Dear SP's, I have a question for you.

[MelanieBunny 13390]

Do you ever have slow weeks? Or weeks were you don't have any clients at all?

 

What do you do about that? How does it effect you?

 

 

I haven't had any all week and it's really taken a toll on my mental health, it certainly doesn't make me feel good. I'm looking for suggestions, or tips and tricks I suppose, but also just want to know what YOU do when you have no clients.

[Leviathan31 8387]

Even though I'm not a SP (although I play one on TV - sorry, bad 80's humor), I may be able to chime in with info I know.

 

I've spent many-a-night texting with a friend who works regularly (I would usually drive her home, so I needed to know when she was wrapping up for the night, etc.). We would text throughout the nights and I got a pretty good feel for the flow of clients/when it was slow, etc. I can't count how many nights she would be upset and want to go home early because nobody was booking or even texting. I've seen her go full nights with only one client....seen slow weeks, etc. But I've also seen really busy nights, where she would go home early cause the night was so good. I've seen nights that even shocked her (and she isn't new to the business), they were that good.

 

First off.....I will say, do not, in any way, take it personally (even though that's probably pretty hard to do) - do not allow slow times to mess with your mental physique. I've seen your pics on this site and can say you are very hot (and I'm one who usually goes for the spinner type). You ooze a certain unobtainable sexuality (I see it come through in your pics) - YOU'RE fine, trust this......

 

Now, as for why there may be slow times....

 

1. End/Start of the month - bill time = less spending money. In the same vein, you may see a slow-down around "spending times" ......like when school supplies are being bought or Christmas.

 

2. Concentration of competing ads due to time of year. For instance, this nicer weather is bringing out more girls, expecting more business. Summer is busier than winter, etc.

 

3. Quality of competing ads - sometimes there will be an influx of girls coming from out of town/new girls, which draws clients away from local girls. The guys really like trying something new sometimes.....which leads me to.....

 

4. This business (like the bar/restaurant business) is pretty circular. I used to own a couple bars and had the same feelings I think you are displaying. Why was the bar so dead this month....what are we doing wrong?? If you spend any regular time in bars downtown, you will see this pattern of highly busy....then a taper-off, then back to busy. People like change in their entertainment and tend to follow others.....if a bar is the hot spot, it's the hotspot because it's the hotspot. If it's dead, it's because it isn't known as the hotspot of the month and people walk in and end up leaving cause there is nobody there. This slightly transfers over to the escort world in the sense that there are just up and down times, depending on many factors like good/bad reviews, newness to the business, etc. If it's bad for you now, it will get better....and there will be down times again. :)

 

5. Location plays a factor too. If you use one location over and over that isn't the best in guys eyes, you may not see as much repeat business or if you book a hotel that is lower-end, etc. On the flip side, sometimes staying in a different spot/higher end place will comfort the client more so, bringing in more business. Sometimes, after a clients sees you in a "good" location, they may be more apt to visit in a less than stellar location the next time. Perceptions/familiarity play a role.

 

6. How much you work. Obviously, if you are available/advertise all the time, there is no "rush" to try and see you and you will tend to feel the effects of the circular pattern more. If you work, say, one or two days a month, those days WILL usually be busy. The escort I lived with only worked/advertised a couple days a month. In the days in-between, she would be contacted by a lot of regular clients....the odd time she would do an outcall, but didn't prefer outcalls. I've seen guys pay $100 more or even double the regular price to get to see her in the off weeks. A lot of the times, when she would go back to work, she had many clients already waiting for her return or even pre-booked. Unavailability is good sometimes, but not an attractive plan when things are slow, sadly - but it has to be done from time to time.

 

7. Ads and pics!!! Some men have the attention span of an after-dinner mint. Once they see your ad one time, they immediately form an opinion/choice in their head. So, every time they see that same ad, they think the same thing. If they get a positive opinion, you're set, but if you get bumped down to the "maybe" section or even the "no way" section, you are kinda stuck there. Adding new pics/different ad wording can sometimes shake it up and give those maybe/no way guys a chance to rethink things. If your current ad is working fine, don't mess with it too much - I've seen ads on Backpage that haven't change at all in years.

