I Made A Youtube Video - Myfreecams Model Avatar Guide

[MFCGod]

I made a lighthearted Youtube video yesterday called "Myfreecams Model Avatar Guide"



It didn't really come out how I hoped, I probably should of edited it to make it a bit more slick.

I saw tonight that HayleyRyder (who I mention in the video) had seen it and tweeted

Whoever made the YouTube video on mfc avatars....you made my night last night!!

^ Which has made it all worth while

Hopefully some of you may enjoy it too.

 

[zippypinhead]

I'm a real chin-n-cheek guy, myself.

 

[MFCGod]

I'm a real chin-n-cheek guy, myself.

You have a host of new models ready to satisfy

 

[AmberCutie]

I'll admit that I was expecting that to be shit. I think koolray has tainted my outlook on members making YouTube vids.

But this was fantastic and funny and informative. If you @ me with it on Twitter I will retweet the hell out of it. May even include it on the cam girl wiki if that's ok.

 

[HiGirlsRHot]

I'm a real chin-n-cheek guy, myself.

I like leading with your chin myself.

Still I miss Koolray videos, those were so mockable.

 

[MFCGod]

I'll admit that I was expecting that to be shit. I think koolray has tainted my outlook on members making YouTube vids.

But this was fantastic and funny and informative. If you @ me with it on Twitter I will retweet the hell out of it. May even include it on the cam girl wiki if that's ok.

Thanks for taking the time to watch and I'm very glad you liked it

I don't have a twitter for MFC anymore to @ you, I deleted it a long time ago as I felt I was being too negative on it.

If you wanted to tweet it yourself that would be nice and appreciated + including in the wiki would be awesome.

 

[AmberCutie]

I tweeted it, saying it was funny and cutely informative.

There are opposing opinions on how "informative" it is, I think that's mostly because people can't look past the highly opinionated way it's narrated. I find the comments funny, some people are more sensitive and won't.

To each their own!

But the basis of it is the fact that face is important (makes the model seem human and personable), and clarity and vibrance are key (to be more eye catching). It's hard enough to stand out on a page with 1000's of other models competing for the attention of strangers. Putting some thought into the avatar you use could be vital.

 

[GreatDane]

If you're taking the time to pick out an Avatar, make sure it represents what you are trying to sell. face time makes a huge difference. If the Avatar stands out to me, I'm more likely to take a look and maybe spend some time and tokens

 

[AmberCutie]

I've invited people on Twitter to come here with their discussion instead of just slinging harsh disagreements at me via Tweets.

Just to clarify: I don't think people are "sensitive" if they disagree with the video. I said some people (in general) are a more sensitive type and don't find his type of humor funny (in general).

One of the questions I asked someone who dislikes the video was if I had made it, as a fellow cam girl, would it be taken better? We cam girls are pretty quick to dislike members trying to tell us how to do our job, so they may be quick to dismiss the advice given in this one, even if it does make a valid point.

Thoughts?

 

[RosalieDay]

I completely agree, Amber.

I myself was skeptical, did an eye roll and was pretty sure I'd dislike it simply because it wasn't coming from a model. However, I think it's informative and should at least be watched and taken into consideration before jumping on the dislike bandwagon based on the creator of the video.

I've found it interesting what pops to members and what makes them move on in terms of avatars. I've always kept most of the basic 'selling' points in my head when choosing my own. And did an experiment on the MFC homepage and found what stuck out to me.

It's definitely made me re-think my avi on MFC!

 

[MFCGod]

I tweeted it, saying it was funny and cutely informative.

There are opposing opinions on how "informative" it is, I think that's mostly because people can't look past the highly opinionated way it's narrated. I find the comments funny, some people are more sensitive and won't.

To each their own!

But the basis of it is the fact that face is important (makes the model seem human and personable), and clarity and vibrance are key (to be more eye catching). It's hard enough to stand out on a page with 1000's of other models competing for the attention of strangers. Putting some thought into the avatar you use could be vital.

Thanks

I just looked at the replies

The way this guy talks about others in the video made me cringe badly.

My aim was to talk purely about what was in the avatar, not who was in the avatar or their physical features. I didn't want to make it personal or nasty.

I did stretch that to compliment a model or two a tad, but I made sure not to personally insult anyone, again I didn't want it to be negative

Well, I mean I did question if someone had t-rex arms lol but that was in the context that I couldn't understand why it was taken so close to their face, so I was just making up a whimsical reason

Also, I could understand I may sound like I'm judging models purely on their aesthetics, like they're a product rather than a person, which of course is objectionable, but the context of the video is purely talking about avatars aka a models shop window and the first thing people see when they land on the homepage

+ You could argue how important an avatar really is, but it's not hard to take a nice vibrant picture and any little advantage that may help you stand out is (probably) worth pursuing.

