Have you ever thought about creating your own blog? The process may seem intimidating, especially if you don't have the money and resources to create your own site from scratch. However, getting a basic blog up and running is surprisingly easy.
Now, before you say "But blogs are like, so 2010," hear me out. Blogging is a great way to promote yourself on your own terms. While there's no doubt that we're in the age of social media, the more popular platforms have limitations you don't have to deal with when publishing to your blog. For example, many blogging platforms allow nudity and adult content, so you can post and link to anything you want so long as it's not breaking any laws.
You may think you need to be an expert writer/designer to start your own blog, but you don’t! As long as you love what you’re doing, visitors will love you for it.
Aside from having complete control over your content and posting links to your cam room without violating terms of service, it's also a great way to add an additional stream of income to your camming business. Something as simple as adding affiliate links to your blog posts can bring in hundreds or even thousands of dollars in extra revenue a month. Blogging also gives fans a way to get to know you on a deeper level, not just in snippets like social media. So, how do you get started?
Start With a Solid Plan
Now that you've decided to create your own cam model blog, the next step is to create a road map of what you need to get started. Choose a domain name, and decide what you want your blog to be about. Do you want to publish a tantalizing blog that captivates fans and gives them a sneak peek at your daily life? Or do you want to advise up-and-coming models on succeeding in the business? Maybe you want to do both, but either way, just be sure to have an idea of which direction you want to take before you get started. It's far easier to come up with content consistently when you know whom you're writing for and what your goals are.
Choose Your Blogging Platform
Building a blog site from the ground up takes a lot of time and money. If you have the resources to do it, great! If not, a blogging platform like WordPress or Blogger will be your best bet because you can use them to build your blog from start to finish in a day or two. Both platforms have various plans, some for as low as $2.99 a month, that let you build, host, and maintain your site in one spot. While many popular mainstream platforms exist, WordPress and Blogger are best for webcam models because they allow adult content. That means you can post sexy photos, links to your cam room, and any other adult material you want to your heart's content without having to worry that your blog will be pulled down for being too sexual.
Pro tip: When it comes time to buy your domain, both platforms offer you the choice of getting a free domain from their platform — for example, cambabeblog.wordpress.com — or purchasing a custom domain like cambabeblog.com). It may cost you a few extra dollars a month, but choose the latter because that will give you the ability to transfer that domain over to another site should you decide to build a new blog from scratch in the future.
Monetize Your Blog
Once your blog is up and running, you can start thinking about how to turn your shiny new site into your own personal cash register. Keep in mind that while the idea is the same as most PG blogs, your strategy will be slightly different given the nature of the material you're working with. For example, many mainstream publishers monetize their sites by using Google Adsense to generate banner ads for their sites. Unfortunately, Google does not allow their ads to appear on sites that show adult content, so you have to get a little more creative with your ads. The good news is: there are tons of adult ad networks you can use to bring in extra money, and you can find them with a quick internet search. As your blog picks up steam and you start bringing in traffic, you can also start looking at affiliate programs for adult novelty sites, adult dating companies, online lingerie boutiques and more.
Just be sure to limit how many ads appear on your page so the aesthetic of your blog doesn't get taken over by flashy ads that will cost you visitors in the long run. They can get ad-heavy content anywhere; they come to your blog because they want to see and learn about you, so be clever with the placement. A good rule of thumb is to limit yourself to no more than three or four ads per page, so placing a banner ad in the header, footer, and sidebar should be plenty.
Aside from banner ads, you'll also be able to sell sponsored posts just as you would on any other social media platform.
Be Consistent
Consistency is always crucial when it comes to social media, but it's even more important when it comes to blogging. The great thing about social media is that people keep coming back because they check their apps daily anyway, but they have to go looking for your blog intentionally. Make sure fans have a reason to visit often by posting at least once a week, though every day or every other day is optimal. It also helps to post on the same day(s) every week, so your fans always know when it's time to check back for a new post.
Use SEO to Build Your Traffic
Now that your blog is set up and you've nailed down your content, it's time to bring people to your site. That's where Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, comes in. If you don't know what SEO is, Google defines it as “the practice of including content on your site that has the potential to improve your site's visibility to search engines and their users.” Simply put, it's a way to get visitors to your site. There are countless ways to optimize your blog for SEO, like loading up your posts with keywords, choosing the right titles for your posts and even the way you use your images. Even the lengths of your blog posts can heavily influence SEO. There's a lot to learn, certainly too much to explain in this article, but there are tons of free resources you can check out online to help you nail down the basics. YouTube, LinkedIn Learning, and Yoast.com's SEO blog are all great places to start.
Just Do It
You may think you need to be an expert writer/designer to start your own blog, but you don't! As long as you love what you're doing, visitors will love you for it. If you're still feeling insecure, you can always try free online tools like Grammarly to proofread your writing before you post it, and don't be afraid to share your work with trusted friends if you need a second opinion on something. Either way, there's nothing to it but to do it. Good luck!
Jackie Backman is the content manager for Cams.com. She has been working in the industry for over 15 years and specializes in copywriting, beauty and social media management. Follow her on Instagram at @beautychaoticofficial.