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Understanding the Amateur World
by Kath Blackwell
The amateur world is very mysterious and elusive to those of us who
don't live the niche. More often than not, free-site webmasters usually
build horrible replicas of "true" amateur sites, offending both our
target audience and fellow webmasters as well. How can you avoid this
common mistake? Well…a little research, a little time spent trying
to understand the attraction of this niche - and a little time reading
this article will definitely help get you get on the right track.
A popular Internet amateur, Seska, of Seska.com,
says that she got started as a fan of amateur erotica. She was fortunate
to discover that the legendary Carol Cox (www.wildroseproductions.com)
lived practically in her Canadian backyard. Carol encouraged her to
get involved in the industry and create her own site, so she learned
HTML, started growing her own fan base and personal Web site - and
it just took off on its own! Not everyone can have such a success
story, but it's important to realize the elements that are involved
in creating a successful amateur site and membership program, as well
as all the work that is required in order to get things going right
from the beginning.
The Spirit of Being "Amateur"
What separates amateurs from "professional" adult webmasters is really
quite simple. It can be summed up roughly with one word - personality.
Chris Rodger, formerly of Carol Cox's Wild Rose Productions says that
it's the "collective spirit of the amateur industry" that will always
remain the same. It's about the individual - about preserving the
honesty and integrity of each individual model, her lifestyle, interests
- and of course personal details shared about her sex life and sexual
experiences.
One of the most famous and successful amateur companies is Home Grown,
out of San Diego, California. Home Grown encompasses Home Grown Video
(www.homegrownvideo.com)
- the first company that took actual couples' home videos and put
them out on video for the world to enjoy. They also have a Home Grown
Content company that distributes amateur content for pay sites, as
well as a Home Grown membership program through CyberErotica.com,
for adult webmasters building free and AVS sites. Farrell Timlake,
owner and president of Home Grown, got involved with the industry
from a fan-based standpoint as well. He and his wife started by making
their own videos and following various rock bands around taking film.
They later bought Home Grown and have been running and expanding it
ever since.
"Home Grown is a professional company," explains Timlake. "But we're
still about having fun and happy that we can make money doing this
stuff! Home Grown will always be about the integrity and honesty of
the amateur. Working together is what binds the amateur community
together."
The Community of Amateur
As a whole, the amateur community works together toward a common goal.
It is through their relationships with each other that they exchange
traffic, up-sell each others' programs, and find new amateurs to network
with toward a mutually beneficial alliance. Finding ways to connect
the amateur community through shared content experiences, link trades,
mutual chats and real-life meetings is what has kept this sector of
the industry so successful, and in many ways much more successful
than more traditional forms of adult Internet sites.
Rick Muenyong, creator and original owner of YNOTMasters (www.ynotmasters.com)
is now the owner and operator of Amateur Masters (www.amateurmasters.com)
and Amateur Ranks (www.amateurranks.com),
a network of resources, communication opportunities and support for
amateur webmasters. "I launched the site to create a community for
amateurs as I had formerly done at YNOT," says Muenyong. "It's fun
to see everyone be a part of it and work together."
"The amateur biz is really nothing like mainstream adult sites," agrees
Chris Rodger. "It's vanity sites - personal sites of these women.
Contacts are vital." In fact, much of the amateur realm started out
with just a few girls making personal "vanity" sites, that they later
linked together to create "friends pages," links to other amateurs
that they either knew in real life or had met at amateur gatherings.
Unlike the mainstream adult webmasters, their friends really were
their friends. Occasionally they would even get together to do combined
amateur photo shoots, videos or Web cam events. It's the feeling of
community- of "we're all in this together," that keeps the amateur
world alive, real, and loaded with targeted traffic.
Seska tells us that there are other reasons for making good contacts
- one of them being budget. "You create content with people you know
- because you don't have that budget [like the big sites]. You need
your friends and your friends need you." She goes on to explain that
if someone comes to your site looking for amateur content, but they
want something specific (redheads, blondes, brunettes, lingerie, latex,
fetish), having that list of "friends" can give the surfer fresh options
so that they don't leave disappointed. Offering them choices - yet
still exchanging that mutual traffic and keeping the friendship alive
- benefits everyone involved.
The Allure of Amateur
Understanding and targeting specific surfer interest in amateur is
key to "getting" the amateur niche. Farrell Timlake explains to us,
"There's something for everyone…customers basically fall in love with
the individual, not the niche. You need to welcome that and be open
to it." So if you're a redheaded BBW who is into latex, enjoys walks
on the beach, loves scented candles and collects beanie babies - there's
an audience out there right now probably searching for you. "Communication
equals Retention, and that's where your money will be made. Look to
do what YOU like to do, not what you think people want. It has to
be honest and full of personality."
Seska knows this truth very well, as she shares her day and interests
with her members - it's the key to her success. Everything from your
sexual fantasies, hobbies, musical tastes, movie likes & dislikes,
food cravings, books read - the things that you do daily that make
you, YOU - that's what the surfers want to read about and see. "The
ones who do well," she says, "Are the ones who are open and discuss
interests and their real sex life. They want/need to know who you
really are." That's the true turn-on for amateur site consumers.
So many girls think that they can't be successful as an amateur on
the 'Net, because they don't fit that "Barbie Doll" image of the "perfect
woman." What they appear to miss most is that it's the imperfections
that make amateur so attractive to the surfers. It's that little dimple
on your left cheek, the freckles on your shoulders, the little pimple
on your ass and the funny shape of your earlobes that gets them hot.
If they wanted a cookie- cutter porn star, there are plenty available
- but they want YOU, the amateur, the girl next door - quirks, weird
hobbies and all.
On Becoming Amateur
Obviously there's no one-step success plan to becoming a profitable
amateur Web site webmaster, but there are a few hints that we'd like
to share with you to help get you started. AmateurMasters.com's Muenyong,
says that there are three types of amateur Web sites and that you
should consider all your options before opening up your first page.
You will need to know what to expect ahead of time. The three basic
styles are:
No personal involvement with members, no personal life - just
a site
Private shows, personal products, selling whatever it takes
Middle ground - personal involvement with some
product sales, sessions
Muenyong recommends that amateurs "establish [their] personal brand
within the community. Don't get lost on the outskirts." By this
he means that if you have a particular interest or that there's
something you can offer to niche-specific content seekers, you should
capitalize on that, and let you friends know what you do. If they
have a potential customer looking for a double-jointed blonde who
can literally kiss her own ass and you can do that - make sure they
know and can refer those people to your site. Use the "friends"
and "community feel" of the amateur world to your benefit. It's
very Karmic - you give, you get - it all goes around. "I don't even
tell people to mess with search engines anymore," admits Muenyong,
"Exchanging traffic is the best. Stay within your niche and you'll
convert sign ups." Home Grown's Timlake agrees, "Networking is the
best way to get traffic." Learn HTML or find some sort of HTML editor
that will do the work for you. Build your site with your energy,
your interests and your personality - you will be surprised at the
results!
Last Tips for the Amateur-to-Be
"By doing the homework from the beginning, and understanding the
variety available - you will understand what you want to do and
how you want to do it," Advises Farrell Timlake. "Only take it to
the limit you set for yourself - but take your fans there with you."
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