Freemium or premium platforms?

Which one is better to work on? Which one can you make more money on? Which one has more traffic or better traffic? Is one style of platform better than the other?

This is a topic I often see a lot of debate about. Not just among cam models/ performers but industry people, studio owners and even members.

I honestly believe neither is better than the other, they are just different in their business models. And each one can require different skills, approaches and personality traits by the performers to be successful.

While one type of performer may excel on a freemium site, they may not do as well, or even totally fail on a premium site, and vice versa. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are a bad performer, or the site is the issue.

Like clothes or shoes, you have to find the platform which fits you properly, makes you feel the most comfortable in and shows off you and your personality the best.

This article is mostly for people new to the industry or those who may have not tried their hand on one type of site over the other and/or have misconceptions on the differences which existed since they started. And if you think you already know the differences, stick around anyway as you may see some things in a little different light than you did before.

WHICH PLATFORMS TO CHOOSE FROM

So what are the main types of platforms cam performers can choose from when working online? There are basically three types:

Freemium, Premium and Hybrids.

The standard business definition of the Freemium business model is typically a product or service which can be used free of charge. If the consumer wants to use additional features or gain more access to additional services or information, they need to pay for it. This model looks to get as many eyes on their product as possible with an expectation of a smaller percentage of customers to pay for the additional features. Some examples of the Freemium business models is most any phone app game like Candy Crush or Fortnite. They are games you can play for free, but to advance or get better gear or supplies you would have to pay for add-ons, lives or other items to make game play easier or less difficult.

The Premium business model is the concept of offering higher end products and services, especially to a smaller demographic of clientele. The product and services are offered at a higher cost aiming at a smaller volume of buyers. An example of premium products of services would be luxury sports cars like a Lamborghini or high-end audio equipment like Krell or McIntosh.

DEFINING WEBCAM PLATFORM TYPES

So before we can move forward, we should make sure we have a definition for each type of camming platforms based on the above business models. It’s important so we know the differences in features, tools, diversity of traffic and the expectations, skills and approach one needs for each type of site.

Keep in mind when choosing a site, each of the business models and platforms are unique, with different targeted traffic sources, marketing tools and how they promote/rank models on their main page. New performers should also be aware if the platform you choose offers any special initial promotions and rates when you start so you can make the most of your time during that period. This is usually a good time to work as much as you can to optimize your chances of greater visibility on the site right away.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN WORKING

Another thing to be aware of between Freemium and Premium sites is the difference in how you can control your room and what you do and its pace.

In Freemium sites, you set the tone and mood of what happens by your tip goals or games/contests. You can decide what you do or show and what you don’t do or show. If you don’t feel like using toys, you can just do teases or other types of shows. Here the flow is mostly continuous with a potential build up throughout your shift and are less likely to be interrupted by sudden private sessions.

In Premium you usually socialize and tease in public area to then, often unexpectedly, be brought into a private session (one-on-one), where you have to be ready to deal with multiple different types of requests in a night. You can have one private that is a talk private which could be someone opening up about their personal life and various topics from casual to serious or be straight to a playful private with sexual requests. You have to expect your whole night being a mixture of entertaining the larger audience in free chat and bouncing back and forth from that space to the private sessions. These privates can also vary in length from a few minutes to several hours or more. Your mind and energy should be ready at all times for what your shift brings you and you don’t have much control over the variety of your day. This can keep things very busy, exciting and interesting, all while meeting lots of people in different ways on a more personal level, which can be fulfilling. But it could also be very demanding emotionally and physically if you aren’t properly prepared for it.

So in short, Freemium is often a little easier for you to set your own pace and allows you to build up how your day goes so you have a better idea of what to expect. Premium can be a lot of bouncing around physically, socially, mentally and going from entertaining many people to just one and tends to be a little more unpredictable.

YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOURSELF WHEN CHOOSING A SITE

So now that we have explained the type of sites available you need to define what type of person you are and how you want to work online. To help find the best site for you, some things to consider about yourself are:

• Your style (you may already know or will discover this through trial and error over time)
• Your pace and how much you want to work online, especially if you are going to be, or more interested and comfortable entertaining in public or prefer one-on-one time in privates
• The size of the audience you are interacting with and the level of interaction you are comfortable with. (Example: in Freemium you are typically addressing a large general audience, where on premium you are expected to be more personal and directly interactive even in public chat)
• The type of members/guests they have and their expectations/behavior
• How private of a person you are (keeping an amount of privacy and anonymity)
• Do you mind performing explicitly in public chat (remember, even if you watermark your live broadcasts and content, it can easily be put on public tube sites or almost anywhere)
• Is your main priority/focus generating income broadcasting live online or is creating and selling content offline a priority (or somewhere in between)
• If you are a content creator you can get more exposure and sell to larger audience on freemium with a potential higher chance of them subscribing, as their interaction is usually more visual and general than personal/intimate
• Is there a certain demographic or times/time zones/countries you want to try appealing to and be online at those certain times to optimize your targeted traffic
• The site’s pay system

FURTHER NARROWING DOWN YOUR CHOICES

There are also these differences between Premium and Freemium you should keep in mind when deciding where you want to work and how you want to perform and interact with the guests:

In Premium you have to be comfortable hearing others open to you. Quite often guests will want to discuss their personal life, concerns, fantasies, fetishes and desires. They usually want conversation and empathy from someone who is open-minded to their personal tastes.

