Mario Adrion, 30, is a model and online content creator. He started an OnlyFans channel in 2019 and now earns extra income from posting on the platform. The following was edited for length and clarity.
In 2013, when I was 19, I moved from Germany to New York City to model. I worked for Tommy Hilfiger, Banana Republic, Bloomingdales, and other fashion brands. I loved modeling but wanted to find another way to express myself in front of the camera and reach a different audience.
In 2017, I decided to make a YouTube channel. I didn’t do it to go viral or earn extra money, I just wanted to share my real-life experiences with the world. First, I filmed videos about life as a model in New York City, attending fashion week and working with well-known brands.
I expanded my niche from just posting about life as a male model and showed off other areas of my personality, including comedy. The videos took off, and I now have over 800,000 followers on the platform.
In 2019, I ended up starting an OnlyFans account. At first, it was a joke, but now it’s become part of my monthly income.
OnlyFans Let Mario Adrion Interact With His Audience In New Ways
I’d post videos on my YouTube channel of myself experimenting with different jobs for fun. One of those videos featured me creating an OnlyFans account just to see how much I could make in a month.
I posted hundreds of photos from my days as an underwear model on my OnlyFans account. It brought in a steady stream of subscribers who wanted to see sexy content I wasn’t posting on other social media platforms.
I kept creating content for the platform and now have over 15,000 subscribers.
My brand on OnlyFans is different. I use the platform to show more explicit content to my audience, like nude photos or videos and intimate voice messages. On YouTube, I have more fun with light-hearted comedy videos.
But on OnlyFans, I provide more of a boyfriend experience for people who want to log on and see my body, hear my phone, and listen to or read sexual stories.
February Brings In New Subscribers Around Valentine’s Day
A big reason why February brings in new subscribers and an uptick in income is that many people feel lonely around Valentine’s Day. I like to satisfy my audience’s needs by posting extra content.
Each week around Valentine’s Day, I spend five more hours answering messages and sending subscribers personalized direct messages.
I usually plan content a few weeks out, but I start preparing for Valentine’s Day in December. I’ll brainstorm shoots with photographers to spice things up this season and start filming videos.
On OnlyFans, I deliver a “boyfriend experience” and present more personal stuff to my followers around Valentine’s Day. I want everyone who pays for my OnlyFans content to feel like they are celebrating the holiday with a loved one.
I’ll even give some subscribers bonus content for free this month. Some of them have opened up to me about their struggles and loneliness, and I do want to be there for them during a holiday that can make people feel extra sad.
During a regular month, I post about four times a week in my feed and send out direct messages to all my subscribers every other day. As Valentine’s Day approaches, I post and send direct messages almost daily.
My pricing stays the same while I increase my content around the holidays, especially Valentine’s Day. It costs $12.50 to subscribe to my OnlyFans channel. Exclusive and bonus content costs $20-$30 per video.
Creators Have To Be Careful About How You Promote OnlyFans
I’m conscientious about where and how I market my OnlyFans channel. Instagram and TikTok are very strict about mentioning that you are an OnlyFans creator or sharing information about how people there can find your channel. I don’t even include links to OnlyFans in my bio.
A few weeks before Valentine’s Day, I delve a bit more into my marketing tactics. YouTube helps me attract many new OnlyFan subscribers because I have almost a million subscribers on that platform.
Each week, I post YouTube vlogs, and sometimes, parts of those videos are too explicit for the platform, usually because I’m in my underwear or showing nudity. It’s censored in my YouTube video.
But I tell fans that if they want to see the raw version, they can find it on my OnlyFans page. I do this more often around Valentine’s Day, and it brings in an uptick in subscribers.
Mario Doesn’t Post Explicit Content On OnlyFans But Is Upfront About That
To succeed on OnlyFans, you must be clear about your boundaries. You also need to express those to your audience.
A lot of people come to OnlyFans looking for sexually driven content. While I do post some nudity, I don’t go much further than that on my channel.
I might be missing out on a lot of money because of this, but it’s what I’m comfortable with. I share this in my bio and description so people know what they will and won’t see before subscribing to my channel.
This helps me retain subscribers over the year, especially after I gain a lot of new ones around a holiday like Valentine’s Day.
Being An Online Boyfriend Requires Boundaries
I’ve been doing OnlyFans for five years and sometimes get burnt out. I used to show up daily for my subscribers and give them more attention than those in my own life. Planning content, answering messages, and thinking up new ideas is time-consuming. People subscribe to see a stripped-down version of myself.
Now that I’m engaged, I’ve had to set boundaries and clear time blocks for when I’ll show up online and be there for my fans. With the influx of subscribers and messages I get around a holiday like Valentine’s Day, I’ll dedicate 90 minutes daily to working on my OnlyFans channel. I’m not showing up 24/7 because it’s not sustainable or healthy.
I love being an online creator but I also value myself and my fiancé. Setting boundaries has been a hard lesson to learn, but OnlyFans subscribers come and go in the end. I’m planning to spend the rest of my life with my partner.