 

[Amelia Liddell]

i think this is a great and very informative video, i'm surprised to hear some models are upset about it? i thought he was being completely gentle and non-offensive while delivering some great advice!
edit: wanted to say that the t rex arms joke made me laugh super hard :lol:

 

[CharlotteLace]

As much as some of us might want to dismiss it because it's made by a member, it brings up a lot of valid points. If I can get good advice that hadn't occurred to me, I'm going to appreciate that advice regardless of the source. As much as I knew that quality face photos were paramount, I don't think I fully realized that a vibrant photo was also important.

Sometimes, we like to go on auto-pilot and assume we already know everything there is to know about our jobs. Especially if it's something we've done for quite some time already. I liked the fresh and detailed perspective in the video. It's different than a member approaching one of us and just saying, "Bb I can help you! Make your profile pic look gud." I can see people resenting banal generic advice, but this was detailed and thought out properly. So, I liked it.

"I've never used the word 'turgid' in my life before" also made me giggle. :handgestures-salute:

 

[mynameisbob84]

I was kinda disappointed this wasn't KoolRay 2.0. It was an easy video to sit through that highlighted the importance of making a pretty face the focal point of an avatar that is designed to sell people on a model they probably know nothing else about. It seems pretty sensible to me. The only reason I can fathom for someone being offended is if they were one of/a fan of one of the models whose avatars were criticised.

 

[MFCGod]

You know what I think might be cool

To take a screenshot of new models and do a poll on here

"On this screenshot, who were your eyes drawn to first"

Then it would be interesting to see if there are some stand out model avatars who get the most votes , and then explore the reasons why those avatars attracted the most peoples eyes.

I suggest new models because maybe looking at a screenshot of the top models who we may or may not be friends with, our minds may be biased to looking straight at what we already know and like.

Edit>

Hmm this test may also be flawed because it may be natural now to look straight top left to see if friends are online

I think it would have to be done with people who haven't used MFC before to be fair, so a poll on here probably wouldn't work.

I'm far from an expert on it, but I know big websites do conversion rate optimization and study heat maps

Here is an article talking about heat maps, a lot of it probably isn't relevant, but some of it's interesting and you could see the cross over to mfc & avatars

http://conversionxl.com/19-things-we-ca ... map-tests/ (btw I just googled and found this, I have no affiliation with the site)

 

[JerryBoBerry]

My thoughts on this are going to be a bit different. And before I give them I'll just say, yes I know new members have avatars showing by default.

I personally don't think your avatar picture plays much importance at all. This is just from my personal experience. I changed the settings over to do 'Cam Previews, Small' in the first week of signing up on mfc. I haven't seen any of your avatars, unless i'm looking at your web page or something, in four years now. That video showed some avatars I had never seen for models I follow.

To me, the look of your cam room and what is happening 'right now' in the preview, is far more the important decision of what is going to draw me into a room. If i'm in a chatty mood and I see a model who looks bored and only has 8 members in her room, I know I can go in and maybe chat. If i'm in a pervy mood and I see large boobs being oiled up, I know I can go there. I honestly couldn't care less to see the exact same 'full smiling face with vibrant colors' every day. That tells me nothing. Really it surprises me to see anyone leaves the homepage on Avatar view, there's not much point to it.

I recognize doing every little bit to help you out. But I have to wonder how many members who have been on the site, and by extension have actually bought more than the single token package to go premium, really even look at avatars on a daily basis...and why???

 

[MFCGod]

I can't argue with what you're saying Jerry, how important they are is debatable, they're probably of small consequence in the big scheme of things, but for the time it takes to change a picture there's no real reason not to use a nice vibrant one.

I would guess it's more important for a new model than an established one also.

But I have to wonder how many members who have been on the site, and by extension have actually bought more than the single token package to go premium, really even look at avatars on a daily basis...and why???

I've been on the site years, I still have it as avatars :shock: if i see an avatar I like I will hover over for the preview.

 

[Kradek]

I recognize doing every little bit to help you out. But I have to wonder how many members who have been on the site, and by extension have actually bought more than the single token package to go premium, really even look at avatars on a daily basis...and why???

Have you not yet realized, through your many informative tutorials here, just how few people actually take the time to customize their experience despite the option being available? I wouldn't be surprised if as much as 90% of people on the site experience the front page via avatars.

