[Tutorial] Clips4Sale (clips stores) and Starting Out in the Biz

[Barefootsies]

Apparently from the email and IM's there is some confusion on what a clips store is (http://www.gfy.com/showthread.php?t=887448). So I am going to give you a break down of what it is, and how it works. In my example, I am going to stick to mainly Clips4Sale.com. Mainly because that is the one I make the MOST money with. Although some have better success with FetishVideos, Clips.com, ClipClinic, YouYouGirls, and so on.

When I started my adult business full time. I launched all my sites via Clips4Sale. It allowed me to make some sales, test the waters, and get some good feedback while building up my content for a pay site.

Each site was a bit different on when I launched but it took me roughly around 3 months to get about 6 months of material to launch my pay site, put together some DVD's. Some sites were launched in 3 months. Some longer. Some shorter. Just depends on how much I shoot, and how many updates I want per week.

So I started out with $3000.00. Bought $500.00 camcorder. Business partner had still camera, and half million dollar house, so we were off. We paid the girls too much at first, and did not know how to best streamline production. We do not shoot on a per scene basis like most of porn. We pay per SHOOT. So we get a number of scenes per SHOOT to maximize revenue, and margins.

Over 9 months we had tinkered with the type of girls, what we shot, how we shot, listened to the feedback, tried different update days and ways of updating until we found our groove. Around the 9 month mark things took off, and we started shooting our stocking project.

We followed the same exact formula as before. First working the C4S connection. We started a new store, and cross linked it. We promoted it on TGP submits. Over the next few months we would make our money back while getting enough content to launch a new pay site. One we did, BAM, sign ups.

Within a couple of months we moved on to tickling. It was something we had received a ton of e-mails on, and apparently few catered to it. We kind of stumbled into it by accident, and started doing... basically what the e-mails told us. Over a few months we build up enough content to launch a site, BAM took off. Even on DVD sales. Which I have to admit was surprising.

Clips4Sale has done some evolution over time. It was mainly a place for fetish and niche webmasters and content producers to sell their wares without building a website. You could just use their interface, and CMS. Their processor, and over time, Neil (the owner) built up some nice traffic. Doing the Howard Stern show, and some other things to make it into the mammoth it is today.

The site now offers a section for selling DVD's, pictures from your galleries, webcam, and number of other features to help you make some sales via automation among other things. It probably takes some time for a newbie to learn these things, but over time you get the hang of the automation I suppose.

Now, all that said. A lot of store owners rely on the POP of updates for their traffic. They do not have a lot of content, but they are always trying to get that POP. The front page of C4S was changed a few months back and now that is not going to be as beneficial as it was before. I recommend you build your OWN traffic.

For me, I include C4S option on all my sites. I link to it heavily, and even on TGP submits. I have always done this. While Neil's traffic, and the POP is nice. I do not count on it for my sales. So just a head's up for those who do not like link building, traffic trading, and the rest.

Other clips stores vary. I am not going to go into my experience with all of them but I encourage you to try them out. It is just more money for your content. The percentage for payouts will differ as well as traffic, admin panels, and offerings. Some more. Some less.

The same can be said for their percentages of money they take from producers. C4S is a 60/40 split. Some are 50/50, some stacked even more to the clip store. Some offer an affiliate program to supposedly boost you up to 70% :rolleyes:. Each has their niches, and grooves.

For a long time Clips4Sale was catering to only the mom and pops. Small and medium market fetish and niche providers. Over the past couple of years it has exploded into something like 20,000 or 30,000 stores!! My store number is 1353/2305/2917/2865/4057 and so on... As you can see I started YEARS ago to give you some idea.

At the conferences, I have talked to any number of programs and people. Some use C4S. Some do not think it is worth their time. Personally I find it an invaluable resource. But, as always in online business and adult, a lot of the success or failure comes down to YOU.

[Barefootsies]

Cliff notes version.

If you buy/lease/make content. Also do a clip store(s).

[Agent 488]

great post. thanks.

[Barefootsies]

Two additional notes I forgot (and can't edit).

1. 2257 and having proper documentation still applies.

2. Whether you are going to launch a pay site later, or not, still find a domain and brand yourself. Watermark all videos. Point the domain at your clips store. Use the domain on your TGP submits. Once you launch a pay site. You have already laid the ground work, and built up some traffic and links. Now point it at the pay site instead of clip store.

Tada.

A lot of being successful comes to some forethought, and laying the ground work for later plans.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by budsbabes

great post. thanks.

More than welcome bud, and thank ye.

[Martin]

Nice post man.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Martin

Nice post man.

