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Promoting Erotic Content on Instagram

I hope it helps other erotic creators out there looking to grow on Instagram and am happy to receive questions, should you have any. — Dr. Tiffany K., Ed.D., Sexologist & Content Creator

This article is cross posted in Artistic Edge Magazine

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For erotic creators, regardless of the type of content they make, from models, and artists, to podcasters and cam girls, social media is the number one way to drive traffic to your subscription content. The top 3 places this traffic comes from is Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. In this post, we are going to focus on Instagram specifically and hacks to help you grow not just as an erotic creator, but also as an influencer.

These days, some of the biggest accounts on Instagram are models and influencers who also have an OnlyFans and/or Patreon. But, even the biggest accounts can easily be banned without warning. Skirting around community guidelines without getting flagged calls for serious strategy.

In the vast realm of social media, Instagram is a powerhouse platform. Love it or hate it, most erotic content creators use Instagram to market their content. With over a billion active users, it offers a remarkable opportunity to connect with a global audience and build a thriving community around your profile. However, growing your following on Instagram requires more than just posting captivating content. In this blog post, I’m going to explore effective strategies and tactics to help you boost your Instagram following, optimize your engagement, and help drive traffic to your subscription content.

Rule 1: The 3Cs — Clean, Classy, Captivating

Content is the heart and soul of Instagram. You don’t need to be a professional photographer or illustrator to create compelling and eye-catching content that will get you noticed, but you do need content that is as high quality as you can feasibly make that is both enticing, yet clean. Instgram is a 13+ platform, thus you have to assume that at any given time, your content might be seen by a teenager. Obviously, they are not the target audience, but unfortunately they may stumble across your account. Think of your profile like a shopping mall window… you need the public to see enough to make them want to go further to see what other content you have, and ideally, drive them to site like Twitter where you can easily post your more provocative content and openly promote your OnlyFans or Patreon.

While some creators seem to get away with G-strings and wear completely see-through tops, I shy away from this tactic and guard my profile like Fort Knox. After losing not one or two, but 4 accounts on Instagram in the past because I was trying to “push the limit” like I saw many other creators doing, I decided to take a different approach and aim for “enticing”, “classy”, and “wholesome” rather than overly provocative.

To attract and engage followers, your content should be visually appealing, informative, and authentic. While you get your feet wet with Instagram, don’t worry too much about the exact number of posts you make in a week, or the formula for when to post each type of media (reels, posts, stories, carousels, etc.). Instead, just experiment with different formats, such as photos, videos, Stories, Reels, and lives, to provide diverse and captivating content. Once you get used to creating content in general, you can move into more advanced strategies and formulas for optimizing your algorithm (see upcoming post).

Content Based on Genre

For models, it tends to be tight clothing and more coverage. Clothing that hugs your body and gives a little hit of something spicy without really showing anything. Cosplay and e-girls do this quite well. But what if your content is more fashion-forward or outside the cosplay world? Pinup styles, vintage, sporty, beachwear, gothic… whatever you are naturally attracted to can easily be styled in enticing ways.

What if you are a sex educator and promote educational content and sex toys? The same rules apply… Keep the content simple, wholesome, and classy. LeWand, Lelo, and Emjoy do a great job of showcasing their content on IG in clean and professional ways. Sex educators like @givingthetalk on IG also demonstrate the concept of keeping the content clean while still promoting their material. Even accounts like “Make Love Not P*rn” — an ethical p*rn site, runs their IG in a similar way by only posting clean and simple content.

What about illustrators and cartoonists? This is where things get a bit tricky. Instagram’s policy clearly states that art is ok, yet it just takes one troll to report a post. This of course leads to the dreaded appeal process in which you hope you get a nice human on a Tuesday who’s in a good mood so they restore your content, and not the Sunday night jerk that decided they don’t think it belongs on the platform and called it a violation.

