FanCentro
{{short description|Social network for adult content}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox website
| name = FanCentro
| logo = FanCentro Logo.png
| type = Premium social network
| language = English, German, Spanish, Russian
| area_served = Worldwide
| CEO = {{unbulleted list|Alan Hall}}
| services = Social Media monetization, Direct Messaging, Clip store, Subscriptions, Feed
| location_city = Matawan, New Jersey
| location_country = United States
| country_of_origin = United States
| founder = {{unbulleted list|Stan Fiskin|Alan Hall}}
| launch_date = {{start date and age|2017|02|08}}
| current_status = Active
| website = {{URL|https://fancentro.com}}
}}
FanCentro is a subscription-based website platform created in 2017{{cite web |title=Get more out of your SnapChat with FanCentro |url=https://modelcentro.com/mc-blog/72566/get-more-out-of-your-snapchat-with-fancentro |publisher=FanCentro.com |accessdate=5 June 2020}} that allows adult film performers and other influencers to sell access to their private social media accounts. Due to deplatforming and shadow banning of sex-related content on social media sites,{{cite news |last1=Blue |first1=Violet |title=The Internet War on Sex is Here |url=https://www.engadget.com/2018-12-07-the-internet-war-on-sex-is-here.html |access-date=5 June 2020 |work=Engadget |date=17 December 2018}} the platform began allowing fans to subscribe to content feeds directly on the site.{{cite web |title=Customer FAQs |url=https://fancentro.com/customer-faq |website=FanCentro.com |access-date=29 May 2020}} {{cite news |last1=Clarke |first1=Laurie |title=The x-rated world of premium Snapchat has spawned an illicit underground industry |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/premium-snapchat-adult-models |access-date=29 May 2020 |work=Wired |date=13 September 2019}} The rise of premium social networks such as FanCentro, OnlyFans{{Cite web |title=Onlyfans marketing agency, what are they? |url=https://creatorsadvice.net/onlyfans-marketing-agency-what-are-they/ |access-date=2023-12-26 |website=creatorsadvice.net |language=en-US}} and JustForFans is a significant shift in the structure of the porn industry, as performers can own and continue to profit from their work and better control working conditions.{{cite news |title=The Post-Pandemic Future of Porn |url=https://jezebel.com/the-post-pandemic-future-of-porn-1843240169 |access-date=29 May 2020 |work=Jezebel |date=18 May 2020}}
FanCentro has been a vocal defender of the rights of sex workers.{{cite web |title=Celebrating Sex Worker Pride |url=https://blog.fancentro.com/en/2020/06/03/celebrating-sex-worker-pride/ |website=FanCentro.com |access-date=5 June 2020}}{{primary source inline|date=November 2021}}
History
The FanCentro platform was developed by entrepreneurs Stan Fiskin{{cite web |title=Stan Fiskin |url=https://twitter.com/standaman360?lang=en |website=Twitter |access-date=25 November 2020}} and Alan Hall{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://fancentro.com/our-history |website=FanCentro.com |access-date=19 February 2021}} of AdultCentro following the success of their ModelCentro tool, which allowed individual adult performers to create their own subscription websites.{{cite news |last1=Gray |first1=Lila |title=AdultCentro Wins XBIZ Content Provider of the Year |url=https://www.xbiz.com/news/174528/adultcentro-wins-xbiz-content-provider-of-the-year |access-date=25 November 2020 |work=XBIZ.com |date=6 February 2014}}{{cite news |last1=Pardon |first1=Rhett |title=ModelCentro Surpasses 50K Model Milestone |url=https://www.xbiz.com/news/221559/modelcentro-surpasses-50k-model-milestone |access-date=25 November 2020 |work=XBIZ.com |date=12 June 2015}} Unlike earlier platforms, which relied on social media or external visitors, FanCentro provided content creators with the ability to build their audience from within the platform's existing audience.{{cite web |title=FC Influencers expressing there feelings on FanCentro |url=https://www.xbiz.tv/view?v=1367525543 |publisher=xbiz.tv |date=28 May 2019}}
=House Of FanCentro=
In May 2019, FanCentro launched House Of FanCentro, a free one-week workshop in Miami, connecting models on its platform with professional photographers, with the goal of improving their content.{{cite web |last1=Knowles |first1=Betty |title=House of FanCentro to Allow Models, Photogs to Collaborate |url=https://avn.com/business/articles/technology/house-of-fancentro-to-allow-models-photogs-to-collaborate-832209.html |date=3 May 2019 |work=avn.com}}{{cite web |title=House Of FanCentro – The hottest event of 2019 |url=https://www.fancityx.com/house-of-fancentro/ |date=7 May 2019 |work=fancityx.com}}{{cite web |title=House of FanCentro: Pro Photoshoots (May 28-30, 2019) |url=https://webcamstartup.com/house-of-fancentro/ |work=webcamstartup.com}} Another House of FanCentro event was held in Los Angeles later that year, and in Medellin, Colombia in 2020.{{cite web |title=Medellin: 2020 |url=https://hofc.co/past-events/medellin-2020/ |website=House of FanCentro |access-date=12 December 2020}}{{cite web |title=Los Angeles: 2019 |url=https://hofc.co/past-events/los-angeles-2019/ |website=House of FanCentro |access-date=12 December 2020}} Further events were cancelled following the outbreak of the coronavirus.{{cite news |last1=Adams |first1=JC |title=FanCentro Announces Postponement of Special Events |url=https://www.xbiz.com/news/250882/fancentro-announces-postponement-of-special-events |access-date=12 December 2020 |work=XBIZ.com |date=13 March 2020}}