Thanks BRO

[NaughtyRob]

Yeah it works well. I went a step further and made my own www.naughtyzips.com

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by GetNaughty

Yeah it works well. I went a step further and made my own www.naughtyzips.com

Yeah, I was trying to keep the post informative enough, but not give away all the secrets. As myself, and others, have said over the years. There is a 'way' to work Clips4Sale and maximize the almighty dollar.

A number of long time producers are moving to their own VOD via phantomflixx and such. But that would have muddied the water. So I just tried to keep it on point. Maybe I will talk about the other shit some other time when I am inspired.

Maybe. Maybe not.

[Fungus]

Great I can never ever understand why people do this!! Make money and then go tell tons of new people how to make money so you now have to fight even harder then you did before you opened up the pie hole! *shrugs* Hell why not put your bank account info in your post as well?

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Fungus

Great I can never ever understand why people do this!! Make money and then go tell tons of new people how to make money so you now have to fight even harder then you did before you opened up the pie hole! *shrugs* Hell why not put your bank account info in your post as well?

If you think 'this' is all there is to a clip store. You're mistaken friend.

This is little more than a beginner's guide. I have 11 years in my market, and niche. 5-6 full time. My customer base is not going anywhere. If they were, my sales and ratios would not still be rocking (sig).

[Fungus]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

If you think 'this' is all there is to a clip store. You're mistaken friend.

This is little more than a beginner's guide. I have 11 years in my market, and niche. 5-6 full time. My customer base is not going anywhere.

I of all people know this isn't all there is!! Still don't make since!

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Fungus

I of all people know this isn't all there is!!

True dat playa.
You're a smart cookie BRO

[Barefootsies]

An additional note that comes up in conversations for buying content. People think they MUST have one of a kind, unique to them, exclusive content to make money on the clip stores.

Wrong.

Here are two examples I am working on, and their numbers for the past year. As you can see, one of them is not a year old. If you bought content for a year, updating three times a week, you would have already made your money back and then some.

This is just ONE clip store mind you. Not using all the other clip stores, and then a pay site, and whatever else you have up your sleeve.

Now you are starting to get the picture.

However, as before, there are some additional things that provide success. One is not relying on C4S traffic. Generate your own. Yes. It's work. Too much for most. But this is just two examples using non-exclusive content, and showing how it works.

[Barefootsies]

[CENTER]

[alias]

Originally Posted by Fungus

Great I can never ever understand why people do this!! Make money and then go tell tons of new people how to make money so you now have to fight even harder then you did before you opened up the pie hole!

I am simply answering as to WHY, imo.

[SoloGirlsContent]

Originally Posted by Fungus

Great I can never ever understand why people do this!! Make money and then go tell tons of new people how to make money so you now have to fight even harder then you did before you opened up the pie hole! *shrugs* Hell why not put your bank account info in your post as well?

i was thinking the same fucking thing ** he must be bored**

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by simonsyinister

** he must be bored**

Or I have answered this same type of thing a dozen or more times lately, so I opted to work up this single point of reference.

Furthermore, I am not worried about my own sales on any clip store, nor do I compete with most others, even in my own niche directly. Some are footjob. Some are B/G, sniffing, casts, hardcore, topless, and so on and so on. Every month, as long as I do my promotion and updates, numbers are in the same ball park.

Clips4Sale is little more than a script, and payment processor. I work my own traffic sources. I do not rely on the POP. It's nice that they work on that, and provide the extra. But I do not count on it.

Also if you honestly think a post like this, with 30,000 other sharks and stores, in God knows how many weird ass niches and fetishes, is that much of a threat. It sounds like you need to do some better marketing, and retention of your customer base.

No offense meant, or implied, to the O.P. in any way.

[JoshGirls Josh]

so which makes more $$$ - a paysite or a clipstore? I'm not big on the price per clip vs a membership in terms of value.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by joshgirls

so which makes more $$$ - a paysite or a clipstore? I'm not big on the price per clip vs a membership in terms of value.

Why not do both? As well as multiple clip stores??? DVD, VOD, pay site?

As for the 'value' part. Yes. Long time customers are going to like the ability to have an entire archive for a monthly recurring. Some are not going to want to wait for updates of new material.

However, keep in mind what you are reading on this board daily about...

1. Cross sales and bullshit billing practices
2. Terrible membership areas with one update a week, or next to none.
3. People who are willing to spend 2/5/10 times more to buy clips then just have a membership. I assure you they exist. Why would someone do that?

Because they want the clips they want, at a price they are willing to pay. The internet is moving to where 'choice' is the ultimate value. How it's delivered. Good return on money spent. Use of time and resources (i.e. HD).

