LOS ANGELES—Nowadays there’s an abundance of people trying to get into live cam, but just a few of them really succeed and stick to it. Most successful cam models—the top earners for years in a row—understand these 10 “Golden Rules of Camming," according to the #GirlsFromStudio20.
1) Be genuine
How many times have you heard, ‘You can just play a role, you’re like a cam actress; nobody has to see the real you?’ I cannot stress this enough: being genuine is the most important thing, ever. Not only in camming but in anything that you do. Showing the real you, of course, with some limits, can increase your member base, create revenue and keep you sane. Now, I’m not saying to start crying on cam EVERY TIME you get a bully and that offends you (for that you need to get some thicker skin, just fyi). I’m saying just let you be you. There’s a feeling of comfort when you see a star being themselves, it makes you feel more connected to them, makes you believe that you can be them and it makes it easier for them. Playing a role is tiring and you get burned out fast. Remember the singer Kesha? If you don’t, there’s a reason; she was playing the bad girl role and it blew up in her face. Now she’s singing gospel somewhere. It’s the same with playing a role on cam: If you pretend you’re a bad ass b*h, you will have your down days and you can’t hide it. It’s going to be a mess; it’s going to cost you your fans and members and you’ll find yourself gospelling around the cam-universe with no direction.
2) Smile
Sure, there are days when you feel that you want to murder everyone and can’t even fake your foundation but just remember that a positive mindset is a powerful thing. You can’t go around expecting things to change when you’re in a bad mood and all negative. The laws of attraction work every time. Let’s try a visual exercise: How many times, while upset on cam, have you encountered trolls? They feed on your bad mood and they get a kick out of it. If you’re on a premium site and they’re not even tipping, you just made that guy’s day and got no money out of it. Now, on a more serious note, it is proven that if you smile in the mirror or just force a smile, your body and mind will believe you’re happy and it will change your mood suddenly. Just try it and stop bickering in self doubt or pity. And if you just can’t do it that day, don’t go live. It’s better for you.
3) Learn to say “no”
A common misconception about live cam models is that everything goes with them. This misconception is common among members also so that’s why you’ll see lots of new guys or girls coming in and telling you to stick your foot in your mouth and sing the “National Anthem” solely for the fun of it (except for those who have a real fetish for it). This happens as lots of new or even experienced models have never set ground rules with the members. You need to remember, every interaction with your guests or members is like a relationship: you teach them what you like and how you like it and you’re more than allowed to say ‘no’ if there’s anything that you don’t feel comfortable with. Otherwise you’ll end up with a cold, wet tongue in your ear every time even though you hate it. This might sound a bit strange, but it’s about training them into what you like and feel ok with doing. Never do it for the money, you won’t get any satisfaction from it and it will leave you sad and drained. They’ll understand if you know how to put it: let your members know that you’re not there to be their object of entertainment and mock.
4) Learn to say “yes”
It’s not about being bipolar here. It’s about trying on new things. Being a cam model is a lot of experimenting and seeing things from a different perspective. And that means trying on new things and saying ‘yes’ to some things that might spark your curiosity but you’ve never tried them out in your real life or you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t had the balls to do it. The cam-universe is wide and beautiful, full of kinks. Why wouldn’t you have a piece of that pie? Just say ‘yes’ from time to time and see what floats your boat. Since you’re alone in your room and people are paying you to try new things, why wouldn’t you?
5. Build your brand
Make sure that what your brand is something timeless and that will represent you from now on. Don’t go for the color of the hair you have when creating your account unless you’re 100% sure you won’t change it. Try not to put your age in your name for obvious reasons. Go with something that you like—maybe a name that you’ve always wanted to have—create your persona as you wish to be and stick to it when you’re going online. Think of your brand as your baby: if you don’t take care of it and don’t bring it up well, it will come and kick you in the… wallet.
6. Pamper yourself
You deserve to be treated like a queen/king and you deserve some time off. Taking care of yourself and having pampering sessions can do a great deal of good, so always make sure you do that for yourself. Your body and mind need to be rested and in top shape so that you can work and give 100%. Set up a massage once a week, go and have a manicure every two weeks, go to the hair salon and take trips around the country or abroad. If you have a personal website, you can even turn your “you” time into money by just uploading some pictures and videos that you take on your personal site and boom, there you have it: your fans and members are happy, you are happy and spoiled and you still earn some money. Don’t think of personal or pampering time as a time that you’re not working, rather a time that you’re investing in yourself since you’re your own product.
7. Set a goal
Setting a goal doesn’t mean you need to schedule every step of your life according to that. Look at it more like a road map: If you know your destination and you’re determined to get there, you can just choose your own course. This golden rule is very important, since it sets your whole career; you need to know where you want to go, your goal, and based on that, create your map around it. So many girls and guys get in this industry without knowing exactly what they want and where they want to get from there, creating frustration, creating confusion. Any goal that you might want to set is fine, but make sure you set one and you know where you’re headed.
8. Get an accountant
Neither you nor the Rockefellers are too good for accountants. You work hard for your money and they need to be secured as well as your future needs to, also. You need to pay your taxes, make sure everything is legal, ensure your pension and so on. You’re not going to be young forever and unless you’re some sort of a supernova, you need an accountant.
9. No personal info exchanged
Some members want to go past what it’s allowed and want to meet the fantasy. Some models give them their personal info. Most of the time, things don’t turn out right for either of them. What you need to understand is that it’s not even about privacy as it is about safety and security. We’ve all heard about many cases in the world of crazed fans that came to the doors of their idols. You don’t need that drama in your life. You can tell him about everything that’s going on in your life but not your address or super personal info like credit card, social security number and so on. You’re human and we get it. The cam life is a lonely life; there will be moments when you’ll be tempted to take or give personal info but for your own personal safety, don’t do it!
10. Have fun
Forget about getting the money, forget about looking in a certain way, forget poses, just remember to have fun. Do things that make you happy and things that keep your energy levels up. The moment you stop having fun is the moment you hate the job you’re doing, you stop making money, then you hate the members because they don’t give you money. They don’t give you money because you have a lousy attitude and it’s an ongoing loop that will drive you crazy and get depressed. Everything is supposed to be fun and you should have a great time doing it but not all days are peaches and cream. It’s in your power to change the day and keep it up. Train your brain to be happy and to have fun and you’ll see that your room will fill up with people, the money is going to start adding up, your mindset will change and you won’t even notice the hours that have passed since you went online.
These are the 10 Golden Rules of a cam model. Either you’re a guy or a girl or you have no specific gender, if you’re a newbie or an experienced model, these rules are made for you to have the best experience on cam. Or at least that’s out view and it works very good for us, #girlsfromstudio20!
