I was appalled when reading through this thread on Life of a Camgirl that many camgirls think that it's not only okay if those offering premium Snapchat revoke lifetime access to members who paid, but that it's an expectation if you're not making enough money from them.
If you read through the thread, you can see some of my opinions; I have way more strong opinions, but I held them back, and I'm even holding them back on this blog. I also tagged MemberBlasts to see if they had any stances or advice to offer. (I recall seeing them post about a lot of disputes between irked customers and models who revoked lifetime memberships.)
In one post, they linked back to something they had written before on CuriousCat. In short, a camgirl submitted feedback saying they think MemberBlasts is going too far if they are going to blast models who are revoking lifetime subscriptions because of changing up business models. MemberBlasts then provides some suggestions that you should just read about in the link. The following sentence has been haunting me in the past week, leading to quite a bit of frustration:
"Being a model myself, I see how it has hurt me immensely keeping my Snapchat on a lifetime basis but also feeling like I can't change it because I will have you blasting me, anonymously at that."
So, what is this "blasting"? They're referring to when a model or "customer" is called out for scamming or making an unfair decision that hurts the other. Twitter handles, site usernames, etc. are revealed.
Just to put this out there, I highly appreciate the work that MemberBlasts does. Personally, I haven't had a potentially bad interaction prevented by them, but whenever I come across bad eggs, they've shared what I've messaged them. I discovered them when they RT'd screenshots of this one particularly foul encounter I had. It made me feel good to know that there are at least some people who care and are trying to make things easier for all of us. There are a lot of criticisms about MemberBlasts (not surprisingly, many of them who have been blasted), but I disagree with pretty much all of them. Sometimes, I feel like a few critics make good or interesting points, yet it's not enough for me to think that what MemberBlasts does is any less good.
The reason why that sentence from the anonymous camgirl irks me is because she's afraid of being blasted for a legitimate reason. I don't want to go too much into why I don't really like lifetime Snapchat offers, but one big reason is because those offering it don't seem to know what "lifetime" actually means. There shouldn't be a debate over the definition. To make it simple, here's a list why it's bad to revoke lifetime membership for paying customers (some bleed into others):
- When you advertise something as lifetime, it actually means something;
- This is a business where you have to provide or give the illusion of companionship and attention;
- Customers are going to stop trusting you;
- Times will get slow again, and it may be tempting to revoke lifetime Snapchat once again;
- "They only paid $30 for lifetime. That's not much!" When does it become "too much"? There's no clear line. I bet models are going to (rightfully) complain if they send a nude picture, but the customer doesn't pay the $5 that they promised to;
and finally:
If you are breaking the terms of the service you promised, customers are going to worry about what other services they have fair access to in the future.
That's where MemberBlasts come in. They don't blast people to embarrass them, but to warn others. If a model is known for setting up "lifetime" Snapchats, but deleting them when she feels like it, customers have a right to know. That's what is so great about doing business in an open marketplace.
If a customer can't trust a model, they have the right to buy the services of others who can conduct business fairly.
If a customer can't trust a model, they have the right to buy the services of others who can conduct business fairly.
My advice for models who are contemplating offering lifetime Snapchat services:
- Don't;
- Consider monthly, a set of months, yearly, etc.;
- If you do, set it at a price that you think you won't regret later;
- Know yourself and let your customers know how frequently you'll post;
- Come up with a new marketing term that sounds as enticing as "lifetime";
- Consider upselling other stuff, especially when times get slow, such as OnlyFans, custom Snapchat content, etc.
With all of that said, I actually am planning on selling a lifetime subscription to my premium Snapchat in February 2019, but only during that month. (Lifetime is guaranteed at three years of regular content, and will only be disbanded if I retire, which I have no plans to currently.) I will also be offering one month, three months, six months, and one year options. I am currently writing out an information and rules document that people can access once I'm finished. (I'm finished with it now.)
As with any business decision, don't assume you'll be able to make money quickly and don't launch anything too soon. Consider what I'm doing and write things out so both you and the customers know what to expect. Build a following. Learn how much your potential customers are willing to purchase for subscriptions, and if they'll continuously provide financial support by buying other things or tipping.
If you already have a lifetime Snapchat, but no longer want it, or want to redo it? Talk with your subscribers to see how you can settle it so both parties can feel good at the end. Again, read MemberBlasts' response.
Shameless plug: I'm on Snapchat as TheTrinaCam. You can read more about premium here.
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