I have been working online for over four years and have managed to gain status within the community by networking with different companies and models within the industry. I’ve seen an increase in my income from taking advice from seasoned performers, doing collaborations and also networking within the community as a whole. In this article, I will explore how I approach models and people who work for various companies in the industry.
Starting out in online sex work can be very isolating; you’re working remotely from different locations all the time, so your interaction with other sex workers is often limited depending on what you do. Where would you start? How would you connect with people? I’ve made connections with content creators and cam models by networking via social media, verified industry forums, different sex work seminars and conventions. I usually start out by going onto social media and private messaging creators to see if they would like to collaborate or be willing to share any tips on how to make my camming experience better for my fans, or do a social media share-for-share for gaining exposure across social media.
Not all content creators or cam models are the same, and not everyone’s going to be as friendly, have the time or be as forthcoming with advice; it can never hurt to try reaching out, though.
Whether you’re extroverted or introverted, I recommend making the effort to connect with your fellow cam models or content creators just for that support, because mentally we sometimes need to have people who can relate to what we’re going through, highs and lows included. Always make sure that you’re speaking to a verified model or verified person at a company by checking their credentials and making sure yours are also in order; that’s really important in the sex work industry, where we are so often targeted by anti-sex work groups or people who want to catfish us. So definitely do your research on someone that you’re conversing with or planning to do do business with.
How can you verify models or employees of companies? Look to see if they’re on legitimate adult sites first, as well as if they have any type of verified social media. Have they been featured in any types of publications, for example? These are just some of the ways that you can tell that people really are who they say they are.
Not all content creators or cam models are the same, and not everyone’s going to be as friendly, have the time or be as forthcoming with advice; it can never hurt to try reaching out, though. I definitely recommend hitting folks up and if you don’t get a reply right away, don’t be bummed. It happens. Yet always strive to be polite and respect other people's boundaries.
In the end, building rapport online via social media with different models and companies can help expand your brand, which means more money and more public recognition, which is what you really want in order to be successful in sex work. And by speaking to these different people, you may get some insight on how you want to run your business.
Brielle Vale’ntine is a Streamate cam model and content creator who can be found at Alleyezonbri.com and @Brielle.valentine on Instagram.