 

 

Those things may help explain down times, and here are some solutions I've seen used.....

 

1. Changing pics/ads/posting more ads.

 

I know on Backpage, if you use the free ad option, I don't think your ad shows up in the Gallery view, which is the most popular section guys will go to. If you go to the "Date" section (where free ads run), you will see how many more ads there are vs the Gallery view. I believe to put up a full ad is like 4-5 bucks and you will have to pay that amount again to bump it up/make another post....but you will be viewed by a lot more potential clients.

 

I'll tell ya.....until I read that you worked, I thought you were just a girl who liked posting on Lyla.....I go on Backpage/Lyla a lot and never saw your ad (I usually use Gallery view on BP). I had to kinda dig a bit to find you. :)

 

2. Changing rates/services.

 

This usually happens when things are slow/competitive. If you see one girl offering "$80 specials", usually more will pop up doing the same thing. Like in all commerce, people want deals and sometimes you have to offer them - but that is your choice.

 

Also, you may see girls pop up that are offering services they didn't before. There is one girl on BP who doesn't look like she struggles to find clients, but lately she has been offering a service she didn't before and it's a rather big jump type service. Maybe she evolved to doing that in her personal life and has added it to the menu now that she is comfortable with it, or........ maybe she is adding it to trump up more business? Most girls are pretty set in what they offer though and it would take a major change/lack of business for them to deviate from that. It's an option though....

 

3. Providing an excellent service/Communications.

 

If you are offering a great service, sometimes, ya just gotta stick with it and hope word spreads......conversely, if you find things are realllllly slow, it could stem back to the quality of the visit for the guys (not saying this is the case with you - I have never seen you). Some providers are, well, just not that good at what they do and word spreads and they slowly lose clientele. In cases like this, an option is trying another city/travel to where you are not well-known and milk that areas as much as you can and move on (hey, it happens lol).

 

 

Other than those things, I guess patience is your best recourse of action most of the time. You will have down weeks....even months, but if you provide a good service, visibly get yourself out there, are somewhat consistent and keep a good attitude, the good times will come. Heck, there will probably be times you will look back on this thread and say, "How was I ever that slow???". :) :)

 

Hope any/some of that helps!

[inlove 563]

Very strange. When I search for "Melanie" on backpage it shows your two ads for today. When I scroll down the list I can't see your ads. I've been down and back the list 20 times, they're not there.

 

Can anyone else check this?

[MelanieBunny 13390]

Very strange. When I search for "Melanie" on backpage it shows your two ads for today. When I scroll down the list I can't see your ads. I've been down and back the list 20 times, they're not there.

 

Can anyone else check this?

You just said that my two I posted for today came up, so I'm not sure why you're unable to find them now..

[inlove 563]

Only when I searched for "Melanie" the the two adds with Melanie came up separate. But when I looked down the list of all the adds together they weren't. there.

 

Additional Comments:

Same again now. I look through yesterday's ads. No ad for Melanie. I type Melanie into the search bar, one comes up, but it's not there in the list of all the ads.

 

Additional Comments:

I've taken screen shots of the list for yesterday. Your ad isn't there. Again - if I search for Melanie, ot will bring up your ad.

[Leviathan31 8387]

That glitch seems to happen a lot.

 

I've searched names and saw numerous ads. Clicked on that ad and found the time the ad was posted - went back to the list and checked for ads around that time (in Gallery view) and the ads were not there.

[inlove 563]

I've literally never seen Melanie's ads without a direct search. This is a factor I'd keep an eye on if I were you Melanie.

