Would you be more likely to shop at Whole Foods if your favourite streamer was the face of the campaign? OnlyFans creator Silfy Star argues that content creators whose work might be considered ‘lewd’ or ‘NSFW’ are unfairly missing out on collaboration opportunities. In the first ever guest post for the OnlyFans blog, Silfy Star argues that these kinds of content creators present an untapped market for sponsorship deals and mainstream brands should capitalise on the potential or risk being left behind.

Digital content creators have become hugely popular If you take a look at Instagram and Twitter, you will find a lot of women who cosplay, stream or create some type of content. Off of the top of my head, I can think of 3 women, Amouranth, Meowri, and Meg Turney, who have a collective of millions of followers on these two platforms.

Nearly 5 million followers, on only two social platforms; however, there far less opportunities for them, in terms of sponsorship details and collaborations with “mainstream” brands and media. Even though Meg Turney has managed to secure a sponsorship deal with G Fuel, she has stated that her lewds have been detrimental to her work with larger brands. Why is that?

Lewd creators: “unmarketable” despite their huge popularity? A great many creators who produce 100% SFW content benefit from sponsorship, especially when compared to those who produce NSFW. Moreover, the amount of NSFW content produced or level of lewd-ness seems irrelevant; one NSFW picture out of 100 clean ones appears enough to discourage many brands from forming a partnership. Women like Yaya and Pokimane whose content is “clean” have had wonderful opportunities, yet, content creators who produce lewd media automatically become less marketable. Social media platforms are also now tightening restrictions, making life even harder for lewd content creators, even those with huge followings. As such, many NSFW creators are cleaning up and adjusting how they operate on these platforms to prevent being “shadowbanned” or “deboosted”. If this community of lewd creators adjusts how they post and market their additional content while still adhering to the stricter rules on socials, will companies work with them? With the potential to reach millions with a single post or the potential to reach hundreds/thousands of live views during a stream, why would companies not take advantage of this?

Streaming killed the TV star Streaming, in and of itself, has such great potential compared to your normal shows and movies. With traditional media there is always a delay, and you are left waiting for days, weeks, months, or even years, before a new one is released. But with streaming, every time your streamer goes live the content is new. New conversations, new gameplay, it’s familiar yet different each-and-every day. At this point in time, men hold the top spots in the streaming world and this is not a surprise by any means, given the general gender digital divide. And yet, women are working their way up the ranks. Even then, if companies that are for and dominated by women were to be involved it would create a mutually beneficial relationship for the company, the creator, and ultimately the female gender.

Going forward we don’t believe network television is the right fit. In 2019 and beyond, we’re focusing on developing exciting and dynamic content and a new kind of event – delivered to our customers on platforms that she’s glued to … and in ways that will push the boundaries of fashion in the global digital age. This is a quote from Les Wexner, CEO of L Brands, owner of Victoria’s Secret. After the iconic annual Victoria Secret’s fashion show received its worst ever ratings, he released a statement saying the company will be exploring new digital directions. Imagine if companies like Victoria’s Secret worked with digital content creators. Picture a team like traditional Victoria’s Secret “Angels” but less archaic, with a variety of body types that are more relatable to the public. A more achievable dream where your genetics do not automatically disqualify you. It would not only modernize Victoria’s Secret, but also open the door for them to partner with gaming companies to create exclusive cosplay lingerie sets, sponsor stream specials, and so much more!

Lewd meets food Food companies could also work with lewd creators as health and appearance are very important in this community. Many of these women workout and pursue a healthier lifestyle, this could be a beautifully positive relationship with a company like Whole Foods. Creators could stream a shopping trip, then get home and stream cooking the yummy food they just picked up. Or imagine a company like Hello Fresh where the creator talks with their community to decide what meals to order, then stream the process, and lastly post pics of the final creation!