Podcasters and writers face similar issues due to the phrases and context they use. IG uses an AI system to identify terms and phrases they consider inappropriate. It also seems very inconsistent in terms of when something gets flagged and when it doesn’t. Words used on a post, for example, seem to go unnoticed for a time until it’s reported. Terms used in a caption must be coded (i.e. s3x = seggs or s3x or s*x). Audio or video using these terms seem to also be inconsistent in terms of if they are allowed or not. A great example is the podcast “Inside Only Fans — @insideonlyfans on Instasgram ) which pushes the limit in terms of content used on Reels to promote a podcast episode, but they do bleep specific key terms.

High-Quality Content:

High-quality content consists of high-resolution photos and videos. iPhones are excellent for this — specifically the Pro version. I use an iPhone 14 Pro Max to shoot most of my content, and a Sony A7 III to shoot my professional content. Both are excellent for different types of photos. The Sony works best for outdoor content or video content you want to run through a program like Blackmagic Resolve that many professional videographers use (the free version has 95% of everything you need, and the paid version is great if you want to really get fancy with special effects or facial/body editing) The iPhone Pro works excellent though for most content and there are some tricks you can use to get the best images and videos which will be discussed in a separate post.

The goal though is using a combo of high-resolution to create content that is enticing, yet wholesome. It can be tempting to show skin, or an illustration that is provocative that you’re proud of, or other content that censoring makes you feel it loses some of its meaning. It’s important to remember that given Instagram is PG-13, you have to keep it PG-13. Your audience WILL see it, and they WILL know how to find more of your content. And, if they don’t, I guarantee they will DM you to ask.

Some content creators resort to using emojis to cover their “bits” and keep things “modest” but Instagram isn’t a fan of this. They want to push content that is “real” and high quality. Emojis are neither of those things. Your content is likely to stay up (however do NOT use emojis like kitty cats, mellons, cherries, peaches, bananas, eggplants, or hearts), but the system will not allow it to gain much, if any, visibility.

Make the most of your content creation time:

When you are making erotic content, ensure you have a little time set aside to make 1–3 pieces of content specifically for Instagram to promote your spicer content. If you are shooting nude photos, photograph at least a handful that use a sheet to cover your bits or more “boudoir” style pieces. If you are shooting a video, consider a quick selfie shot going from feet to head (5 seconds is the optimal length) shot in 4K showing a classy/sexy outfit. If you are a podcaster, aim for 15-second video clip of your podcast, but ensure to bleep any potentially offensive words. Again: PG-13. If you are an artist, think about posting a quick video of yourself creating the beginning of your art. This will get people interested and want to know what the finished product might look like and likely find your work by clicking your link in bio.

Captions:

Captions and hashtags are notorious for getting you flagged. Stay away from ANYTHING spicy. Keep it wholesome and positive as much as possible. Because I write and love poetry, I often use book quotes or poetry quotes that are meaningful to me. People love to get a feel for who you are and want to connect with a creator on a very real level. Using famous quotes that resonate with you can help you do this and your audience will be more invested in you if they feel they can relate to you. Generic “good morning” posts may work for creators that already have millions of followers, but I’ve found quotes and poetry tend to gather much more engagement and thus, help to increase my visibility because the algorithm assumes high engagement means high-quality content they want to push.

My biggest tip: NEVER mention your OnlyFans, Fansly, or other “porn dominate” site. Even the use of “Check out my Patreon” can be risky if you are primarily a NSFW model or artist. I’ve seen the use of “Now on Patreon” work well for educators and podcasters, but have seen models get banned for it and nailed with “s*xual solicitation.” It seems very subjective which is a big reason I chose to separate my own education and podcast content from my modeling content entirely with two separate Instagrams.

Hashtags:

Instagram is notorious for updating their banned hashtags. There are lists that exist that try to keep up with it but does get changed regularly and are hard to keep up with. Keep hashtags simple, no more than 3–9. I know this seems odd given the fact you can post up to 30, but we will cover this in more depth in another post later. For now, keep your hashtags in that range and very simple. Ones like model, podcaster, podcastersofinstagrasm, fitnessmodel, influencer, makeup, fashionista, photooftheday, photorgraphy, inspo, viral, trending, explore, explorepage, etc. are the best to get you in the algorithm over time.