For those who've not caught up to this yet. The web is leaving you behind.

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by Fungus

Great I can never ever understand why people do this!! Make money and then go tell tons of new people how to make money so you now have to fight even harder then you did before you opened up the pie hole! *shrugs* Hell why not put your bank account info in your post as well?

It doesn't matter. You can tell them everything, let them follow you around all day for weeks....because at the end of the day it requires work, and that's the one thing 99% of the people who will read this don't want to do.

Most of the people here asking questions are looking for some magic trick or super secret to basically print money while they smoke a bowl and eat cheetos....they got this idea because most of the people out there selling literature on web marketing pretty much promise you that.....but that's not the way it works.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Snake Doctor

It doesn't matter. You can tell them everything, let them follow you around all day for weeks....because at the end of the day it requires work, and that's the one thing 99% of the people who will read this don't want to do.

Most of the people here asking questions are looking for some magic trick or super secret to basically print money while they smoke a bowl and eat cheetos....they got this idea because most of the people out there selling literature on web marketing pretty much promise you that.....but that's not the way it works.

So fucking true dat BRO

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by Snake Doctor

It doesn't matter. You can tell them everything, let them follow you around all day for weeks....because at the end of the day it requires work, and that's the one thing 99% of the people who will read this don't want to do.

Most of the people here asking questions are looking for some magic trick or super secret to basically print money while they smoke a bowl and eat cheetos....they got this idea because most of the people out there selling literature on web marketing pretty much promise you that.....but that's not the way it works.

I'll tell you the reason I know this also.

Years ago I had a paysite with exclusive content and an affiliate program. I figured the best way to build up good affiliate traffic was to get some motivated newbs and teach them everything I knew about generating traffic and sales, then they would grow to be whales and be loyal.

This is how it happened with me and Naughty America back in the day when they were just one teen paysite and the name Naughty America didn't even exist yet. Many moons ago.

Anyways....I got some volunteers.....I gave them a road map to making money with TGPs and Link Lists (the two biggest traffic sources at the time), I gave them free bannerless hosting, free content, paid the subscription fees for the submission software, and even paid designers to make custom templates for their galleries/sites.
I also made myself available to them pretty much 24/7 to answer any questions they had about the biz.

You know how many signups I got out of that deal?

3

3 signups, from over a dozen people that I gave everything to on a silver platter.

See, once they realized it would require work to make money, they weren't so interested anymore....even though there was no out of pocket cost for them and no learning curve for them.
Everyone wants money, but not everyone is willing to do what it takes to earn money. They'd rather goof off on GFY or watch Seinfeld or whatever.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Snake Doctor

Everyone wants money, but not everyone is willing to do what it takes to earn money. They'd rather goof off on GFY or watch Seinfeld or whatever.

This is exactly right. CalicoJack and I have been in the celebrity game, and foot fetish about the same time. 10-11 years each. We can both honestly say, and have repeatedly said,..

I can give you the exact blueprint to what I do. You may be more or less successful. But you are not going to mirror me exactly. In the end it will come down to how much you want it, and will you put in the work. Online is no different than REAL LIFE. It is work all the same. Just more freedom.

Some people can't handle it. Most fail.

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

This is exactly right. CalicoJack and I have been in the celebrity game, and foot fetish about the same time. 10-11 years each. We can both honestly say, and have repeatedly said,..

I can give you the exact blueprint to what I do. You may be more or less successful. But you are not going to mirror me exactly. In the end it will come down to how much you want it, and will you put in the work. Online is no different than REAL LIFE. It is work all the same. Just more freedom.

Some people can't handle it. Most fail.

Interesting this comes up here because I was just listening to "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" last night, and he had a quote in there from "The Common Denominator of Success" by Albert E.N Gray.

Gray had studied successful people to try to find the one thing they all had in common.
The answer he came up with was "Successful people have a habit of doing things that failures don't want to do"
They don't like doing them anymore than the failures do, but they are disciplined and motivated and push themselves to do the things that success requires, while the failures find excuses to not do them.

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by Fungus

Great I can never ever understand why people do this!! Make money and then go tell tons of new people how to make money so you now have to fight even harder then you did before you opened up the pie hole! *shrugs* Hell why not put your bank account info in your post as well?

You should have a paysite or two to make c4s really work and a lot of content that is niche orientated that is good. Without them it's tough. So he's giving little away.

More to porn than putting up content.

