OnlyFans is self-described as, “The social platform revolutionizing creator and fan connections. The site is inclusive of artists and content creators from all genres and allows them to monetize their content while developing authentic relationships with their fanbase.” Since its launch in 2016, the company has amounted over 150 million subscribers (or fans). Presently, those fans can choose content from an estimated 1.5 million OnlyFans creators. Creators can offer free subscriptions or charge a recurring monthly fee—each with the potential of earning money through tips or paid content. The platform retains twenty percent of each monetary transactions that takes place. So, if a creator charges ten dollars for a monthly subscription, OnlyFans subtracts two dollars for overhead with eight dollars going to the creator.
The platform has a plethora of creators from musicians to makeup artists, and everyone in-between. However, what the service is infamous for is its all-variety adult entertainment. Famous creators include Cardi B and Bella Thorne. Both ladies provide sexual content as their main driving force. However, you don’t need to be a household name to drive sexual content and earn money. I should know… I became one of those NSFW creators.
I chose OnlyFans after I came across an article in Business Insider about Monica Huldt, known as Swedish Bella. Monica created an empire; reportedly earning over $100,000 a year. I read out of curiosity and ended up feeling a bit inspired… thinking, “I can do that.” However, as I quickly learned, it takes more than a casual thought to be open to putting your sexuality on display for all to see.
I felt good about my body and considered how much of it I was willing to share. This endeavor would require me to advertise myself on Instagram and Twitter to gather subscribers. My images would have to be enticing enough to attract followers, and OnlyFans’ photos had to be revealing enough to keep subscribers.
After discussing the idea with my husband, we agreed to give it a try. I opened an Instagram account and began loading my photos. My husband was previously a photographer and certainly didn’t mind helping. Between the two of us, I had a lot in inventory to publish.
Everyone needs a niche in sales, and mine ended up being smoking. At first, I wanted to avoid the concept given social climate regarding smokers; however, I wasn’t getting the traction I was hoping for in the beginning. When I started posting photos of me smoking, my followers increased rapidly.
During this time, I went through the process of signing up for OnlyFans—which requires a valid ID and personal information. You can use whatever name you’d like for the fans. Deciding what to charge for subscribers was most challenging. If you keep the price low, you’ll get more subscribers. That will increase the number of fans willing to pay for the more explicit content and offer tips. I settled on $6.66—catchy and low enough to draw in a crowd.
The key to keeping your spirits up in the initial stages is patience. The numbers are low at first, but the good thing is they can only go up. This was the start of over a year long adventure where I learned about not only my own sexuality, but those of my fans. I’ll be sharing my entire experience in future posts. I welcome any and all questions along the way.