Membership sites have undoubtedly enabled content creators and users to benefit from each other. Membership platforms like OnlyFans, ManyVids, Fansly, LoyalFans, and others let users fund content creators directly with monthly subscriptions, one-time tips, and pay-per-view (PPV) features.
Content creators, both professionals, and amateurs, mainly use fansites. As it allows users to access custom content from their favorite adult creator or model, these platforms have a significant presence among users. Data shows, in 2026, the membership-subscription market will reach $904.28 billion, up from $72.91 billion in 2021, a growth of over 1000%.
So what does it say? Your decision to start a membership platform for your fans and followers is 100% correct. So without further ado, let’s get into the article.
Step-by-step Guide to Starting a Membership Platform for Fans
You don’t need to worry about launching your fansite because we’ve covered you with a step-by-step guide.
1) Pinpoint your Niche & Target Audience
You’re not starting your fansite for everyone, so you have to define what niche you want to target with your site. Having multiple niches is okay if you’re compatible with them all.
After deciding on your niche, start to research your target audience. Don’t skip this process because it is one of the essential factors determining your membership platform’s success.
The first step in researching your target audience is to define what demographics your membership site will focus on. For example, if your fansite only offers your cosplay models and creators, then you can funnel down your target group and start to introduce your platform to audiences who are into cosplay.
It saves time and takes your membership platform to the right customer.
2) Determine the Right Pricing Model
With several membership levels, discounts, and multiple revenue models coming into play, you must determine the suitable pricing model for your membership platform to let you profit for a long time.
For example, let’s assume you set a monthly revenue target of $40,000. This could be met via several pricing models.
It’s $10/week for 1000 members.
Each month, 1250 members pay you $32
About 1142 people per month pay $35 for your platform for a year
Derive pricing models like the above and determine what’s the most suitable and feasible for your membership site.
3) Create Your Content
The next step is the heart of your membership platform- content. This process involves brainstorming ideas and creating content that works.
To keep your audience, you must make content worth the money. Otherwise, users would lose interest and jump to other sites that offer the same.
Outline the contents you are going to do for a couple of months. Because you have to be prepared to meet the demand in case your membership site suddenly gets high traffic
4) Set up the Fansite
When you’re done creating your content, it’s time to set up your fansite. Building a website from scratch may seem easy, but it’s far from it. The process requires a dedicated development team, website designers, software testers, etc.
If you consider building from scratch not your cup of tea, then we recommend you build your membership platform using the OnlyFans clone script. By utilizing the OnlyFans clone scripts, you can start your marketplace website within a couple of days.
The other features include:
- Live streaming and Private shows
- Model Subscriptions
- Inbuilt eCommerce
- Mobile Compatible
- Analytic Tools & more
All-in-all, your membership platform looks and performs very much like any other famous fan site.
Once you’ve set up your membership platform, you must customize it end-to-end. You must remain competitive and personalize your platform with features, banners, colors, and more targeted to your audience.
Be creative in designing your fansite logo and name, making it easy to remember. Make sure to give your audience personalized recommendations with curated content and promote new content if it aligns with the user’s interest.
5) Set up Your Payment Methods
After setting up your fansite, it’s time to earn some hardcore cash.
As mentioned, membership platforms that deal with ‘fans’ predominantly involve adult content. So your standard online payment method won’t work here.
Here are a few payment methods that you can use for your fansite:
- Verotel
- CCbill
- Paxum
- Wire Transfer
- ePayments
- Epayservice
- Skrill
- ACH
- SEPA
But you don’t need to worry if you’ve chosen to build your fansite using OnlyFans clone scripts because they come with an inbuilt payment gateway compatible with adult content.
6) Market Market Market
If you want to create a website like OnlyFans, you need a strong marketing strategy that works for your niche. So dedicate much time and energy to understanding how marketing works for membership platforms that deal with adult content creators.
Compared to others, you cannot promote your fansite everywhere because of the presence of adult content. Instead, you can choose to market your fansite on online adult forums, platforms like Reddit and Twitter, and also through email marketing.
Of course, you can always consider using the traditional method of paying for advertising. Dedicated adult ad networks let you market your fansite to the right audience. An effective marketing plan is crucial in driving traffic and increasing sales to your membership platform if executed well.
To Sum it all
Creating an OnlyFans-like membership platform is an enormous undertaking – not just from the perspective of building the website but also when it comes to maintenance, marketing, and sales of the fansite. Each step needs end-to-end planning and a productive strategy for successful execution.
You should create a safe and customer-centric environment if you want to drive new customers to your membership platform.
