I created a positive OnlyFans to make ends meet.
A group of content creators claims that it is possible to make money on OnlyFans without the need for nudity. I decided to put that claim to the test.
As I left home on a cloudy Tuesday morning to walk my dog, I encountered an enthusiastic neighbor who greeted me, saying: “I heard you have an OnlyFans now!” I began to question whether I had made a terrible mistake by opening an account on this platform. OnlyFans has, so to speak, a rather marked reputation. Although it presents itself as a way for content creators to connect with their audience, it is primarily known for one type of content: sexual content.
When friends and acquaintances find out that, as a 43-year-old father, I have created an OnlyFans account, they seem intrigued. When I clarify that my content is non-sexual and completely safe for work, the next question is inevitable: “Why?” In their minds, it is clear that “having an OnlyFans” implies doing sensual things online in exchange for money.
OnlyFans, which had $658 million in pre-tax earnings last year, seeks to change this perception. For every college student sharing nude photos to make money, there is a housewife posting DIY tips or an emerging musician showcasing their latest songs, at least according to the accounts presented on the company's blog.
“Everyone is acting on social media, where you have to be careful about showing parts of your body or saying very risqué things,” says John Hastings, a 39-year-old comedian speaking to me from his home in Los Angeles. However, he acknowledges that on OnlyFans, he sometimes receives messages from people looking solely for more explicit content.
Most of the content creators I talk to have a presence on various social media platforms like Instagram, X, and YouTube. Although the audience on OnlyFans tends to be smaller than on other platforms, their followers are usually more engaged and, more importantly, must have a bank account linked to their profile, ready to be used.
Dudley Alexander, a 33-year-old R&B artist who launched his OnlyFans account in 2019, considers himself a pioneer in this non-sexual space within the platform. He has accumulated over 67,000 "likes" on his account, where most of his followers are there for his music. However, he has also faced situations where fans try to pressure him into providing sexual content.
For those unfamiliar, the main page of OnlyFans has a simple design, with lots of white space and black and blue text. Still, exploring beyond the homepage can lead you to explicit content. The company does not break down how the $5.3 billion distributed to creators last year was split between sexual and non-sexual content.
With the intention of getting some of those earnings, I decided to open my own account at the end of September. After verification, my intention was to make a one-minute video introducing myself, but I quickly realized the discovery problem on OnlyFans. No matter the type of content, finding it is complicated due to limited search options, which only allow searching among the posts of people you already follow.
To increase the visibility of my account, I went to the social media platforms I already had, sharing posts on X and LinkedIn. Reactions were varied, from mocking comments to several automated messages suggesting a follower exchange on OnlyFans. As a result of all the noise, I gained a meager follower on the platform.
In the end, I uploaded a video of myself reading a literary classic, which increased my account to five followers. I then tried to introduce one of my locked posts asking for a $5 fee for some public relations advice. Despite promoting it again on X and LinkedIn, I found no one willing to pay.
I was frustrated by the platform's design, which complicates casual exploration. Unlike other networks like Instagram or TikTok, where you can browse freely, OnlyFans has its posts locked, which may deter potential interests.
Despite the limitations, content creator accounts on OnlyFans grew by 29% last year, reaching 4.1 million. However, it seems that most users are not there for non-sexual content. One advantage of OnlyFans is that it allows creators to have direct payments from the start, which is a benefit compared to other platforms that do not offer monetary rewards until the creator reaches a certain level of popularity.
Although OnlyFans' 20% commission is relatively low compared to some platforms, the experience of creators is not always positive. Most non-sexual content creators I spoke to were reserved about their earnings, and one comedian told me that, in a year, he had earned less than $100. Despite the company's efforts to diversify, the reality is that many potential subscribers hesitate to join the site due to the stigma it still carries.
In conclusion, after a few weeks, my total earnings on OnlyFans are zero dollars. I did not receive inappropriate messages, but I now have a funny anecdote to share next time I run into my neighbors.