[Guest B**H]

Not sure what the reason is but if you sort by date, the ads are all there, they just do not show up in the gallery. Having never posted on BP myself I cannot say why that is...might be just a simple tick box...I do not know. But there is more than one SP that posts regularly whose ads do not show up in the gallery view.

[Leviathan31 8387]

Ya - if you search Melanie or Bunny right now, it will bring up one ad....from May 7th.

 

That same ad also shows up in the "Date" view under May 7th. :)

[inlove 563]

That explains it.

 

My default view is "top" and Melanie's ads don't show up at all in that view for May 7th.

 

When I click on "date" then the ad shows up.

 

I think this could be a factor, I assumed that all the ads under May 7th we "all the ad" but unless I click the "date" tab it just shows the top ads on May 7 not all.

[denpetty 1363]

You have to keep scrolling down to additional ads for find the other ones dated for that day.

[Mikeyboy 27133]

Great post Leviathan. Very informative.

 

I know on Backpage, if you use the free ad option, I don't think your ad shows up in the Gallery view, which is the most popular section guys will go to. If you go to the "Date" section (where free ads run), you will see how many more ads there are vs the Gallery view. I believe to put up a full ad is like 4-5 bucks and you will have to pay that amount again to bump it up/make another post....but you will be viewed by a lot more potential clients.

 

Not sure what the reason is but if you sort by date, the ads are all there, they just do not show up in the gallery. Having never posted on BP myself I cannot say why that is...might be just a simple tick box...I do not know. But there is more than one SP that posts regularly whose ads do not show up in the gallery view.

 

All of this is news to me. I wasn't aware that there were different ads showing depending on how you sort them. Seems like sorting by "date" shows all of the ads, while sorting by "top" (the default) gives you less. Sorting by "gallery" gives even fewer still (presumably because they are paid ads if I understand you).

 

I have always sorted by gallery because hey, I'm visual. I recognize photos and determine very quickly if it's an ad I've seen before. (A system Leviathan also alluded to.) I always assumed that all of the ads would be there regardless of how they were sorted. I know differently now but I doubt most people do.

 

I assume most people view the way I did, which might explain your slow spell. Honestly I don't think I had ever seen your bp ads. (I would have remembered them ;) ) You may want to seek the advice of other sp's who use bp to fully understand the ins and outs of best ways to get your ad seen. It seems far more complicated than I would have thought.

 

Good luck Melanie. Great first recco by the way. That aught to help.

[denpetty 1363]

I think and this is from other sp's is you have to pay by bitcoins or some sorts to get your ad posted on the first page, near the top of that day and if not then you go to the additional ads where Melanie is all the time. Also Melanie, do you prefer email than text cause most of your ads do not have your number?

[Exotic Touch Danielle 31728]

It happens to us all! During the holidays, they may not be financially able to, perhaps they have interest in someone else or maybe they are too busy....there really is no right or wrong answer there could be many reasons why no one is calling or has booked!

 

All you can do is try to keep money put to the side for rainy days and keep a positive outlook...tomorrow is another day

[Leviathan31 8387]

Ya, here is how the ad set-up works as I know it......

 

 

"Top" is basically "Gallery", but without the pics. Unless you have a paid ad, it will not show up in either of these views.

 

"Date" is where anyone at all can put up a free ad if they sign up to BP. This is the section where you will find wayyyyy more ads; but, here is the thing.....some of those ads are, well, pretty sketchy - let's put it this way....the "Date" section of BP makes the "Gallery" section of BP seem like Lyla. lol I won't go into what kind of ads are in the "Date" section, but there are some doozies.

 

There are also "Sponsored Ads" - these are the ones you see on the side/bottom of the page - they are like $3.50 extra when you make an ad. My friend used to use this option all the time, but it seems kinda useless to me....but then again, if you pay for an ad and then it drops to page 2, the sponsored ad will still be on the bottom of page 1 in the "Sponsors" area. I don't think a lot of people view these ads....because they are "Sponsor Ads", I think a lot of people think they are "external"....like ads for girls in other towns or porn sites, etc. It's basically just the same girls you see above in the Gallery View I believe.

