As a content creator, you know that this life is all about the hustle. You’re already established on your platforms, you’re selling bundles, you’re going live... so what more can you do to increase your revenue? Customs!
Custom orders offer you a unique opportunity to make your fans feel closer to you while earning some bonus income. Your fans feel personally seen by you because you’re taking the time to do something special that is just for them. Sure, they’re paying a premium for it, but they wouldn’t do that if you weren’t worth it! It is a great way to increase your revenue with higher-cost specialty items, give your fans a shared personal experience and break up your routine by doing something different once in a while.
Your time is valuable, so when you’re pricing your customs you want to take into consideration how much work it will take to get each job done.
ESTABLISHING A BASELINE PRICE
Your time is valuable, so when you’re pricing your customs you want to take into consideration how much work it will take to get each job done. Some customs are more detailed than others, so they would naturally cost more. This is where it’s so important to know your worth! Set a base rate for a standard, basic custom. You’ll want to decide up front what your standard custom will be. Will you be dressed, topless or nude? Will you be playing with yourself or is it just a fan shoutout? I recommend your base custom be one minute long, since that will help you determine your per-minute rate. If your custom is going to be a one-minute striptease and you set your rate at $100, you can set your five-minute and 10-minute rates at $500 and $1,000, respectively. This gives you the option to mark those higher prices down to give the impression of a discount without devaluing your time much.
UPSELLING WITH PERSONALIZATIONS
Once you have a baseline established for your customers, you can make suggestions to personalize your fan orders with add-ons such as saying the fan’s name, making the content exclusive to them, costume requests, including a photo set and more. Each add-on should be at an added cost that’s equivalent to the effort needed.
For example, saying the fan’s name can be an extra $25 and all you’d do is start the clip by saying, “Hi Tom! Thank you so much for being a fan!” By putting the name at the beginning or end of the clip, you’re able to cut that out and have an extra video clip you can use for welcome messages or a wall post. Now, that one-minute, $125 custom order can be monetized over and over again! After all, any custom order that isn’t exclusive to the fan can be reused with a bit of editing.
Another add-on that fans will enjoy is the option to purchase the outfit you’re wearing in the custom. Panty sales are an avenue that brings in additional income and the cost of panties does not have to be significant. If you have a fan spending $200 on a custom, you can “throw in” the panties for an extra $25, or if a fan has been supporting you for some time, you can include it as a sexy surprise.
GETTING THE WORD OUT
Once you have your price list established, you can start to let your fans know you’re offering customs in a few different ways. You can do a post and offer a “limited amount” of customs. If you post a limited offering, it prompts your fans to act fast before they lose their spot, creating a sense of demand; if you’re limiting how many are on tap, they assume that surely you must get a lot of requests and it makes them want to get in on that action. You can also send out a mass message with an SFW image saying you’ll be working on customs all week, asking fans if they’ve purchased one or not. Something as simple as, “I’m going to be working on custom orders all week! Have you purchased one yet?” can work wonders. Or when you’re talking to fans in your DMs, if they’re asking you for content that’s no longer available, offer them a custom order instead.
The conversations don’t have to be pushy or too sales-heavy, even though a custom is priced higher than standard unlockable content. You never want to push a fan to purchase; you want to encourage them. Use endearing terminology and be excited when they suggest something for their custom: “I love that idea, babe! Customs are my favorite thing to do for fans. It’s something special for the two of us and I can’t wait to shoot this for you!” Bear in mind that sometimes your prices might exceed a fan’s budget. You can ask them to pay in installments — keep track of their payments and don’t shoot until they’re all paid up — and you can offer bonus freebies when they do complete the purchase, like throwing in a PPV unlock or a detailed dick rating. Installments allow fans to pay over time and this gives them something to look forward to while encouraging constant conversation, which can lead to more revenue!
KEEPING TRACK OF EVERYTHING
Once you’ve started selling customs, there’s one more thing you need to do: keep track of your custom-buying fans. After you deliver the custom, stay in touch with them, engage in conversation, ask what they liked about it and tell them how much you enjoyed doing that for them. They’ll feel seen and appreciated, and remember that feeling when you’re offering customs again. A fan who feels connected to you is more likely to keep renewing memberships, tipping and giving you the attention that your hard work deserves. That’s why customs are a great option to add to your repertoire.
Megan is a co-founder of NMG Management, the premier content distribution and management firm. A veteran of the adult industry, she has proven to be an endless well of knowledge and is a collector of data that she gladly shares with those who seek her help.