It’s a busy afternoon, and you dash into your favorite boutique to pick up a few essentials for your next show. “I’m just going to grab what I need and leave,” you tell yourself as you rush past the friendly salespeople and flashy retail displays. On your way to the register, you hear the steady beat of your favorite pop tune playing from the speakers, and a sudden sense of euphoria takes over.
An hour later, you’re standing there holding $200 worth of merchandise, wondering how it happened and if you really need the same item in every color. You pull out your credit card anyway because the feeling of “want” is too powerful to resist.
Your sudden urge to spend money is no accident; savvy retailers have been using music to drive up sales in their stores for years. Studies have shown that shoppers will spend an average of 34% longer in the store when music puts them in the right mood.
The same way sound can persuade customers to spend longer than they planned to in a store, it can also influence viewers to spend longer in your room and put them in the right frame of mind to open their wallets. When fans visit their favorite cam model, they often do so because they are looking to escape from their everyday lives. The camming experience provides them with the fantasy they are often missing and can’t get anywhere else.
While visuals are the main focus of these fantasies, the cam experience can be further enhanced through sound to make it more enjoyable for the customer and more profitable for the model. Here are some tips to help you improve your shows with sound.
Set the Mood With Music
Music makes everything better: dancing, shopping, sex and especially camming. It sets the tone for your room and helps create a mood that makes viewers want to stick around. It also showcases your personality and gives you a way to connect with fans who have the same taste in music or are interested in learning about yours.
I should make it clear that whatever music you do decide to play must be licensed, otherwise you could run into legal troubles due to copyright issues. This could prove to be quite costly, so if you’re unsure, don’t risk it!
If it’s a Saturday night, try playing something up-tempo to create a party atmosphere. You can make someone who is otherwise lonely feel like they are at the most exclusive club in town, flirting with the hottest model in the VIP lounge. If you’re looking to create a more sensual mood, try something slow and sultry you can dance too. Either way, you can control the vibe with your song choices; just watch the volume so your fans can still hear you!
Reduce Background Noise
The last thing you want viewers to hear in the background of a sexy show is your roommates arguing or the people next door doing yard work, so try these easy, cost-effective tricks to soundproof your room:
- Hang pictures or paintings to add mass to the walls and make it harder for the noises outside to get through.
- Play music in the background. Not only is it sexy, but it helps cancel out the sounds you don’t want your fans to hear.
- Lay down extra rugs to better absorb sounds coming from the floor, especially if you have hardwood floors or noisy downstairs neighbors. If you share a wall with a roommate, hang a decorative blanket on the shared wall. The thicker the fabric, the more the external sounds will be muffled.
- Keep your windows and curtains shut to soften the sounds coming from outside. You may also want to pick up some blackout curtains because they are thick enough to offer even more sound protection. The bonus is this will give you even greater control of the lighting in your room as you won’t have to worry about the sun messing with your lighting concept as the day goes on.
- If you have a little more money to spend and a picky landlord isn’t an issue, you can also get soundproofing wallpaper or paint for your walls.
- Just how cold air can get in from the gap under your door, so can sound. Install a draft stopper under your door to dramatically decrease the amount of noise getting in (or out) of your room.
Use ASMR to Tantalize Viewers
ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) has become huge over the last few years, and you will find a subset of viewers who are really into hearing every little sound. Your voice, the sound of your freshly manicured fingernails tapping the keyboard or even the sound of a whip cracking against your silky-smooth skin are all things that can make anyone with a sound fetish (known as auralism) tingle. In addition to being sexually gratifying for some, ASMR also helps with relaxation and anxiety, making viewers more likely to spend money in their relaxed state. Start by watching some ASMR videos on YouTube to get an idea of what sounds you think will trigger your viewers. Ice, foil candy wrappers, a studded collar, fizzy drinks and lube are things you probably already have at home that you can use to create pleasing sounds.
Get an External Microphone
Laptop sound quality is not always the best, especially if you plan on bringing ASMR into the mix, so use an external microphone to take your shows to the next level. While many models don’t have access to pricey studio sound equipment, you can find a low-cost USB microphone that plugs right into your laptop for under $50. It’s an inexpensive investment that will bring your shows to the next level and ensure you’ll be hearing that “cha-ching” sound far more often!
Jackie Backman is the Content Manager for Cams.com. She has been working in the industry for over 13 years and specializes in copywriting, beauty and social media management. Follow Jackie on Instagram at @beautychaoticofficial.
