One of the recent game-changers in the creator economy and the adult entertainment industry has been the emergence of fan-subscription platforms.

There’s a multitude of different platforms out there, but – in terms of creating adult content – the big players are OnlyFans and JustFor.Fans.

On the face of it, starting a fan-subscription channel seems like a pretty sweet deal – you take some sexy photos, you film some sexy videos, you upload it and people pay a subscription to see what you’ve got.

But being a content creator of any description is hard work. When it comes to creating explicit content, there’s some additional complications.

Let’s get into it.

Naked on the internet

It’s kind of obvious, but if you’re going to be creating explicit content for your fan-subscription channel, that means that you’re going to be naked on the internet. Sure, you can use a stage-name, or you can wear a mask – there are some steps you can take to try and separate your online presence from your real-world life. But the reality is that you won’t be able to keep it a secret for ever. You need to be prepared for people – like, everyone you know including your entire family – to know that you have a fan-subscription channel and to see you naked. That’s just how the internet works.

The good news is that – in some respects – some of the taboos around nudity and sex work are being eroded. Most jobs will probably be fine with you having an online side-hustle. Just don’t kid yourself that no one is ever going to find out.

Building your brand

There’s a lot of porn on the internet and there’s a lot of guys with fan-subscription channels. One of the big challenges is figuring out how to get a bit of attention for the content that you’re creating.

Marketing your content is equally as important as creating your content.

Social media is generally the most effective way of promoting fan-subscription channels – you are going to need to be a social media whiz.

Collaborating with established content creators is a good way of getting some exposure but you’ll often find that creators with big followings are very selective about who they will work with.

Create content that matches your brand

You don’t necessarily need to invest big in high-end equipment, but you do need to put some thought into lighting, sound, and editing.

What is the finished product that you are trying to create and what is required to achieve that?

Remember, there is a lot of competition out there and there are plenty of people producing content that is studio-level quality.

It’s okay to produce a more home-made style of content, but make sure that this is reflected in your brand and your marketing. You don’t want potential subscribers to be disappointed when they sign up to your channel.

Retaining your audience

Once you’ve got someone to subscribe to your channel, the next challenge is to retain them and keep them renewing their subscription. Subscriber churn is one of the big features of the way this industry works.

To a certain extent, subscribers are always looking for something new and fresh, so you have to expect some level of churn and build that into your marketing plan.

However, there’s a couple of things you can focus on in order to minimise churn as much as possible.

• Regularly post quality content. If it feels like you’re inactive, subscribers will quickly move on to someone else.
• Build a relationship with your audience. If your subscribers develop an emotional connection with you and become emotionally invested in you, they’re more likely to be loyal subscribers who want to see you succeed.

Put the work in

There is nothing easy about building and running a fan-subscription channel. Even if it’s just a side-hustle you’re doing for a bit of extra cash, it takes a lot of work – scheduling collaborations, filming and editing the content, marketing the content, and engaging with your audience.

Most guys with a fan-subscription channel don’t make a lot of money. The big names in this business work very hard and take it very seriously.