Having the ability to be intimate and knowing how to handle distinct individuals, to sense and accommodate their wants and desires and cater to those needs is very important and can lead you to gain long-term regular paying members. You’re ability to make higher income can rely on your ability to make them want more personal time with you. While premium sites often have fewer members they typically are willing to pay more and more often, especially if you give them the specific attention they are looking for. Being able to adapt to multiple different types of visitors can be very lucrative. Many visitors are reaching for that more intimate and personal relationship or bond which at first may be sexual but often moves beyond that as a long lasting friendship.

In Freemium you may see a lot of explicit actions in free chat and while some show much or all for free for tips and goals, many do well by just being great entertainers and knowing how to pace the show and build up and handle the whole crowd. This helps to gain guests and get them to stick around longer and come by more often. Models may even set goals for more intimacy in closed group private shows at the end once they have stimulated their guests for a while. Your income will be coming in from a small number of guests out of a large quantity of visitors.

ITS NOT JUST THE PLATFORMS, ITS YOUR UNIQUE QUALITIES

Now keep in mind the differences between the sites and how one could best work on them are generalizations. Believe it or not there are grey zones and middle-ground options on each type of site. There are models who are very successful on Freemiums without having to always be naked or doing explicit shows in free chat. And conversely there are models who can do well predominantly getting tips on a Premium instead of privates. Just because a site has a certain type of business model doesn’t mean a unique or innovative model can’t be successful going against the normal trends on a particular site.

So think outside of the box, be genuine, be your own self and find the place that fits you best. This may take time and a lot of trial and error. It’s rare for someone to be successful right away.

We all may have generally the same physiology, but we are all unique and are more than just our physical traits. To stand out in a large crowd of performers doing similar teases and actions you’ll most likely benefit from focusing on how unique YOU are. Be creative, original and display not only your best physical attributes but your best personality features as well. The social and intellectual part of camming plays a bigger role that most realize. So you having a good time and enjoying yourself is infectious and can be addictive. The more genuine and comfortable you are, the more you will surround yourself with people who feel connected to your vibe and style. These will be your most loyal friends and company who will keep you feeling happy and appreciated.

FINDING YOUR BEST FIT

You will get the most success if you find the place where you belong and feel the most relaxed. Don’t try to fit the site, find the site that fits you. It’s not a bad idea to take a look at the site for a while first and check out the top models to see how they are working and interacting. Pay attention to the members as well.

Like any business, you have to be aware of the surroundings and competition before you step into things, so you can feel confident you are choosing the right place. Will you fit in with the crowd, or will you be a black sheep and bring something missing on the site that could help you stand out?

Also, instead of going on a bigger site with a lot of traffic, maybe you will prefer a smaller site, or a more niche site that caters to a specific country, region or fetish. Less competition can also be less stressful for some and have a more intimate and personal feeling for both performers and guests. This can help narrow down what you are looking for or offering, and what the guests are looking for too.

Success typically doesn’t happen overnight, it may take months just to get comfortable on a site, but at least take the time to give the site a fair chance to get fully adjusted. It’s never a guarantee a site will be a 100% perfect fit.

If you try to force yourself into a certain type of site it can lead to frustration, getting tired and you won’t put in the time and effort, especially if you aren’t enjoying yourself.

The bottom line is you don’t want it to feel like it’s a job and you want time to fly by because you are having fun.

And try to remember, you can’t please everyone, so find the place and environment which pleases you first then build from there. It never hurts to explore new horizons and ways to do things.

Also be the best version of yourself for you, not for anyone else. The more people enjoy who you are and want to make lasting connections the happier you will be when online, no matter how many or how few people are in your room. It’s all about getting the right fit, quality and loyalty of your audience, not the quantity.

THE NUMBERS ON WHERE MODELS WORK

In my 2019 LittleRedBunny Academy State of the Industry Webcam Model Survey there was a nearly even number of models who said they currently worked on Freemiums and Premiums. Yet 56% of models said they preferred working on premium sites while just 36% said they preferred freemium. Another 6% said they preferred using other services like phones and video chat services like Skype or Facetime. There were nearly the same results in the 2020 survey with 50% preferring premium, 34% preferring freemium and 10% saying they preferred working on video chat services.

With those kind of responses, is there anyone who wants to share if this is their same outlook? If you are a model who works on one kind of site most of the time, but prefers working on another, why do you remain working on a business model you are not fully happy with? What makes you want to stay on one over another? What stops you from switching? I think we would all be curious to know, especially those who feel the same way.

WRAPPING THINGS UP

These things I’ve gone over are just the tip so if you need help covering the basics or to help accelerate this process successfully you are more than welcome to contact me to book a personal consultation. This way I can give customized advice and more precise insight based on your personal needs, goals and personality type. This will hopefully help save you some trial-and-error time so you can start getting the benefits sooner. Afterall, time is money! You can get in touch with me by the link below.

So again, I appreciate your time and attention to this article. I hope things are going well for you and I would love to hear back from each one of you on this topic. Remember to keep it positive and helpful to others. While many may have strong feelings about this topic I want responses and discussions to be constructive and supportive of the models and the model community!

Thank you again! Keep your eye out for the next article, and please don’t be afraid to suggest future topics as well!

xx, O

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