Here's Exactly How OnlyFans Works For Creators

When signing up on social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok, all you have to do is enter your email address, and boom — you're ready to share selfies and videos with all your followers. But is that how OnlyFans works, too?

As opposed to signing up for OnlyFans, you have to register, which means the platform must first approve your account. Once you start posting content — and gaining traction with your subscribers or "fans" — things can get a little more complicated. The site is, after all, a way to make money (and a pretty good one at that).

So, let's say you've officially decided to create an OnlyFans account, whether it's to share cooking, exercise, or makeup tutorials, videos of a sexier nature, or something in between. According to the OnlyFans blog, you don't have to sign a contract or anything like that. You can then use your account like any other social media form, where you share content for free.

Once you reach a point where you're happy with your fanbase and have good engagement, that's when you might consider inviting your fans to pay for exclusive content on your channel.

Monetize Your OnlyFans

According to the OnlyFans blog, it'll be up to you to decide when and how to officially launch your account in this way. You might do it after a lot of careful planning — including deciding what type of content you'll offer, how often you'll post, etc. — or you might just throw yourself in and see what happens.

But as far as money goes, "what makes OnlyFans so lucrative is a combination of your subscriber numbers and your subscription rate." That's why you'll need to decide how much you'll charge for access to this premium content, based on what you're offering and how many people are currently following you.

Go with a rate that seems fair and affordable for your audience, knowing that typically about 1 to 3% of followers subscribe. According to OnlyFans, it’s better to have 150 subscribers at $6.99 than 50 subscribers at $9.99.

Promote Your Profile

Of course, the best way to get more followers is to promote your OnlyFans on other platforms, like your Instagram or Twitter, according to Roula MindBodyLife, who shared a YouTube video on the subject.

You might go to Twitter and tweet something like, "OnlyFans exclusive promo for the next three days!" along with a link to your page. If you don't want to remain anonymous, Roula suggests updating your profile picture and banner to show off your content and include your OnlyFans link in your bio.

According to the OnlyFans blog, it's also helpful to mention your exclusive content in your free videos. Throw out a teaser regarding what fans will get if they subscribe, and hopefully, some of them will bite.

Keep Posting Content

Again, as with every social media platform, you'll want to keep your OnlyFans content fresh and new — especially if you're trying to make money. If fans feel like they see the same thing repeatedly, they won't have an incentive to continue their subscription.

As noted on the OnlyFans blog, "launching on OnlyFans is all about extending the content experience, doing exclusive subscriber-only content, and adding more depth and variety that they are happy to pay for."

You might, for instance, share a sexy pic on your Instagram along with a link to your OnlyFans where subscribers can "find out what happens next." Or you could post a workout photo and then share a whole routine on OnlyFans. The site has a lot going on, but it starts to make sense the more you use it.