Three Predictions for the post-OnlyFans World

The news that OnlyFans would ban sexually explicit content is a big shock for all creators. For countless people, OnlyFans has become an important source of income and there is no question that recent development has pushed a whole industry into chaos.

But the show must go on. There will be a world after OnlyFans. Yes, many creators will give up immediately. Others will fail to move their subscribers to a new platform. But then there are others who will take this moment of chaos as a chance and emerge stronger than they were before.

In this article, I will outline three predictions for the future of the amateur adult-content industry after OnlyFans so that you know how to turn a crisis into a victory.

Prediction #1: Fewer People will Buy Content

The demand for OnlyFans-like content will go down, or at least not grow as fast as it has in the last years. This is a trend we have observed already in the last months. The reason is the same that brought overnight success to many OnlyFans creators: The Covid19 pandemic. While OnlyFans has been big before the pandemic, a world in lockdown has caused the demand for sexual content to skyrocket. People not being allowed to date, being separated from their long-distance partners, working from home… You get the picture. Now that restrictions are being lifted and people stop working as much from home, the demand goes down again. Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if OnlyFans’ decision to pivot away from adult content is at least partially motivated by this trend.

But there is a second reason: Users now have to become active themselves. They have to create new accounts at all the different platforms their favorite creators will move to. They will have to get used to a new interface, they have to put in their credit card, again and again, they will have to remember new passwords, and so on. It’s a hassle. Sure, loyal fans will follow their creators without a doubt. But not everyone cares about your content so deeply and I wouldn’t be surprised if thousands of users will quit paying for content altogether.

Prediction #2: Users will Choose the new OnlyFans Replacement

Right now, there is chaos. Hundreds of thousands of creators are searching for a new home for their content and alternative platforms are competing to attract them. Fansly, PocketStars, or one of the many others will become the big player.

Now here’s the problem: Creators need to focus on the platform that will attract the most paying subscribers. Of course, your loyal fans will follow you anywhere, but to keep growing you need to be in the place where your future subscribers already are.

So what platform will be the new number one? I’ve seen a lot of discussions among creators who favor platforms run by other creators, or those that are very creator-friendly. It’s natural to want a new platform that cares for creators after feeling backstabbed by OnlyFans.

But here’s the thing: The paying users will decide what platform they like most and where they want to spend their money. They don’t care if you can upload your videos much faster. Or if the platform is run by a fellow SW. Or if the creator interface is so much nicer than anywhere else. Users. Don’t. Care.

A user cares about how the site feels to them. Does it look good? Is the site easy to use? Is the website fast? Are the majority of their favorite creators there? Do they feel comfortable entering their credit card details? That’s what counts! If you are on a site that feels weird to a user, they will not come back. And they won’t pay you money for your content.

What comes to mind in these discussions is the music streaming service Tidal. Though they are doing alright now, their launch has literally become a textbook example of how not to market your product. Tidal’s selling point was that they cared about the musicians and that they pay them more. From musicians for musicians so to say. Newsflash: Users couldn’t care less and the launch flopped. Keep this in mind when choosing a platform for your content and try to see it from a user’s point of view.

Prediction #3: The Days of Quick Success are Over

In early- to mid-2020 OnlyFans exploded with new users. Not only was it new, but also the demand for amateur/girl-next-door content was huge. This demand will never go away, but I think it peaked in early 2021. These days, it’s much harder to become a successful NSFW creator. A sinking demand, the lack of one big platform, and high competition have raised the bar a lot. But see it this way: Just because it’s harder doesn’t mean it’s impossible. And a raised bar also means that low-quality creators will be filtered out. That’s a big chance for you!

Okay, this article turned out a bit more bleak than I intended to. If you want to learn what you as a creator can do now, head over to our follow-up article: The post-OnlyFans Action List.