[alias]

Not to step on anyone's toes so to speak. Fungus please note that added value delivered in the form of information may contribute to the potential to initiate or close a $1500-5k deal.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by alias

Not to step on anyone's toes so to speak. Fungus please note that added value delivered in the form of information may contribute to the potential to initiate or close a $1500-5k deal.

Actually, it's about backing up numbers, and providing examples via previous post referenced.

It just happens I can easily point to the math via content. Whether mine, or anyone else's if your are a content producer. I can only speak to MY experience and niche.

So yes. Common sense I am going to use my own experience, examples, and time line.

[CarlosTheGaucho]

Dude, this is extremely useful information since I'm just researching that, thanks and I'm buying a juice during the next bromasterfest.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by CarlosTheGaucho

Dude, this is extremely useful information since I'm just researching that, thanks and I'm buying a juice during the next bromasterfest.

Well I get asked about this shit ALL THE TIME so I worked up this little diddy..

There is more to it, as Fungus and I both admit. Stuff we are not going to give out for free. However, I get asked on the clips4sale/clip store thing a lot when people are asking about content, filming their own, planning to, have libraries of shit, or getting started in this business. Markham has touched on this subject a bit last year as well from a old school content producer point of view.

I'll keep an eye peeled for you BRO so I can collect my Diet Coke .

[CarlosTheGaucho]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

Well I get asked about this shit ALL THE TIME so I worked up this little diddy..

There is more to it, as Fungus and I both admit. Stuff we are not going to give out for free. However, I get asked on the clips4sale/clip store thing a lot when people are asking about content, filming their own, planning to, have libraries of shit, or getting started in this business. Markham has touched on this subject a bit last year as well.

I'll keep an eye peeled for you BRO so I can collect my Diet Coke .

[dyna mo]

thank you for the post. takes confidence in your product to be able to help others in the industry.

hat's off.

[Kinky John]

interesting post..

when everyone jumps on the same boat it has a tendency to sink

clips4sale worked way better for us back in the day when it was less of a Walmart

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Kinky John

interesting post..

when everyone jumps on the same boat it has a tendency to sink

clips4sale worked way better for us back in the day when it was less of a Walmart

Agreed. For some it has.

[Kinky John]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

Agreed. For some it has.

depends how you look at it..

if you feed clipstores yourself, and your sales come mainly from self generated traffic,
then effectively clips4sale is just another % taking content delivery platform / processor

however.. regards my reference to "back in the day"

for those who don't ( or didn't then ) feed their clipstores, and rely on c4s traffic
then the majority of the in-house clips4sale traffic comes from the index page,
to show on the index page you need to be updating regular & / or advertising..
when there were LESS people signed up, stores stayed on the index longer..

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Kinky John

for those who don't ( or didn't then ) feed their clipstores, and rely on c4s traffic
then the majority of the in-house clips4sale traffic comes from the index page,
to show on the index page you need to be updating regular & / or advertising..
when there were LESS people signed up, stores stayed on the index longer..

Agreed.

Back in the day of the POP, with less stores, you could capitalize off ONLY C4S traffic.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Kinky John

depends how you look at it..

if you feed clipstores yourself, and your sales come mainly from self generated traffic,
then effectively clips4sale is just another % taking content delivery platform / processor

however.. regards my reference to "back in the day"

for those who don't ( or didn't then ) feed their clipstores, and rely on c4s traffic
then the majority of the in-house clips4sale traffic comes from the index page,
to show on the index page you need to be updating regular & / or advertising..
when there were LESS people signed up, stores stayed on the index longer..

Oh, I completely agree man.

Open a new store, and you were on there for the better part of a week. Update regularly, and you would be there for an hour or more. It was great, and you could tell when you had a front page listing because sales would be poppin'.

That said, I enjoyed that, and it was great. But all good things come to an end, and those couple of hours were nice, but there were another 20 in the day. I was concentrating on trying to keep the traffic rolling all 24 hours. Which is why my own approach was different.

I do not fault those who could rely on the old system. I am just saying that I never looked to thatg as my sole traffic stream. I wanted more control, and more consistency.

[Barefootsies]

Here is a real life example...

http://www.gfy.com/showpost.php?p=15728814&postcount=20

It is a little experiment I had started just to show some numbers behind the clip store on non-exclusive content. Not first run content. Minimal promotion. Easy return on investment.

[Spelvin]

Wonderful and very helpful tutorial! I am only a little lost on one simple thing; it looks like you have to set up, on Cips4sale, a new account for every store you set up, with a new username and email address and all that, is that right?

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Spelvin

Wonderful and very helpful tutorial! I am only a little lost on one simple thing; it looks like you have to set up, on Cips4sale, a new account for every store you set up, with a new username and email address and all that, is that right?

