 a minute to see a girl dildo her pussy if you can spend $5 for 20 mins of anal fisting? The answer is that you will pay more for something that is high quality, or that is a "brand".
The girls that are doing best, and that are the top earners in camming AND porn seem to be mostly the ones that create a persona - that connect their stream with a website, blog, twitter, etc. That do trade shows, crossover into other forms of adult work (pornstars camming, and cam stars doing print photos), and create a name for themselves. At the most extreme end of the scale, you have people who have become household names and brands - Jenna Jameson, James Deen, Sasha Grey - people that are publishing books, acting, etc etc.
That said, I do think that it is still very possible to make good money without doing all that - but that will help to guarantee longevity. And it will help you weather the changes that happen as the site matures. It goes along with investing in the technology to support HD streaming - you CAN make money without it, but you are making life harder if you choose not to use it.
I do think that in the next few years, we will see camming becoming something that is more and more a full time job, or a career, and less of a part-time fun-money thing where anyone can log on and make money right away. We have already seen this - it takes time to build up to a good level of earnings, whereas five years ago it was a lot easier to make money right away.
If you are really concerned about one particular site, diversifying is a good idea. Splitcamming, clips, trying out other sites - basically giving yourself something to fall back on. Its a good idea anyway - if you are living paycheck to paycheck with nothing else earning you money, you are in serious trouble if you get suspended, or if the site goes down for a few days (for whatever reason).
And finally, if you are really stressed about sites going under, or the volatility of the industry, it may be that this isn't the industry for you. I don't mean that in a mean way, and I know that sometimes there isn't a whole lot of choice, but this isn't an industry where you can get a nice stable position and coast along happily for the next 20 years. We have the ability to make incredible amounts of money for relatively little work/time, but the trade off is that it is a very unpredictable industry, and you have to be constantly adapting to changes in order to keep earning money. Some people thrive on the challenge and the uncertainty, and others just find it too stressful, and need to know where the next paycheck is coming from. If you aren't the kind of person that is comfortable with the possiblity of making nothing one week, or dealing with sudden change, it's probably a good idea to try to find an out.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
I am not worried at all about SM since it's not my main job. I was okay before SM so I'll be okay after SM. With that being said, I am a niche so there's less competition compare to girls who cam for the masses.
Even in time of recession, sex and alcohol are still very popular. People gotta numb their pain some how.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lusty Laken
The WORST thing you can do is worry about the money, and future of the biz. If your nerves get worked up, you are just setting yourself up for failure. When you get on cam, don't even think about.
Agreed, in many ways. When you get on cam and are entertaining your viewers it's best to not even think of the money or your goal or how much you need to make in order to pay for x,y, and z. Guys can tell if you don't want to be there for the sake of being there, and if they're going to spend so much per minute they want to spend it on a girl they think is at least mildly into it :)
However, when you're off cam, I think it's completely sensible, smart, and business savvy to analyze your numbers in order to determine what things are profitable for you, and also what sites if any you need to keep or drop. I think it's to be applauded when someone questions the future of the business and their role in it. I am not worried about the future of camming At All, but I personally am worried about the future of SM For Me. It's not because I've suddenly become a bad model, in fact I'm doing better on one site in particular than I've ever done after a year of being on there. But as far as SM? I'm becoming more and more convinced that SM in particular is not going to help me reach my goals so it no longer makes sense For Me to spend as much time there as I used to. If I spent as much time camming on SM as I did last year I'd be one broke girl, and it's because I've been analyzing the situation that I was able to clearly see that camming there is not the best option for me. A huge part of that has to do with the fact that I am unwilling to meet their technology requirements, as I've mentioned earlier. Some girls are doing better than before. Others, like me, are doing far, far worse. Just three months ago I was averaging 25-35% of my time in paid chat. Now I am lucky if I reach 15-20%. That is a HUGE drop and clearly anyone would be concerned to see that. So that's why I'm concerned about SM, long term, for me, BUT the good news is that SM really isn't the be and end all :)
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CourtneyRaine
Some girls are doing better than before. Others, like me, are doing far, far worse. Just three months ago I was averaging 25-35% of my time in paid chat. Now I am lucky if I reach 15-20%.
That's about where I am these days and the less I make the more resentful I become of guys silently lurking in my chat room and the freeloader requests. My regs are now stopping by asking if its ok for them to beat off in free chat before they get to the shower and head out for the night. "I don't have time to go private right now" but he has 20 minutes to linger in my free chat and shows up again an hour later for a repeat performance. Fact is he's been on the site the whole time watching hotbimbo humping her stuffed gorilla wearing no top and not making her gold show countdown because she's giving away everything they pay me for. So now there's two of us not making anything.
I do agree with Lusty though. I admire the women who are able to smile through it all and act like they have not a care in the world. Me? Pffft I exude raw emotion in its most negative form sometimes, at which point I have no choice but to log off.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
i hate camming too. and its hard for me to make money because i dont even want to log on... i'll spend an hour just trying to get flash not to crash and have the encoder working right.. i dont hate pv's and i'll do anything anyone asks for regardless of whether i like it or not.. then i'll spend another 2 hours in free chat ... i dont like being stared at as if im some sort of property or something, if they wanna pay and see my hooha then great, but otherwise... i cant stand that they sit in free chat for 2 hours deciding if im worth it or not.. im 24 and i have an amazing body.. but the convincing isnt up my alley.. and neither is being judged. and answering stupid questions just seems like a waste of time... why the fuck do they care what my real name is or where im from its not like im ever going to meet them. i dont want to keep conversations going in free chat but im not going to sell any porn if i dont.. i cant wait to get out of this sorry ass job.
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Re: Is anyone here seriously worried about SM long-term?
WOW, you allow custies to sit in free up to 2 hours? You should use the 'kick' button more often. Guys get 5 mins in free chat with me or they gotta go. If they want to know more, we can discuss that in pvt.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
alys
i hate camming too. and its hard for me to make money because i dont even want to log on... i'll spend an hour just trying to get flash not to crash and have the encoder working right.. i dont hate pv's and i'll do anything anyone asks for regardless of whether i like it or not.. then i'll spend another 2 hours in free chat ... i dont like being stared at as if im some sort of property or something, if they wanna pay and see my hooha then great, but otherwise... i cant stand that they sit in free chat for 2 hours deciding if im worth it or not.. im 24 and i have an amazing body.. but the convincing isnt up my alley.. and neither is being judged. and answering stupid questions just seems like a waste of time... why the fuck do they care what my real name is or where im from its not like im ever going to meet them. i dont want to keep conversations going in free chat but im not going to sell any porn if i dont.. i cant wait to get out of this sorry ass job.