Comments:

Comments can get you banned. It’s a sad truth because a creator doesn’t have any control over what a follower says. If a post generates too many “spicy” comments, and Instagram’s AI system finds them or your post has too many reported comments for s*xually explicit behavior, then Instagram may flag your post as “s3xual solicitation.” Combing comments is one of the longest and most tedious parts of my day, but if I don’t do it, I run the risk of violations. Any comment that asks for my OnlyFans or exclusive content links, uses the banana or eggplant emoji, or feels too sexual in nature, I delete immediately. If they continue to post such comments, I will use the “restrict function” or DM them directly and explain they can’t post such things and direct them to the link in my profile if they have questions.

Your Bio and Profile Photo:

Your bio and profile photo matter quite a bit because the system regularly checks this to ensure you are not violating any community guidelines. Even well-known award-winning s*x educators and producers such as Sunny Megatron have had issues due to her bio stating “S*x Educator” or “Sexologist” in the bio. For my podcasting profile, mine states similar terms, but I use codes such as “S3x Educator and “S3xologist” which have not been flagged.

Your profile picture should be just your face, nothing more. As tempting as it is to post something in a full bikini or something spicy, trust me… do not do it! Keep it simple with a sexy smirk or smile, either in full clothing or just from the shoulders up. Instagram’s new AI system has been flagging profile pictures for the weirdest reasons because it can’t decipher some of the pictures. Keep it clean, classy, and captivating.

Leverage Instagram Features:

Instagram offers a plethora of features to enhance your engagement and reach, but many come with the same guidelines as posts and reels. But, utilizing them will 100% help to boost your engagement and thus, increase your visibility in the system. Instagram wants to push creators that show the highest level of engagement, so the most often you can experiment with these on a consistent basis, the better your reach will be. Here are a few to leverage:

Instagram Stories:

Utilize Stories to showcase behind-the-scenes moments, daily updates, and interactive elements like polls, quizzes, and swipe-ups to drive engagement. Remember, keep it PG-13. The easiest way to leverage stories is to share every post you make to your feed with your stories as well. I always add music and a little sticker or caption to keep it relevant and encourage “likes” even on stories. Many creators also post a link directly to a public Patreon post, but I personally only recommend doing this if it’s education-related content. If you are a model or illustrator, I do not suggest doing this and instead, just use a caption like “Now on Patreon!” As always, NEVER mention OnlyFans (unless you have 1Million+ followers and a dedicated Instagram account manager… this case, you likely fall into a separate community guidelines bracket. More on this in a separate post.)

Instagram Reels:

When Reels first came out, Instagram pushed them HARD. This was Meta’s way of competing with TikTok, and to be fair, they did a great job with it. You can often get away with posing in lingerie and bikinis on Instagram which you rarely can do on TikTok (some creators do, but it’s rare for anyone under a million followers). Reels that are shot in 4K often do the best, but Instagram is also wanting to push more content that is made 100% in their app. This is unfortunate and likely won’t gain much traction because most content seen on Reels is not actually filmed or edited in the app. My highest viewed reels with more than 40,000 views in less than 2 weeks were not made in the app, but through a process, I use through screen recording my content directly on TikTok (This method will be covered in a separate post about getting the most out of your content). Influencers across the board use apps like CapCut, Resolve, Video Leap, VN, and others to create high-quality and captivating videos to upload onto Reels and I highly doubt they will stop.

The same rules apply to captions, but Instagram recently announced they are prioritizing more meaningful conversation and story-like posts rather than simple captions and hashtags. They are looking for authenticity. Now, not everyone can do this or may want to do this, but having at least one post once in a while that has more of a story beyond it is one way to gain engagement and attract followers. Story-telling can be difficult, but a craft worth developing if you want your audience to grow.