That is correct.

You will end up linking them together in your admin section. Make sure all your business (or personal) information is the exact same. Then your stores will be groups together for your bank wire payment, as well, they will all show on the dope down in right hand corner of store.

Or you can always e-mail Gia at clips4sale.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Kinky John

depends how you look at it..

if you feed clipstores yourself, and your sales come mainly from self generated traffic,
then effectively clips4sale is just another % taking content delivery platform / processor

however.. regards my reference to "back in the day"

for those who don't ( or didn't then ) feed their clipstores, and rely on c4s traffic
then the majority of the in-house clips4sale traffic comes from the index page,
to show on the index page you need to be updating regular & / or advertising..
when there were LESS people signed up, stores stayed on the index longer..

Agreed.

Back in the "good ole days" there were less than 5,000 (now over 20,000) stores. So it was all about the 'pop'. Neil bought traffic and threw it at the main page, also did his Howard Stern promos, among other things.

You would be on the main page for a few hours, or most of the day (depending on when you were around) and then you could take advantage of the 'pop' traffic and depend on it. As many did.

I, however, always promoted mine elsewhere. I hate being dependent on other people's traffic, or I should say one traffic source. So I would add clip store links to my other things and drive some more traffic to the store. It has served me well.

The 'pop' was always nice, and I still consider it when doing updates. But I consider that gravy traffic, and do not bank on it. It is not clips4sale's responsibility to get me traffic.

[notinmybackyard]

Question.

I have been in this industry for more than 40 years. So I have a lot of old footage and videos that have been doing nothing for several years.

I like the concept and I like the idea of opening up another revenu source.

But I am wondering if there is a non american alternative.
(I am not trying to appear anti-american... There is not a lot of english spoken in my films. Also I am noticing that things are not what they used to be with the United States and many of my old school colleges are gone or dead. And the current american porn industry business climate appears to be a... zoo. )

[JoshGirls Josh]

yeah that work thing...pretty important.

i was thinking of doing a paysite, & dropping off older clips into the clipstore so the paysite's size stays manageable. But i still worry about peoples passing over a subscription because they can drop a few bucks instead.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by joshgirls

yeah that work thing...pretty important.

i was thinking of doing a paysite, & dropping off older clips into the clipstore so the paysite's size stays manageable. But i still worry about peoples passing over a subscription because they can drop a few bucks instead.

No offense. Wrong outlook.

Whether $2 per clip 10 times a month. Or $30.00 membership.

A sale is sale.

[candyflip]

Do you have a ref link? I've got a TON licensed DVD content, this might work out for me too.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by candyflip

Do you have a ref link? I've got a TON licensed DVD content, this might work out for me too.

No referral link.

Just go sign up to all the clip stores, put in the work, and go buck wild man.

[tbkhor]

Friendly bump

[JoshGirls Josh]

yeah...i know a small sale is better than a no sale. pricing is a critical aspect of marketing your product & getting the sale. i just feel that having your product at 2.99 on the web takes away a chance at a bigger revenue bite. record industry deals with this shit when they try to sell albums instead of singles. the customers want the singles cause they can pay less & get what they want without paying filler. But in the end, the producer ends up with less money in his pocket.

But im speaking abstractly. you guys have the experience. you tell me what to do

[MsCheyenne]

Originally Posted by joshgirls

yeah...i know a small sale is better than a no sale. pricing is a critical aspect of marketing your product & getting the sale. i just feel that having your product at 2.99 on the web takes away a chance at a bigger revenue bite. record industry deals with this shit when they try to sell albums instead of singles. the customers want the singles cause they can pay less & get what they want without paying filler. But in the end, the producer ends up with less money in his pocket.

But im speaking abstractly. you guys have the experience. you tell me what to do

People have the option of purchasing my videos individually or buying a membership for $40 a month. My membership web site has thousands of videos and hi res photos....years worth. You would be surprised how many people spend more than $40. purchasing single clips than joining the web site...every month. Beyond that, think of selling clips like selling samples. You actually get paid for people to watch enough of your content to decide if they like it enough to join your web site. :-) Clips4Sale rocks.

Cheyenne

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by MsCheyenne

People have the option of purchasing my videos individually or buying a membership for $40 a month. My membership web site has thousands of videos and hi res photos....years worth. You would be surprised how many people spend more than $40. purchasing single clips than joining the web site...every month. Beyond that, think of selling clips like selling samples. You actually get paid for people to watch enough of your content to decide if they like it enough to join your web site. :-) Clips4Sale rocks.

Cheyenne

This pretty much answer's it nice and neat.