New platforms and social networks are constantly emerging. For many years we had Facebook as an untouchable platform that was used both as a social network and for business purposes. Then Instagram came a few years apart, and now new platforms like TikTok are appearing more and more often, reaching millions of users very quickly and becoming globally popular within a few months period.
OnlyFans, also known by the acronym OF, is one such platform. Although it has existed for over 5 years, during the pandemic it recorded a tremendous growth of users. OnlyFans is officially described as an internet content subscription service and is used for a variety of purposes. Many are shocked with the growth of this service, but it did not happen by accident, although it happened overnight, and the reasons are many. We will explain to you how OnlyFans got so popular, as well as other important things you need to know about OF.
Contents
What is OnlyFans?
In different places you will find different explanations of what exactly OnlyFans is. Wikipedia classifies OF as an “internet content subscription service” while in many places it is classified as a content-sharing platform or subscription-based social network. Each of these descriptions of OnlyFans is correct, as OF is a kind of crossover between the many different types of platforms available on the Internet.
Their headquarters are in London, and the founder, as well as the current CEO, is Tim Stokely, often described as “the king of homemade porn” but not only because he is the founder of OnlyFans but also because he had two similar business ventures before OF, and these are GlamGirls and Customs4U. As you can tell by the names, both were focused on adult content. OnlyFans was launched in November 2016 and Tim Stokely invested the borrowed money and promised his father that this would be the last time he would start something if he was not successful. The father was the company’s head of finance and the brother the chief operating officer. This was the structure of the company until 2018, when businessman Leonid Radvinsky, owner of MyFreeCams, bought 3/4 of the shares and became the majority owner.
Why OnlyFans is so popular?
It is impossible to explain in one sentence how did OnlyFans get so popular. One has to look at the bigger picture to conclude how OF has gone from a relatively unknown platform to a globally famous one. Although the creators of OF certainly had pornography and amateur as well as professional sex workers in mind, this platform is not limited to pornography, so it differs significantly from PornHub and other similar pornographic platforms. From the beginning, OF can be used by anyone who wants the space to show something, whether it is a musician, writer, cook or sex worker. That’s why OF is a great example of a content hub.
It should definitely be mentioned that OnlyFans was propelled by the coronavirus pandemic, similar to Netflix and TikTok, for example. OnlyFans had over 5 million users even before the pandemic, so it cannot be said that it was a small and unknown platform. But since people found themselves in a lockdown until today, the number of members is almost 20 times higher, because there are close to 90 million members now.
Suddenly, creators of various other content, such as gamers and personal trainers, started using it, and many fashion and other influencers switched from Instagram to OF. Also, the number of amateur porn creators jumped by more than 50% since many couples decided to make content while locked down as part of the quarantine measures.
It should not be forgotten that Beyoncé mentioned OF in the remix of the Megan Thee Stallion song, “Savage”, which added to the credibility and popularity of this platform. Many other celebrities mentioned OF and then OF came under the spotlight.
So our final answer to the question of how did OnlyFans get so popular maybe that it is a mixture of quality platform and great ideas, but certainly fortunate circumstances played a big part for OF owners because user growth would not be nearly as fast if a pandemic had not occurred.
Top creators
In this text, we’ve been discussing the thriving community of OnlyFans creators, which includes a diverse array of individuals from various niches. As we’ve already mentioned, there are over a million creators on OnlyFans, making it a dynamic platform for content creators. According to fansmetrics.com, you can find many free OnlyFans creators who have carved out their own unique spaces on the platform. One such notable example is Bryce Adams, who happens to be the top OnlyFans creator, boasting immense popularity among subscribers.
Now, you might be curious about how these free profiles manage to thrive on the platform and what motivates them to create content without charging for subscriptions. However, it’s important to note that even with a free profile, creators have several avenues to generate income. One approach is to offer certain premium content for a fee, allowing subscribers to pay only for the specific content they wish to access. Additionally, creators can receive tips from their fans, further enhancing their earnings. Moreover, OnlyFans offers a live-streaming option, and while this feature may come with a charge, other content remains free to access. The possibilities for monetization are indeed varied, providing creators with multiple avenues to capitalize on their popularity.
Interestingly, along with Bryce Adams, who holds the coveted title of the top OnlyFans creator, we find other notable personalities like OMGcosplay and Jessica Nigri, who rank second and third in terms of the most likes received. It’s worth mentioning that these creators also offer free content to their followers, showcasing the diverse approaches to success on the platform. Even a creator like lilianaheartsss, who occupies the fourth position in terms of likes, doesn’t impose a high subscription fee. Furthermore, the fifth position on the list of the top 5 most popular creators is secured by Natalie Monroe, whose profile offers an even more affordable subscription option than lilianaheartsss. This demonstrates that success on OnlyFans can be achieved through a variety of strategies and pricing models, catering to the preferences of a wide range of subscribers.
Famous people on OnlyFans
Same as on TikTok, the most popular are those who became famous on OnlyFans, and not globally popular people. However, many globally popular people also have an OF profile with many subscribers and followers, and some of them are Cardi B, Bella Thorne and Tyga.
Conclusion:
Although OF has become globally popular primarily because of pornography, you should not have an aversion to that platform, as it provides tremendous opportunities in all niches. And it is quite certain that the number of users will continue to grow. If you want to learn how to create content, follow the most famous OF creators, and you can do it for free.