Lives:

Lives are one of the BEST ways to create engagement. You can also download your lives to post on YouTube, Patreon, OnlyFans, etc. Lives allow you to dive deeper into topics, share tutorials, or conduct interviews. But again, community guidelines have to be followed. NEVER say “OnlyFans”, “Twitter”, or other adult content sites on your live. Instagram monitors all of this and you will get yourself banned quickly if you do so. The best way I’ve found around this is to say “um… there’s a place for that.” and then move on quickly. Instagram also monitors comments and if you get too many pertaining to adult-related content, topics, or sites, they will shut it down. I always start a live by saying “Feel free to ask me ALMOST anything and remember to keep things clean.” and I will restate this as needed. I also will let them know my DMs are open to questions and if I get a DM requesting content, I’ll just let them know I have a link in my profile if they want to check out more of my work. I never say “check out my link in bio” because the phrase “link in bio” has become synonymous with “exclusive content” so I’ve taken a slightly safer route with how I suggest it.

DMs:

You might have thought DMs were a safe space to share an OnlyFans link or tell people you have an OF… nope. Instagram recently started monitoring DMs and Broadcast channels, meaning you need to use code here too. Never tell people about your OnlyFans or adult content site here. Instead, I suggest pointing them to Twitter or letting them know you have a link to exclusive content in your link in your profile. I also don’t suggest engaging much in your DMs in general with followers (friends etc. are different of course). You never know what a new follower is going to suggest or ask about and if they really want to reach out, they will find your subscription platforms or discord (if you have one) and ask you there.

Broadcasts:

Broadcasts are new and not available to everyone. A good example: My Kipani.Life account has access to this feature, but my modeling account Kipani1021 does not, even though my Kipani.Life account is newer. It seems very inconsistent with the rollout, and the way the notifications currently make it easily lost in the general “activity notifications” section. The good side is you can designate contributors and it’s a great way to get notifications out to your audience quickly. You can also share links to recent articles you may have published or features you might have been in. I also share a public link post there for new Patreon content. The bad: it’s one-sided and is not a general chat as many people assumed when it first launched. It’s literally a one-sided broadcast that I haven’t heard much feedback about because I don’t think many people use it. It’s a method of getting your content out though, which makes it worth using to an extent, but with such a limited reach, it’s not worth putting a considerable amount of time into.

Subscriptions:

This is one of the newest features and monetization options for Instagram that several creators are using, including erotic creators. However, I have chosen to not use it and will explain why in a moment. Let’s talk about the basics first: To be eligible for Instagram Subscriptions, you must:

While this is another income stream and many OnlyFans models are using it, the way they are using it rubs me the wrong way. The same community guidelines apply as anywhere else, so you can not post nudes or anything over PG-13. For influencers that are prompting brands or creating tutorials, I think it’s a fantastic way to generate unique content while increasing a revenue stream. But for erotic creators, many are using it to give an extra post or two that would have otherwise gone on their regular feed and still directing followers to their “exclusive content” to see more. Charging for content that isn’t much different than what is on their current feed seems a bit… unethical to me. Essentially this leads to charging nearly double to a subscriber for what they will likely see on a creator’s OnlyFans anyway, but I also understand it’s another sales funnel. I only mention it because I’ve seen it gaining traction. It just doesn’t seem worth the time for me personally when my ultimate goal is to gain OnlyFans and Patreon subscribers, not Instagram subscribers.

Keeping a Second and Third Instagram Account:

Most erotic creators have multiple Instagram accounts. These consist of a primary account, backup account, and “links” account:

Primary account: 

This is where you spend the most time and push your content regularly. It’s usually a public account that helps drive traffic to your subscription account by having a Beacons or other link-in-bio available in your bio. The key here is to tag your backup account in your link in bio, but NOT your “links” profile here.

Your backup profile: 

I recommend keeping private. Post here a few times a week to keep it current and remember to accept new follow requests at least once a week. You can do collaborative posts between your primary profile and your backup which helps also to drive traffic, or tag your backup profile in your primary profile’s posts and captions. In the event your primary profile goes down, it’s difficult to gain your followers back and this provides a starting point from your backup account.

A “links only” profile: 

If you aren’t sure what this is, I recommend checking out Heidi Levon and Viking Barbie on Instagram. A “links only” profile is exactly that. A profile that is marked as private and only contains a link to your exclusive content beacons list, all my links, hoo.be, link tree, etc. Typically there are only one or two posts and you don’t actually spend time here, or even need to accept follow requests. It’s where people can go to get your links to your spicy sites without having to keep your direct links in your primary bio. You want to always tag your “links only” page in every post so people can find it. Not every creator uses this tactic, but many of the larger accounts currently do.