 

[TokenGesture]

Nice start. You've got a flair for education.

After you've done the basics like avatars, you should move on to the real nitty gritty stuff. An instructive video on shows; the importance of eye contact, Beyonce booty shaking, and pigtails would be a boon to lots of models. They would really appreciate it, I'm certain. I've even made you a graphic as a little head start when you get to making that video.

 

[ThePioneer]

But I have to wonder how many members who have been on the site, and by extension have actually bought more than the single token package to go premium, really even look at avatars on a daily basis...and why???

I've been on the site years, I still have it as avatars :shock: if i see an avatar I like I will hover over for the preview.

I prefer to hover over for the preview as well. I like to display by avatar because it makes it easier for me to recognize a model again based on a static image (assuming they don't change it) rather than the room preview which is constantly changing. Yes, I know friends list exists , but I'm very selective and don't want to clutter it with every single model I've glanced over.

 

[JerryBoBerry]

I recognize doing every little bit to help you out. But I have to wonder how many members who have been on the site, and by extension have actually bought more than the single token package to go premium, really even look at avatars on a daily basis...and why???

Have you not yet realized, through your many informative tutorials here, just how few people actually take the time to customize their experience despite the option being available? I wouldn't be surprised if as much as 90% of people on the site experience the front page via avatars.

Well, consider them all educated once again. Drop the avatars, switch to previews.

 

[HiGirlsRHot]

My thoughts on this are going to be a bit different. And before I give them I'll just say, yes I know new members have avatars showing by default.

I personally don't think your avatar picture plays much importance at all. This is just from my personal experience. I changed the settings over to do 'Cam Previews, Small' in the first week of signing up on mfc. I haven't seen any of your avatars, unless i'm looking at your web page or something, in four years now. That video showed some avatars I had never seen for models I follow.

To me, the look of your cam room and what is happening 'right now' in the preview, is far more the important decision of what is going to draw me into a room. If i'm in a chatty mood and I see a model who looks bored and only has 8 members in her room, I know I can go in and maybe chat. If i'm in a pervy mood and I see large boobs being oiled up, I know I can go there. I honestly couldn't care less to see the exact same 'full smiling face with vibrant colors' every day. That tells me nothing. Really it surprises me to see anyone leaves the homepage on Avatar view, there's not much point to it.

I recognize doing every little bit to help you out. But I have to wonder how many members who have been on the site, and by extension have actually bought more than the single token package to go premium, really even look at avatars on a daily basis...and why???

When I am logged in as myself than yes I look at Cam previews. However, if I am just surfing MFC as opposed to logging on because model I like tweeted she is on, than I am almost always logged in as guest. I have no choice but to look at AVI. You add folk like myself, true guest, and folks that either never figured out how to change their settings, or prefer avatars, I suspect that roughly 90% of total viewers on MFC are viewing the home page by Avatars. (Admittedly percentage of tipper is much smaller).

A while ago an ACF member asked for feedback on getting her room count higher (her camscore was fine). I logged on as a guest and the first thing I saw was cartoon avatar, it certainly explained her low room count (since that is primarily a function of guests), since it had zero sex appeal. I know she changed it.

 

[hapa74]

But I have to wonder how many members who have been on the site, and by extension have actually bought more than the single token package to go premium, really even look at avatars on a daily basis...and why???

I've been on the site years, I still have it as avatars :shock: if i see an avatar I like I will hover over for the preview.

I prefer to hover over for the preview as well. I like to display by avatar because it makes it easier for me to recognize a model again based on a static image (assuming they don't change it) rather than the room preview which is constantly changing. Yes, I know friends list exists , but I'm very selective and don't want to clutter it with every single model I've glanced over.

I will second this! I definitely prefer avatars. I tried room previews for a little while before deciding to switch back. Maybe it's a personal aesthetic thing.

 

[weirdbr]

But I have to wonder how many members who have been on the site, and by extension have actually bought more than the single token package to go premium, really even look at avatars on a daily basis...and why???

For me, it's a question of efficiency - most of the time I load the main page on my way to the room of someone who is on my friends list anyway and avatars are highly cacheable, saving page load time. And when there's no one from my friends list online, I can easily enable preview mode for a bit if I want or, more likely, I check the previews by hovering my mouse over the avatars I found interesting (which usually means avatars with characteristics similar to what MFCGod described or avatars that are so completely out of the ordinary that I feel like I need to check the preview and/or the profile to understand who that model is).

 

[Sevrin]

My thoughts on this are going to be a bit different. And before I give them I'll just say, yes I know new members have avatars showing by default.

