OnlyFans is diversifying its range!
The digital platform known for its NSFW content is revolutionising the viral beauty industry amidst the pandemic.
Founded in 2016 by British entrepreneur Timothy Stokely, OnlyFans is a subscription-based platform where users pay a monthly fee for access to a creator’s content— similar to Patreon but without the tiered membership system.
The platform has gained a lot of momentum since its inception due to a lack of content restrictions. Though not specifically designed just for porn, OnlyFans’ “anything goes” policy and airtight data security designed to protect both creator and subscriber make the platform a safe space for sex workers and voyeurs alike. As a result, Stokely’s brainchild is often credited for transforming the sex industry in just a few short years— granting entertainers full control of their content, image, and earning potential.
It’s this control that also appeals to viral stars who previously relied on ad revenue from increasingly unreliable algorithms to make a living. YouTubers Trisha Paytas and Tana Mongeau are amongst the most popular influencers to join the platform.
But it isn’t just sex wokers and social media stars reaping the benefits of OnlyFans.
Since the Coronavirus lockdown, the platform told The Zoe Report that it has seen a rise in subscribers interested in content that has nothing to do with porn, most notably, beauty experts.
Social media’s landscape has been evolving for years. Audiences that were once grateful for free content across platforms like YouTube, Instagram and podcasts have now come to expect it. An oversaturated market mixed with the ability to have instantaneous information at our fingertips has fostered entitled consumers who expect high-quality content at essentially no cost. This cultural shift has made it difficult for creators to build a following that they can monetise— they need to be creating enough content to satisfy audience expectations (which in turn satisfies algorithms) before they can monetise, but need to monetise before they can commit to spending enough time and resources creating said content.
It’s become an impossible dilemma for social media content creators over the last decade.
And one that OnlyFans seems to fix.
For many beauty influencers, joining OnlyFans is the best alternative to provide comprehensive, in-depth tutorials while getting paid to do so.
“You can charge as much (or as little) as you’d like without having to rely on using affiliate links or waiting for sponsorship opportunities to come to you,” says OnlyFans on the benefits of joining as a beauty influencer. “With OnlyFans, the ball is completely in your court.”
OnlyFans creator and skincare expert Joi Lyn Tines told The Zoe Report that OnlyFans also solves the problem of internet trolls— something viral personalities deal with on the daily. “If I didn’t have the same views on skincare [as my followers], those looking on would become angry,” she told TZR. “Eventually, I figured if no one wants to take my free advice, why not make money from a paying client who does? So if anyone wants to get information from me about skincare, they have to pay for it.”
The platform is equally beneficial for consumers, as the talent pool is smaller and thus easier to vet for genuine experts.
Those who are serious about beauty, skincare, grooming and well-being pay a small monthly subscription fee for access to expert advice from a source they grow to know and trust. In many cases, creators also guarantee 1:1 messaging or interaction with their subscribers, allowing beauty lovers to get personal tips and tricks from their favourite experts.
Alternatively, OnlyFans allows for ‘open pages,’ where creators post for free and only charge for personalised content.
Despite its association with the porn industry, OnlyFans can be a powerful and lucrative platform for all types of creators, and the site seems to be actively working to prove that.
We’re here for any platform that empowers both creator and consumer and can’t wait to see the amazing content that comes from its influence.
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