Utilizing Snapchat as an Online Sex Worker

If you’ve been doing online sex work for a couple of years now, perhaps you remember the time when everyone seemed to have a Premium Snapchat and often a free one as well.

Before fan sites like OnlyFans, JustFor.fans and Loyafans.com truly blew up, Snapchat was a convenient way for many online sex workers to stay in touch with their fans and build a more personal connection with them if they wished to do so. Despite its popularity among adult content creators, it really is not a sex worker friendly site because anyone as young as 13 is allowed to create a Snapchat account.

Because of this, you can find the following line in their Terms of Service (TOS): “You will not post content that contains or links to pornography, graphic violence, threats, hate speech, or incitements to violence.”

This is why it is recommended to not post NSFW content or links to NSFW sites, especially on public posts. You put your account at risk of being deleted.

In spite of what might seem like TOS limitations, some adult creators, such as Rebecca Belacqua and Alexis Taylor, have made Snapchat work for them and are more than happy to share their experiences and advice. Both of them use Snapchat for promo as well as selling and have successfully avoided deletion.

Keeping it SFW for the General Public

Belacqua posts only clothed or censored stuff on her default Snapchat story that can be seen by anyone who adds her. She also has a private Snapchat story that can only be seen by people who she has added back.

“I only add people who are subscribed to my fansite,” Belacqua said.

Taylor does something similar, using her public story to post live show announcements, sneak peeks and behind the scenes teasers while still keeping it PG only.

“I add everyone that makes a request and periodically add other model accounts to my contacts. Shortly after being added, I ask new contacts if they are adults and interested in gaining access to my private story for a one time fee,” said Taylor.

Behind the Scenes of Paid Snapchat Access

The real fun of Snapchat really starts on the other side — when a customer has the access to private story and other perks such as sexting, video calls, daily check ins, masturbation prompts and much more. Each creator can choose to offer any of these things or come up with something that is unique to them.

“If I’m sending a video of me doing anything, it’s the thing that’s happening right at that moment, which is really hot,” Belacqua said.

Taylor also likes to share some instant updates by posting quick pictures while she’s getting changed, getting ready to record or when a new outfit has arrived.

Both creators also like to communicate with their paid Snapchat subscribers regularly.

“I’m quite personal with my subscribers, I often have a little chat with them. Some of them suggest what I should do in my videos or send me some of their own pics to help out. I really like how immediate snapchat can be for that,” Belacqua shared.

For the next 24 hours my private snap shows me dripping with cum as I touch and f*ck myself 😯 I know you want to see it, DM to find out how 🥰 pic.twitter.com/rV8laTEbKt

— Rebecca fully-vaxxed Belacqua (@BecciBeyond) February 7, 2021

Pros and Cons of using Snapchat as an Online Sex Worker

In case you are still undecided whether to give Snapchat a try, here are some pros and cons that Belacqua and Taylor shared with me.

“Snapchat has a really short video format. I really like sending short videos like that, and then amalgamating them into a longer video for sale later. It can feel more natural, it emulates the way I sext with friends, and it lets me pause to think of what to do next,” shared Belacqua.

If you regularly use Snapchat to post sexy updates for your paying subscribers, you can kill two birds with one stone by making a Snapchat compilation to sell afterwards. Snapchat users also seem to interact with you way more than users of other social media platforms.

“Snapchat has considerably higher view rates than traditional social media and fans are likely to interact or ask questions on Snap,” said Taylor.

Some of the Snapchat cons Belacqua mentioned were some technical issues. Until very recently, exporting videos from Snapchat made the audio go out of sync in a way that it couldn’t be fixed postproduction. While this issue has been fixed now, she says that photos with no filter have a yellowish tint to them.

Another downside of using Snapchat is the fact that it can be quite draining at times.

“It can become a 24/7 task keeping up with everyone,” said Taylor.

LIVE NOW!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/MggL5HvvPb

— Alexis Taylor (@secluded_moment) February 12, 2021

A Couple of Tips for using Snapchat

So, you have decided to give Snap a try — that’s great! Before you go, read through the list that Belacqua and Taylor helped me to compile.

— Keep a record of your subscribers somewhere. Even if you haven’t been banned before, there is always a possibility it could happen, so make sure you can reconnect with your fans from a new account.

— No need to have separate accounts for promotion and premium content. You can post promo stuff on your public story and premium content on your private story.

— Organize your contacts by changing their names. Taylor likes to use emojis to show what platform the user first found her from and whether they have paid to unlock her NSFW story. Belacqua likes to add “subscribed” and the date a fan’s subscription expires to keep track of her subscribers easier. You can read more about organizing your Snapchat contacts here.

— Use Snapchat recap feature to give your fans a *big* load of pics at the beginning of every year or month.

— When editing new content, mark a few screenshots and short teasers that you can post on Snapchat to drive sales.

— Tell your Snapchat subscribers what you want them to do, whether it’s visiting your cam room or sending a tip.

— Add shortened link to the adult site you want your fans to visit. While this is not 100 percent foolproof, it decreases your chances of being deleted.

— Consider using a photo menu when discussing your rates. Once again, this is not 100 percent foolproof but might decrease your chances of being deleted.

Now that you have got a better idea on how to use Snapchat and play it safe to decrease your chances of getting deleted, go out there and spread the word about your online sex work business. Happy Snapping!

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Alison Sparks is a solo adult content creator and writer. Find her on Twitter at @itsalisonsparks and email her via alison@ynotcam.com.

Background header image via Unsplash here.