Engage with Your Audience:

This is as tactic for every account that wants to grow, not just erotic creators. Building a loyal following requires actively engaging with your audience. Respond to comments, DMs, and mentions promptly to foster a sense of connection and community. Instagram wants you be heavily engaged and encourage others to stay on their platform for as long as possible. In a recent report, the new guidelines state they want you to make a minimum of 6 stories per day (2 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon, and 2 at night), respond to every comment on every post (which once you reach 100+ comments on every post is impossible), make a minimum of 1–3 posts per day that include 1 reel, 1–2 posts or 1 carousel, and comment on other posts (no minimum was given). These goals make it feel like a full-time job that is unpaid. To be honest, and from what I have seen with my own growth, high-quality content is more important than making these minimums. My advice is this: If a follower takes the time to make a thoughtful comment on a post or reel, take the time to make one back. It shows you are a real person, builds credibility, and is genuine. You don’t need to respond to every emoji or “You look gorgeous!” comment. If someone asks where you got that outfit, respond and tag the company (looks good for brand partnerships later and shows you aren’t gatekeeping). Take the time to like and comment on other users’ posts within your niche, showing genuine interest and establishing valuable relationships. You don’t need to spend all day doing this either. I set aside 15–30 minutes in the morning and 15–30 minutes at night doing this each day and it makes a massive difference in my engagement rates and thus, subscriptions.

The Follow/Unfollow Tactic:

There is a strategy floating out there that says to follow 50 accounts a day and unfollow them later to increase your own following. Instagram only allows you to follow up o 7500 accounts, so some creators have taken up maxing that number out before unfollowing, then following new accounts. I find this a horrible inauthentic way to create engagement and having worked in technology prior to building my own business, I am more than certain Instagram is wise to this strategy. It feels icky to me to just follow and unfollow people in my niche. I do not personally recommend this as a strategy, but I know many people who do it and have found success with it. I prefer to follow people and accounts I genuinely love and want to see thrive. I comment on posts that genuinely resonate with me and hype up others as often as I can. Others see the genuine side and follow me as a result which feels good on both sides. It’s a win-win. I always default to organic growth over simulated because it not only feels morally better, the system notices and will naturally pursue your content further as a result.

Cross-Promote on Other Platforms:

Leverage your presence on other social media platforms to drive traffic to your Instagram account. Share your Instagram posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Pinterest, providing a link to your profile in your bio or description. I’ve experimented more with Telegram as a platform to post a link to a new reel I’ve recently posted and it’s had a dramatic impact on my overall reach and thus, subscriptions.

Analyze and Optimize:

Regularly analyze your Instagram Insights to gain insights into your audience demographics, engagement rates, and top-performing content. Beacons.Ai Provides a digital media kit that shows real-time analytics across all your platforms giving you excellent data. This data will help you identify what resonates with your audience and optimize your strategy accordingly. Experiment with different content formats, posting times, and hashtags, and track the results to refine your approach.

Conclusion:

For erotic creators, growing your following on Instagram requires a strategic approach, consistency, and a deep understanding of your target audience, as well as the ever-changing community guidelines. By defining your brand, creating compelling content, engaging with your audience, and leveraging Instagram’s features, you can establish a thriving community of followers who resonate with your brand’s message. Remember, building a successful Instagram presence takes time and effort, but with dedication and the right tactics, you can unlock new opportunities for growth, influence, and success.

I fully acknowledge that while I’m not the largest creator with only 175k followers on Instagram currently on my modeling account and 26k on my education and podcasting account, I’ve tested these tactics and seen extensive growth on both my profiles and my subscription-based services. I’ll be sharing my personal analytics in an upcoming webinar as well for those interested. Across all platforms, I’m currently at around 1M followers on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Telegram, and my Podcast.

If you are interested in growing your Instagram, please check out my course and ebook specifically for Erotic Creators.

If you want to help support these articles, please consider checking out my Patreon where you can get access to webinars and articles before the rest of the world.

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