=Growth During COVID-19=
During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and shutdown, paid social networks experienced significant growth after mainstream adult production was halted.{{cite web |title=Update: Coronavirus Production Hold |url=https://www.freespeechcoalition.com/blog/2020/04/10/adult-industry-coronavirus-covid-19-advisory/ |website=FreeSpeechCoalition.com |accessdate=5 June 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Steadman |first1=Otillia |title=Everyone Is Making Porn At Home. Will The Industry Survive? |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/otilliasteadman/coronavirus-amateur-porn-onlyfans |accessdate=29 May 2020 |work=BuzzFeed News |date=6 May 2020}} FanCentro said it saw a rise of 65% in new daily sign-ups in the first weeks of the shutdown.{{cite news |last1=Hazelhurst |first1=Beatrice |title=So You Want to Be a Cam Girl During Quarantine |url=https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/3aznbw/so-you-want-to-become-a-cam-girl-during-quarantine |accessdate=29 May 2020 |work=i-D |date=19 May 2020}} By May 2020, the site boasted over 190,000 models (up from 15,000 in September 2019 and 6,000 in July 2018){{cite news |last1=Rodriguez |first1=Salvador |title=Subscription porn gains popularity as new apps let models sell directly to their fans |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/15/onlyfans-fancentro-and-snapchat-help-models-sell-porn-to-fans.html |accessdate=5 June 2020 |publisher=CNBC.com |date=15 September 2019}} with 19,000 signing up in the preceding two months alone.{{cite news |title=Pornography is booming during covid-19 lockdowns |url=https://www.economist.com/international/2020/05/10/pornography-is-booming-during-the-covid-19-lockdowns |accessdate=29 May 2020 |work=Economist |date=10 May 2020}}
FanCentro encouraged influencers on its platform to help encourage people to stay home and to fight misinformation about the COVID-19 virus.{{cite web |title=Your Role as An Influencer During COVID-19 |url=https://blog.fancentro.com/en/2020/03/24/your-role-as-an-influencer-during-covid-19/ |website=FanCentro.com |access-date=12 December 2020}}
=Centro University=
In September 2020, FanCentro launched Centro University (stylized as "Centro U" or "CentroU"), an online business school for adult influencers.{{cite news |last1=Ankel |first1=Sophia |title=Inside CentroU: The online business school transforming sex workers into entrepreneurs |url=https://www.insider.com/fancentro-a-university-turning-sex-workers-into-online-entrepreneurs-2020-9 |accessdate=10 November 2020 |publisher=Insider.com |date=9 September 2020}}{{cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.centrouniversity.com/ |website=CentroUniversity.com |accessdate=10 November 2020}} The program had been in development for two years but was prioritized after large numbers of new people began using the platform and others like it to sell adult content during the 2020 production holds in the adult industry.{{cite news |last1=Song |first1=Sandra |title=Enroll in Sex Worker University |url=https://www.papermag.com/sex-work-university-centro-2648098670.html |accessdate=10 November 2020 |work=Paper Magazine |date=6 October 2020}} Online classes in marketing and promotion, film and video production, privacy and censorship, health and safety and other subjects are taught by sex workers and available for free for anyone using the platform.{{cite news |last1=Dawson |first1=Brit |title=Inside the World's First Sex Worker University |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/50730/1/inside-the-worlds-first-sex-worker-university-centrou |accessdate=11 November 2020 |work=Dazed Digital |date=9 October 2020}}{{cite news |title=These classes are helping sex workers transition their careers to the online sphere |url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/classes-helping-sex-workers-transition-133331740.html |accessdate=11 November 2020 |work=Yahoo News |publisher=AFP Relax |date=12 October 2020}}
Features
Like other premium social networking platforms, FanCentro allows content creators (or "influencers") to interact with and directly sell to fans.
