It’s a story told with Emma Kanngiesser, a 22-year-old content creator on OnlyFans. The earnings have been verified by Business Insider. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I started posting on Instagram when I was 14. When I turned 20 in 2021, I started working out more and posting photos that showed off my body. I grew my profile to 120,000 Instagram followers.
On days when I don’t post stories on Instagram, I get over a hundred DMs. Now, on days when my stories are performing well, that can be over 300 posts per day. I can’t answer everyone.
I wanted to connect more deeply with my most loyal fans, because I couldn’t respond to everyone. So I opened an OnlyFans account in November 2022 while I was still in college. I made $10,000 from OnlyFans my first month.
Less than two years later, I left my job as a yacht salesman at a real estate agency in January 2024 to focus full-time on my OnlyFans and creator business.
My income increased to $30,000 per month in January. More than $17,000 came from the messages. I increased my income to $58,000 per month on OnlyFans in just three months. In March, I made over $47,000 from posts.
I was nervous about posting on OnlyFans, so I started messaging.
I was really looking forward to posting on OnlyFans, even though my friends and family were very supportive. Many of my non-paid fan messages are sexual in nature and I didn’t know what to expect.
I posted a few photos that were sexier than my Instagram content and started messaging to make it easier. I was surprised by the conversations I was having. My followers seemed really interested in my character.
When I started my Instagram and OnlyFans journey, I saw it as a side hustle because I was still a student and had a part-time job selling yachts at a real estate agency. I was messaging in my free time for a few hours a day, and it was always difficult to find time to message between my other commitments.
But in January 2024, I started taking it seriously because I realized the potential for connecting with my fans.
I got a membership to a coworking space, where I spend at least eight hours a day on OnlyFans. I message about 200-300 people a day. I can message so many people because not all of my fans are online at once.
How I Created My OnlyFans Followers
I post sexier photos or videos of myself on OnlyFans, but I don’t have purely sexual conversations – I just flirt and show sexier content than on Instagram. My subscription costs around $20 per month.
Some people will leave once they see the sexiest photos. But when I start messaging and communicating with new fans, they find it more exciting to see a sexier photo of me. Creating this relationship with my fans is very important.
When I get a new subscriber, I send them a message to ask them how their day and their hobbies are going. Then I can build on that information and start a real conversation. I also share more information about myself, which makes them feel closer to me and creates a virtual bond.
When chatting with new fans or people I speak with regularly, I send photo or video content behind a paywall at a fixed price. They can decide to unlock it. Attaching photos or videos can be very lucrative.
My most popular request is a greeting video. I film myself telling a fan to have a good day or asking them how they are. For a 15-45 second video, I charge $100.
My best fans message me every day and we have real conversations
There are three types of people who spend money with me on OnlyFans.
About 20% are monthly subscribers who don’t send messages. They are curious but may not have the budget for personalized photos or videos. I am happy with any support I receive.
50% are guys who spend more money and message me regularly, but only stay for three to five months. They have busy lives and end up giving up.
The third category is the loyal fans who have never left me since my first month. They message me daily and spend money regularly. This represents 30% of my subscribers.
Because people can register anonymously, it’s also a safe space to talk openly with me about their problems and what’s going on in their lives. They will often want my opinion as an outsider without fear of people finding out. About 40% of my messages are flirty and sexy, while actual friendship and genuine conversations make up about 60%.
My long-term clients are often single, successful businessmen
My average long-term email client is usually successful because they can afford to spend a lot on the platform. Most have corporate jobs and have little time to get to know women offline.
They’re exhausted from work and just want to chat with someone who will be available at night or when they have a minute to get away. From what they tell me, they are usually not married or in a relationship.
A lot of my fans also don’t want to go to a bar because there’s no guarantee they’ll meet someone they’d be interested in. OnlyFans is a simple and straightforward way for these men to connect with the woman of their dreams. They can scour the internet for the woman who matches their ideal type and then message her directly.
A day in the life of an Only Fans creator
My day at the coworking space is like a day at the library for university students. I put on my headphones and post on social media. I always take photos and film videos when I’m out with friends or getting ready, so I’ll post that content. Once I post, I start sending messages.
After these two hours, I take a break to work out or eat. And then I repeat this same cycle until the sun goes down and it’s time to go home.
The messages and interest in me increased as I spent more time on it. You can’t establish the same level of deep connection with just one or two hours a day. The biggest change is the time I spend on it.
I constantly think about my OnlyFans business. If I’m not spending time with family or friends or working out, I message my fans.
Beautiful women and handsome men are everywhere. What distinguishes a creator is his character: all his little quirks, his likes and dislikes, his jokes or his humor. My connection with my fans grew as I had more time to show them more of my personality.
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