 

I think Melanie wants to focus more on Lyla. The ads/announcements/girls who are members on Lyla are viewed as different/more trustworthy/established than the "BP Girls" and the people who use Lyla to find SP's may be a different breed than those who exclusively use BP.

 

If she did want more info on posting on BP, it's pretty simple.

 

- You sign up for an account (which I assume is already needed to post a free ad)

- Go to your account and click "buy credits".

- Use these credits to buy "Upgrades" - once you upgrade, the ad will show up in Top and Gallery (or Sponsored, if you wish). To post a paid ad is like $3 Canadian I think and another $3 Canadian each time you re-post. There is an option that BP will automatically bump your ad back to the top each day and an option to just keep automatically posting your ad every hour - you pre-pay a bunch of credits for these options.

 

Now, here is the bad part. In the past, one could simply enter their credit card info to buy credits, but BP has removed that option because Visa/Mastercard did not want anything to do with it.

 

The payment options now are either pre-paid Vanilla Visa Cards, Gift Cards, Money Orders or *shudder* Bitcoin.

 

Bitcoin is horrible because most people have no clue how to even buy Bitcoin and the ads you see on BP for "Buy Backpage credits!!" are companies that will sell you Bitcoins at a HUGE markup.

 

First time I bought Bitcoins for a friend, I signed up to what is supposedly the most trusted site to buy Bitcoins. I said I wanted to buy $40 Canadian (about $30 American). A large list shows up of sellers and their "rates" (which fluctuate all the time - it's like buying stocks - lol). Some dude in Vegas sells me $40 Canadian in Bitcoins via Paypal. It gets me something like 2.8 Bitcoins. On my Paypal, I am charged $30 American, plus some fee, but when I went to Backpage to "buy credits with Bitcoin", I ended up having 17 credits worth of Bitcoins because of the rate/exchange - I dunno - it just sucked. I basically lost 10-13 credits by using Bitcoin. Had I have straight up used a credit card, I would have ended up with closer to 30 credits for my $40.

 

So, ya, somebody is making money on this whole Bitcoin thing, but the inexperienced end user seems to get shafted if they don't buy them at the right time or something.

 

I have recently seen girls who have signed up to BP have the Credit Card option for buying credits show up, but I'm not sure why/how, as it was removed.

 

I have access to a BP account that is older and still has the credit card option.....that account may be valuable down the road. lol

[Parker 19761]

Do you ever have slow weeks? Or weeks were you don't have any clients at all?

 

What do you do about that? How does it effect you?

 

 

I haven't had any all week and it's really taken a toll on my mental health, it certainly doesn't make me feel good. I'm looking for suggestions, or tips and tricks I suppose, but also just want to know what YOU do when you have no clients.

 

Aside from my daily yoga and running, having a day-job helps a lot, (especially if you don't have a lot of savings.)

 

Having to rely solely on this business to stay fed and such can be really, really difficult.. especially if you end up in a situation where you need the money- but the person contacting you sounds less than safe/desirable.

 

I've found that making sure you don't end up in a situation where you have to take additional risks to get by can help a lot in keeping yourself safe and sane.

[Taffer 2280]

From what I've heard talking to escorts, if you don't pay to get a top ad at Backpage it will limit your exposure. I'm not sure if the gallery view also only shows the top ads or not...

[Katherine of Halifax 113932]

You may post one free ad per day. This free ad is not always reliable , sometimes it shows up and sometimes it doesn't .

 

The only way to have guaranteed exposure is to pay . I have an account with them as I have for years . New people have to use bitcoins which is a pain and almost double the cost.

 

I pay for each hour I want my ad boosted to the top. For example if I want to work between the hours of 10 AM 5 PM to I set my page up to boost every hour until 4 PM. This costs $21 or $3 per hour. It ads up but its the only way people will see your if you want to work.