How do I start my OnlyFans? OnlyFans empowers content creators and influencers to unlock a wealth of hidden potential within their fanbase. But how does OnlyFans work, and what are the steps required to begin life as a creator?
Here are the 10 things you need to do first to get started on OnlyFans.
- Register an account
- Choose a recognisable username & display name
- Set up your homepage
- Research other creators and their content
- Connect your bank account
- Set your pricing
- Post your first content
- Begin your promotion
- Employ discounts and other growth strategies
- Keep track of your fan engagement and metrics
1. Register an account
To begin, head over to the OnlyFans site to register an account using a personal email, or a Google/Twitter account.
If you live in the USA, you will be required to complete a w9 form for tax purposes.
2. Choose a recognizable username & display name
A recognizable username is crucial to your success on OnlyFans.
Your username appears in your URL and referral “@“. Your username cannot contain spaces or capital letters.
Your display name is the name that appears on your profile and your feed, this can include spaces and capital letters.
For those with an existing following on Instagram or other platforms, we recommend you choose a username and display name relevant or identical to your platform with your largest following, to ensure your account is easily recognisable.
3. Set up your homepage
Even the best marketing strategy is useless if your profile can't capture that traffic as subscribers.
Your profile picture and header are the most critical elements of your OnlyFans page when trying to attract new subscriptions. They serve as an important advertisement and one of the main factors in turning page views into new subscriptions.
If you have an existing fanbase that recognizes you, it is important that your profile picture displays your face and allows users to be confident that it is in fact you.
When considering pictures for your banner, it is important to include images that indicate your style of content and highlight the quality of your private material.
Collages or custom-designed banners may be beneficial for some creators looking to add some style to their OnlyFans page.
We recommend Canva (graphic design tool) and Photopea (photoshop clone) as excellent online image editing tools to help you do this.
In addition to a profile picture and header, an about me is required to continue setting up as a creator. Some key things to include in your about-me include a description of yourself and an indication of your type of content. You should aim to excite and intrigue.
4. Research other creators and their content.
Content is king.
To make the best start on your OnlyFans journey, begin by studying similar creators who occupy a similar niche to that which you aim to create for. Niches are smaller areas of the market where you can target a specific audience type.
This starts with an understanding of other creator’s niches and content types. By picking a niche based on your content and personal preferences, you will have a better understanding of your target audience and be able to promote and market your profile accordingly.
This niche market and focused content strategy is key to you achieving regular new subscriptions and minimizing user churn.
By seeking out other creators targeting your niche, you will be able to gain an understanding of what pricing you should start with, what kind of content you should create, how you should engage with your fanbase and a whole host of other insights.
5. Connect your bank account
To take payments and withdraw earnings from OnlyFans, you are required to connect your bank account. Follow the prompts in your account settings.
6. Set your pricing
Pricing your OnlyFans is a delicate balance between your post frequency, content style, and use of other revenue strategies such as PPV messages.
Post frequency will be the main factor for many creators in terms of setting their pricing. More frequent posters, who post daily or multiple times a day, will be able to set a higher price for their subscription, compared to those who post infrequently, or only short-form content such as single images or short videos.
Content style is another thing to consider when deciding upon your pricing. Those specializing in very niche or unique content will find it easier to charge a premium for their specific style of content.
You need to find an appropriate balance between how often you can post, and your pricing.
If you're posting infrequently, or only short-form content such as single images or More frequent posters, who post daily or multiple times a day, will be able to charge a higher price for their subscriptions.
Some creators may choose to pursue a strategy of creating a free or low-cost subscription, pairing this with paid upsells such as pay-per-view messages and posts.
Keep in mind, the OnlyFans platform will take a 20% cut of all revenue.
7. Post your first content
Now that your profile is set up, and you’ve created a content strategy, it’s now time to upload your first pieces of content.
You should aim to post at least a few images/videos before you begin promotion, to encourage your first signups.
To assist you in creating your first content, you can utilize several apps and tools to help you enhance your photos and videos. We created a list of the best tools for onlyfans creators here.
8. Begin your promotion
Due to the often time-consuming nature of creating content, we recommend to some creators that they plan out one or two days of their week to create content, and then schedule their week's posts ahead of time. Kickstart your promotion by leveraging your existing social media reach and following. Instagram is #1 when it comes to this, due to its visual nature and engaged users.
Linking to your profile in your bio is the easiest way to drive traffic from your Instagram page, however, you should be careful about linking directly to your OnlyFans profile, as Instagram has been known to ban users for these links. Instead, utilize a link aggregator such as Linktree. These services also allow for you to track the sources of your traffic.
Reddit is another great place to share teases and attract early fans. By posting in niche-specific subreddits which fit your content style, you can reach a large audience quickly, one favoring your kind of content.
Cross-promoting with other creators also provides an exciting route for growth.
By partnering with other creators, you can mutually benefit by driving each other new, loyal fans. You can find the We recommend you reach out to those creators with similar content styles for the most effective cross-promotion. Facebook groups for OnlyFans creators provide a great place for you to meet other creators. Reddit also has similar subreddits for OnlyFans creators.
9. Employ discounts and other growth strategies
Discounts are a great way to drive new signups and encourage re-subs. You should be careful not to discount too frequently however, as this can not only cause you to miss out on revenue, but also can cheapen your brand if used too frequently.
We've written a complete guide to growing your OnlyFans here.
10. Keep track of your fan engagement and metrics.
Minimizing churn and maximizing re-subs is the #1 most important objective for every established creator once they have a sizeable following. OnlyFans provides a simple dashboard for tracking of your earnings and fans, displaying month-by-month revenue statistics broken down by type (i.e. subscriptions, tips, unlocks), but this functionality is very limited.
We’ve built FansMetric to solve this problem, and empower OnlyFans creators to increase their earnings, by providing the vital analytics and metrics that help you discover trends, find growth opportunities, and effortlessly monitor the health and well-being of your OnlyFans page.
