The impact of the Instagram-to-Onlyfans pipeline on an influencer’s career

For years, many have argued that the influencer landscape is oversaturated with more influencers than ever before competing for a slice of the pie that has not grown fast enough to keep up with the demand. In order to supplement their income, some Instagram creators have turned to Onlyfans.

Despite being a social media network like any other, with a few distinguishing features here and there, Onlyfans has become synonymous with the adult entertainment industry due to the fact that it is the adult content creator’s social media network of choice, followed closely by Twitter.

Unlike Twitter, however, making use of Onlyfans can negatively impact the perception around a creator’s brand, even if they do not create and share adult content. 

This is according to Assil Dayri, director of the AMD Consulting Group specialising in digital marketing, social media, and customer acquisition.

“On Onlyfans, you’ll find chefs who use the platform to live stream recipes, fitness instructors who perform step-by-step workouts all interacting more closely with their loyal viewers. Simply put, Onlyfans has become a safe space where creators are less constrained by guidelines and can monetise their content while also building an intimate community with their super fans,” explained AMD Consulting Group in a statement. 

“All is fine but for all the marketing corporates propose can be very prejudicial since it’s no secret that Onlyfans is largely associated with adult-related content, but with the increase in online activity the content-sharing platform has evolved to redefine consumer engagement,” said Dayri. 

Risking your original audience

“Many influencers are not making as much money as they used to due to the amount of competition and the drop in audience engagement on major social networks like Instagram.

“They turn to Onlyfans to maintain or grow their lifestyle, but this puts their original audience at risk as they may not be in line with the new activities,“ explained Dayri. 

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“Imagine that your favourite beauty influencer that you’ve been following for years decides to join Onlyfans, which might lead you or other followers to look at that person differently and not want to engage with them anymore,” posits Dayri.

Instagram just isn’t what it used to be

It’s no secret that Instagram just isn’t what it used to be with changes to the algorithm as well as who and what this algorithm prioritises to show to people. 

The push toward video also forced creators to pivot while alienating those who either simply felt no need to keep up or felt that focusing on TikTok was a better idea.

“Less than a decade since its launch, Instagram has become the stage for influencers, promoting its most-followed users to celebrity status. An indisputable method for cultivating the global followers essential to an influencer’s cache capitalized on the marketing maxim: sex sells,” added Dayri.

This comment also touches on the fact that Instagram has strict content rules that forbid overt erotica.

Although this hasn’t stopped millions of influencers from showing off a little sensuality as a way of capturing attention for potential followers it has led to a significant number of creators turning to platforms where they won’t risk losing their entire account for flouting an ever-changing set of rules.

The Instagram-to-Onlyfans pipeline

According to Dayri, influencers have found ample opportunity and success on their respective Instagram accounts and are now broadcasting that success into quantifiable views and subscriptions on their Onlyfans account.

“There is no doubt that technological advancement will continue to shape many aspects of human life as time goes on. But all too often we see harmful or inappropriate content on social media,” said Dayri.

“All brands that work with influencers and micro-influencers hope that this behavior will never be associated with one of them. However, if an influencer has posted derogatory content on social media, the brand associated with that influencer is strongly associated with that fact.”

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Not only can the association with Onlyfans and the creation of adult content impact brand relationships between brand managers and influencers, it can also prevent creators from reaching professional goals due to the currently upheld (albeit archaic) beliefs around adult content and sex work. 

“Think about the impact on image or personal brand, many women have been fighting to be respected, valued, and promoted in the workspace,” begins Dayri, before adding “starting Onlyfans is a personal choice, however we’ve seen that it would not empower them in their professional life as it might even prevent them from reaching professional goals.” 

Dayri also noted the fact that many women shared that starting an Onlyfans has been seen as something that promotes the mindset that women are just sex objects for men’s entertainment. 

“This is backwards and we need to evolve from depravity,” concluded the specialist.

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