Have you ever thought about becoming a webcam model? You may be recoiling at the very thought, but there are some major benefits to getting into the webcam modeling industry. Yes, it does mean that you may join adult cam sites that ask their models to take off some or all of their clothing. If you’re comfortable with that, you can make a lot of money as a cam girl. You’re also completely safe while doing so. You don’t have to use your real name, and you work from your own bedroom (or wherever you want to set up). You also decide when you work and how often you’re on cam.

If all of this sounds great, you may be ready to start looking for webcam modeling jobs right now. But hold on—there are a lot of webcam girls out there, and it can be a highly competitive industry. Before you give it a try, you need to know the basics of being a webcam girl and how to become very successful at chatting and modeling online.

There’s More to Being a Webcam Model than Just Being Online

Some webcam beginners assume all they have to do is login and sit in front of their camera, but there’s more to it than that. Before you even turn on the camera, there’s a lot of preparation work. You need to determine the best webcam sites in terms of traffic and income. Then you have to find out if they’re taking new models and go through the acceptance process; if there is one. You may need to interview, or you may simply be able to join the site by creating a free account. Make sure you read their terms and conditions carefully, too. You need to understand exactly what your obligations are, how they pay, and what the website’s cut of your income is.

Then you have to work on your space. You need to do more than just lay on your bed. You need to make sure that you’re comfortable with your audience seeing whatever is in the frame. It’s a good idea to remove anything identifying you or your location just to be on the safe side. Determine what colors you want, the lighting, and everything else that will impact your visuals.

Next, you have to work on yourself. What are you going to start off wearing? How will you do your makeup and hair? Do you need to start an exercise routine to keep in shape? This is where the “modeling” part of being a webcam model comes into play. You truly need to make sure you look amazing in order to attract a large audience.

As if that’s not enough, you also have to be engaging, flirty, sexy, and funny. You’ve got to keep your audience hooked during the free sex chat rooms so that they will want to pay you to go private. You don’t have to worry about getting naked in these free rooms, but you also don’t make any money here, either. You have to more or less virtually seduce someone into paying to go into a private chat with you, and that’s not always easy if you come across as bored, unhappy, or uninteresting.

Is it worth it? How much do cam girls make, anyway? The good news is that once you’ve established yourself, you can make a living as a cam girl while only working part-time. Your income will depend on how many hours you’re online, how well you market yourself, and how well you grow your audience. The question of how much do cam models make isn’t an easy one to answer since they don’t make a flat salary.

Getting Yourself in Shape

Fortunately, most people who browse these adult webcam sites don’t expect you to be in perfect physical condition, but it’s also true that the girls who look good get more hits and more private chats. This means you may have to step up your exercise routine. There are some great activities that will help you get in shape quickly. Pilates, yoga, and dance are all good options that you can do from home without joining a gym.

You also need to spend time on your grooming habits. Shave in all the appropriate places, spend time on your hair, and learn to do makeup if you don’t already. How you look is vital to succeeding in the webcam modeling industry, and it pays to take the time to prepare before you get started.

You Have to Make a Great First Impression

When you pop up on someone’s screen, they have to immediately be wowed. If they aren’t, they’re very likely to click away after a few seconds. This means you’ve got to not only look your best, but you’ve also got to let your personality shine. Every person who clicks into your live webcam show is a new potential customer, so you have to do everything you can to keep their attention. Basically, every webcam show is a job interview, so you always have to put your best foot forward.

Understand the Webcam Show Cycle

Learning how to be a successful cam girl means understanding the cycle of a web show. This cycle begins with viewers looking for a girl on one of the many live cam sites out there. They only see your thumbnail, so it’s vital that this picture is the best you can make it. You may want to try out several different images over the course of a month or two to see which ones bring in more traffic.

After someone enters the room, you have about five seconds to captivate them. This means you need to have a great profile for viewers to see. This isn’t like an online dating profile, although there may be some similar pieces of information. This profile is basically your resume, and it needs to make you shine.

Next, you need to know your audience. If you’re looking for the biggest tip on how to make money as a webcam model, this is it. You need to know who you are targeting. Is there an age range, fetish, geographic location, or other factors that you’re catering to? If so, you need to carefully look at how you’re advertising yourself to make sure your thumbnail and profile are going to click with that audience.

Finally, once someone does pay for a private adult webcam show, you need to make sure they’re satisfied with the content. Let them know you appreciate their business and ask them to add you to their site favorites list or to bookmark your URL. This may not seem that vital, but many cam girls consider it the most important part of the cycle. If you can turn a one-time customer into a returning client, you’ve made your income a little more stable. Going back to the question of how much do webcam models make, much of their income do often depend on getting these recurring customers.