- Messaging. Influencers can send direct messages and media to individuals or groups, which can free or paid, provided those individuals follow or have already interacted with the influencer. Any influencer if they follow, attempt to join, tip, or subscribe to that influencer. Fans can use the messaging feature to directly tip influencers. {{cite web |title=FanCentro Adds Direct Messaging To Platform |url=https://camlandpodcast.com/fancentro-dms/ |publisher=camlandpodcast.com |date=17 January 2020}}
- FanCentro Feed. Influencers can post text, audio, photo, and video content to a social media feed which may be either public or paid. Fans who want access to paid or locked posts must subscribe for full access. Posts can be scheduled with preset content to post at a later date.{{cite web |work=Stephen Yagielowicz|title=FanCentro Boosts Interactivity With 'The Feed' |url=https://www.xbiz.com/news/236896/fancentro-boosts-interactivity-with-the-feed |publisher=xbiz.com |date=3 July 2018}}
- Tips. Fans may tip influencers directly using the influencer's personal tip link or through the messaging feature.{{cite web |title=FanCentro Masterclass Round Up |url=https://blog.fancentro.com/en/2020/02/14/fancentro-masterclass-roundup/ |website=FanCentro.com |access-date=19 February 2021}}
- Clips. Clips allows influencers to sell video clips directly on their page to fans who may not have a paid subscription.{{cite web |title=FanCentro Adds Clip Sales To Their Site |url=https://camlandpodcast.com/fancentro-sell-videos/ |publisher=camlandpodcast.com |date=2 March 2020}}
- Social Networks subscriptions. Influencers can establish private social network accounts which fans can pay to access. Subscriptions may be monthly, yearly, or lifetime.{{cite web |title=Sell |url=https://fancentro.com/sell |website=FanCentro.com |access-date=19 February 2021}}
- Languages FanCentro platform's main language is English. However, the platform and tools are available in Spanish, German and Russian.{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://fancentro.com/our-history |website=FanCentro.com |access-date=19 February 2021}}{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Salvador |date=2019-09-15 |title=Subscription porn gains popularity as new apps let models sell directly to their fans |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/15/onlyfans-fancentro-and-snapchat-help-models-sell-porn-to-fans.html |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=CNBC |language=en}}
Promotions
=Lamborghini Giveaway=
In June 2019, FanCentro sponsored a Lamborghini URUS in the Gumball 3000 charity race, from Mykonos to Ibiza. The Lamborghini was covered in a colored duct tape matching the style and colors of FanCentro brand, as part of a collaboration with Miami's Black Tape Project. {{cite web |title=FanCentro Sponsors Gumball 3000 Rally, Gives Away Lambo |url=https://www.xbiz.com/news/244622/fancentro-sponsors-gumball-3000-rally-gives-away-lambo |date=7 June 2019 |work=xbiz.com}}{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.blacktapeproject.com/pages/about-the-black-tape-project |website=The Black Tape Project |access-date=12 December 2020}}
FanCentro simultaneously announced a promotional giveaway for the Lamborghini URUS to a model on its platform. Each $69 earned by a model on the platform would result in one raffle ticket. {{cite web |title=FanCentro Lamborghini Giveaway! #FCLAMBO |url=https://blog.fancentro.com/en/2019/04/05/fancentro-lamborghini-giveaway-fclambo/ |date=12 April 2019 |work=blog.fancentro.com}} On October 12, FanCentro conducted a raffle hosted by porn star Riley Reid in Los Angeles. Porn star Lela Star won the car.{{cite web |title=FanCentro Lamborghini Raffle: Oct 12, 2019 |url=https://webcamstartup.com/fancentro-lamborghini-raffle/ |date=12 October 2019 |accessdate=27 August 2020 |work=webcamstartup.com}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://fancentro.com/}}
{{Pornographic video digital distribution platforms}}