I personally don't think your avatar picture plays much importance at all. This is just from my personal experience. I changed the settings over to do 'Cam Previews, Small' in the first week of signing up on mfc. I haven't seen any of your avatars, unless i'm looking at your web page or something, in four years now. That video showed some avatars I had never seen for models I follow.

I generally have previews on myself, but that doesn't mean that I don't think avatars are important. People will decide on whether or not to visit a model based on any number of criteria. There's simply no reason for a model to have an avatar that's less than appealing.

 

[SexySteph]

Solid video! Really fun to watch and I definitely agree with your points! Bravo!

 

[fandango]

I tried out the previews option as soon as I joined and didnt like it because they are larger and you can see less models on the home page at one time.

Just did a quick count and with small previews I can see 24 models at once and with small avatars I can see 33. I find it quicker to be drawn to someone I like as it saves a lot of scrolling and then just I can just hover the mouse over the corner to see the preview if it's someone I like.

So really it can be down to preference rather then just inexperience or laziness to change the settings.

 

[bud9752]

I've invited people on Twitter to come here with their discussion instead of just slinging harsh disagreements at me via Tweets.

Just to clarify: I don't think people are "sensitive" if they disagree with the video. I said some people (in general) are a more sensitive type and don't find his type of humor funny (in general).

One of the questions I asked someone who dislikes the video was if I had made it, as a fellow cam girl, would it be taken better? We cam girls are pretty quick to dislike members trying to tell us how to do our job, so they may be quick to dismiss the advice given in this one, even if it does make a valid point.

Thoughts?

I think getting feedback from the audience you are trying to attract to your room would be beneficial to the livelihood you have currently chosen. Helpful "criticism" should always be welcome in any endeavor. And while not everyone's taste is the same, anything that improves your marketing appeal is a plus. We are a visual society. What catches ones eye creates some curiosity and interest.

 

[AmberCutie]

I've invited people on Twitter to come here with their discussion instead of just slinging harsh disagreements at me via Tweets.

Just to clarify: I don't think people are "sensitive" if they disagree with the video. I said some people (in general) are a more sensitive type and don't find his type of humor funny (in general).

One of the questions I asked someone who dislikes the video was if I had made it, as a fellow cam girl, would it be taken better? We cam girls are pretty quick to dislike members trying to tell us how to do our job, so they may be quick to dismiss the advice given in this one, even if it does make a valid point.

Thoughts?

I think getting feedback from the audience you are trying to attract to your room would be beneficial to the livelihood you have currently chosen. Helpful "criticism" should always be welcome in any endeavor. And while not everyone's taste is the same, anything that improves your marketing appeal is a plus. We are a visual society. What catches ones eye creates some curiosity and interest.

Well, be careful if you approach a cam girl directly with what you think is helpful criticism. Not many people like being put on the spot like that.

A post on the forum or a tweet (or hey, a youtube vid! hah) to describe your thoughts and feelings may be easier to take.

For example
"I've noticed a lot of cam girls do shower shows, and some of them don't put their camera in a very good position and it's hard to see what's happening. I love shower shows, I wish more girls would take the time to find good cam angles for them."

will probably go over better than
"Hey ModelCutiePatootie, your cam angles in your shower shows don't work well, you should figure out a better angle."

or at least, if you're going to approach her directly
"Hey ModelCutiePatootie, have you thought about trying this specific angle for your cam during shower shows? I think the view would be so incredibly hot."

which at least doesn't make her feel like she's outright doing something WRONG but could do something even better. It also doesn't put her on the spot thinking that she must take the advice or her shows suck.

But the great thing about posts on this forum or youtube vids that get reposted/tweeted are that they aren't directed (usually, at least) at one person, and cam girls who WANT to improve their shows or profiles or interactions can take it or leave it. And girls who want to improve seek out forums like this to read at their own pace and learn. So it isn't unsolicited advice in that aspect. Just like this video isn't. It's out there in the airspace to be heeded or ignored.

 

[MFCGod]

For example
"I've noticed a lot of cam girls do shower shows, and some of them don't put their camera in a very good position and it's hard to see what's happening. I love shower shows, I wish more girls would take the time to find good cam angles for them."

will probably go over better than
"Hey ModelCutiePatootie, your cam angles in your shower shows don't work well, you should figure out a better angle."

You know I once bought a BJ video from a model, this was a longg time ago

She was kneeling on the floor, facing the cam.. fine

Then the dude walks up, his bare ass facing the camera, and the whole video was his buttocks clenching while getting a BJ you couldn't see..

It was unbelievable lol.