You Have to Know English

Most of the people browsing the best cam sites speak English. You need to be able to communicate with them, so it’s important that you speak and read/write English. Exotic looks may bring people into your chatroom for a few minutes, but if you can’t communicate with them, they’re not likely to stay around.

Another great tip for becoming a successful cam girl is to become comfortable looking into a camera. This translates into making eye contact with those watching. It may not feel natural to you in the beginning so you may want to practice until you’re comfortable in front of the camera.

Don’t Take Any of it Personally

There are going to be jerks who come into your chat and say horrible things about you. They will call you names, make fun of your looks, and be very rude to you and the others in your chat. Ignore them. You can’t take it personally. Let their comments roll right off you and keep putting on a great show for those who appreciate you. Also, if the live cam site you’re using gives you the ability to kick someone from your chat and block them, don’t hesitate to make use of it!

Have a Steady Schedule on an Adult Cam Site

Getting repeat viewers will help create a steady income, but in order to truly reap the benefits of these recurring customers, you have to have a steady schedule. Create a schedule of working hours and stick to that schedule as much as you can. This is a job, after all, even if it is one that comes with a great amount of flexibility. If your viewers know when you’ll be hosting adult sex chat rooms, it’s easier for them to find you.

Along those same lines, if you’re in need of more money, all you need to do is work more hours. This lets you expand your customer base and get more private shows. Just like any job, working more hours and setting a regular schedule will allow you to make more money.

This is also where some cam girls bring in a business partner or even their spouse or significant other. When people think of webcam jobs for couples, they often assume the two will be on camera together. That’s certainly an option if you’re with someone who is open to that, but there’s another way to involve your partner in your business. Let them handle your IT needs, your social media, and other behind-the-scenes aspects of the job while you focus on putting on the best adult webcam shows you can.

Memorize Your Character’s Details

As mentioned in the introduction, you don’t have to use your real name when doing live webcam shows. In fact, you really shouldn’t. You should create a character—name, location, background, etc. You need to have a full backstory for this girl. You can take your actual life story and change up some details so that it’s easier to remember, but you do have to remember it. The people who chat with you will. If you say you’re from New York one day, but then say you’re from Seattle the next, someone will have been in both chat sessions and will call you out on it. Don’t lose credibility on the best webcam model sites simply because you forgot your details.

Save Money

Take at least 25 percent of what you earn from your adult webcamming business and put it in a savings account. You never know when you may need a little extra money, and webcamming isn’t a steady paycheck. You may also eventually want to get out of this industry, and having savings you can live off of while finding other work will help a lot.

Make Use of Social Media

Cam girls make use of social media, too. Create a profile under your cam girl name and post (acceptable) photos, accept friend requests, and engage with your followers. You need to post regularly and build up a narrative that turns your webcam persona into a fully rounded person others will want to know more about.

Keep Up with Your Social Media

You need to do more than just create social media profiles. You also have to keep up with them. You can’t slack off for a month and expect your audience and number of paying clients to remain the same. You also have to make certain you’re sticking to your cam show schedule. Going a week or so without regular shows can cause you to lose your audience.

Don’t Take it Off for Free

The people who come into your free live sex chat are going to want to see you naked. That’s really the bottom line. If you take it all off during a free show, why will they pay to go into a private chat room? You can certainly tease them and put on a strip show, but stop just short of giving it all away. Give them the incentive to want to pay to see what you’re not showing. People on the highest paying webcam sites understand that if they want nudity, they will have to pay for it.

Consider Selling on ManyVids

While selling private cam time is certainly the way most camgirls make their living, there are other options, too. If you’d like to make a little more money each month but don’t have time to add more cam shows, consider selling your used panties on ManyVids. This website is similar to eBay or Etsy in a way. You create an account, upload photos and information about what you’re selling, and then ship out products as orders come in. It’s not limited to used panties, but that’s what many webcam models offer. You can also sell signed photos and anything else you think your fans would want. You can then advertise at the end of your cam shows, letting the viewers know the panties you’re currently wearing will be available to buy soon.

Of course, selling on ManyVids does require you to invest some time and energy into taking outstanding photos, writing item descriptions, and mailing-out sold products. If your webcam business really takes off, you may need to find a non-judgmental person who can assist you with the off-camera parts of the job.

Multi-Camming Can Bring in More Viewers

While one webcam is all you need to get started on adult webcam sites, later one, you might consider adding another one or two. Multi-camming allows your viewers to determine which angle they see you from. Most adult chat sites are set up to accommodate multiple cameras, so it’s easy to add multi-camming to your shows. The more options you can offer your viewers, the more likely they will stay in your chat and pay to go private.

Becoming a webcam girl isn’t hard, but being a successful one is. By following these webcam modeling tips and treating your webcam job like the small business it is, you’ll grow an audience and be able to make a nice income while having the flexibility to pursue other interests.