The adult content platform Onlyfans was created in 2016 and had its first headquarters in London, initially as a social network based on a monthly paid subscription service in order to view certain profiles. Although it took very little time to start gaining users and achieving success, it went through several stages in which it redefined its focus. By 2019 it was a success and had thousands of subscribers, but the big leap came in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the exclusive adult-content segment to grow incredibly. At that time it positioned itself as a social network in which certain users posted content—mostly related to eroticism—and others paid to access it.

The truth is that in recent years its focus has been redefined, and we can no longer claim that it is only a platform based on erotic posts; rather, the themes it covers have expanded remarkably and it is becoming an increasingly broad tool. Today there is a wide variety of genres that can be found across different profiles, and this means that users who want to monetize their content must be increasingly specific when targeting a particular audience. Therefore, it is essential to be very clear about which niche we want to address when producing our content—and this is by no means easy to define. Through this article we want to help beginners understand how to choose a niche to target on Onlyfans, and that’s why we will cover everything in detail.

What is a niche?

To determine which niche we should target with our Onlyfans productions, it is essential first to know what a niche is and then to identify which ones exist within the field. To begin with, we can consider the Royal Spanish Academy’s definition of a market niche: it is a term used to refer to a portion of a market segment, made up of individuals who share similar characteristics and homogeneous needs that are not fully covered by the general market supply.

Putting it into more everyday language, we can say that a niche is a type of audience we target with a given product or service, seeking to meet their needs and demands. In the case of Onlyfans, the product we market is our profile, which is made up of our posts—that is, the content we create. For example, creating content aimed at people aged 18 to 25 is not the same as creating it for people over 60. Age is just one of many variables we can consider, but the important thing to keep in mind is that if we make “general” posts and try to appeal to every audience, we will likely end up targeting none specifically and have fewer chances of gaining subscribers.

Some of the variables considered when identifying a niche include lifestyle, sexual orientation, daily practices, industries, among many others.

What niches exist in the adult-content segment?

Speaking specifically about adult content platforms—and specifically about Onlyfans, which is the leader in the field—we can identify several niches that are already established and that we can choose to get started. The potential to earn money on this social network exists and is very large; some people have even become millionaires by monetizing the content they post on their profile. What’s required is to give proper importance to finding a specific audience that might be interested in our profile (as well as to the complementary marketing and promotional strategies).

Within Onlyfans, the niches you can find are quite broad and constantly expanding, and to grow it is essential to stay alert to these trends so you can identify them and then address them with photo or video productions. Some of the most important ones we can identify at the moment are:

• Cosplay: productions in which the artist portrays an already existing character, usually related to fiction or video games. Accessories and costumes are typically used to make the portrayal more realistic.
• Dance: more and more artists are posting videos of different dances and choreographies. They are not strictly erotic, but they are often sensual dances that motivate subscribers.
• Modeling: a great many users are interested in posts related to clothing items, and there is also the appeal of the person modeling while showcasing those items. These can be videos or photographs.
• Nutrition and physical exercise: this is a very interesting theme for a large portion of the audience, as many people care about their health and therefore subscribe to accounts that post productions about workouts or how to eat well.
• Feet: although it may seem unusual, this is one of the segments that has grown the most recently. A significant percentage of Onlyfans users are interested in foot-related content, especially for the marketing of socks or footwear.
• Transgender: just as some people look to satisfy their needs by following profiles of people of the opposite sex, many are also interested in transgender creators.
• Gay and lesbian: as with the previously mentioned niche, it is increasingly common for men, for example, to seek profiles of people of the same sex—and the same is true for women.
• MILF: older individuals also have an audience that wants to see erotic photos or videos, and that’s why in recent times it has become a specific genre related to so-called “MILFs.”

How to choose a niche to target on Onlyfans?

After identifying some of the most important niches we can target on the platform, the remaining question is how to choose one. Any of the options is viable, but it is difficult to know which is the right fit for each artist who is starting their career as an adult content creator. Therefore, in this final section we will offer some tips that may help you make the right decision.

Analyze our skills and what we like to do

This is a fundamental point to keep in mind, since we might find a niche that is extremely profitable yet still not the right one for us. Everyone has different traits, and we must know how to make the most of them. That’s why it’s key to analyze what we are good at and in which of the niches mentioned we could make the most of our skills. For example, if we know we are good at dancing, we can devote ourselves to the dance niche—and the same applies to modeling. Otherwise, we are unlikely to see returns.

Another important point is that what we choose should preferably be something that motivates us and that we enjoy doing. When you devote yourself to something you like, you generally do it with passion, and that comes through in your productions. Even if we make our best effort, if the niche we choose doesn’t attract us at all, we won’t have much chance of progressing.

Be specific

The ideal way to build a loyal audience is to be as specific as possible within the segment you choose. For example, if you choose Cosplay, keep in mind that there are also “sub-niches” within that segment, and there are audiences who are more interested in certain types of cosplay than others. That’s why it’s essential to target that specific audience, trying not to be generic but to seek the specific demand. In doing so, we might leave out a portion of the audience, but those we do attract will likely be more loyal.

Know the audience

Although it may seem like an obvious or logical piece of advice, it is essential to understand as much as possible the needs and demands of the audience we are targeting. The more information we have about that audience, the more likely we are to produce the right content to captivate users. The recommendation is not to rely solely on our prior knowledge or assumptions, but to conduct research and consult with colleagues who can help broaden our perspective.