Inside The PR Agency That's Made Millions Repping OnlyFans Creators

Australian Emma Gillman says she first saw her opportunity while plugging away at her first public relations job. She had just received her journalism degree and was looking to make an impact. Gillman always had an interest in the OnlyFans world. She had written about it and studied it until eventually she discovered the glaring issue: OnlyFans creators had no real support system. Sure, they had jock-y business majors who claimed to be working in their client’s best interest, but, to Gillman, it seemed these characters didn’t actually care. That’s when she stepped in.

“The industry can attract a particular type of operator,” Gillman says. “Typically a young man who’s watched too many sales videos and decided this is their route to quick money.” She adds that these “salesmen” don’t value their customers and lack a convincing plan. “Strategy is the afterthought, and respect is rarer still. For too long, these women have been choosing from the best of a bad bunch, not because better doesn’t exist, but because better hasn’t bothered to show up.” 

It was then that Gillman founded her PR company: The Siren Group. Specifically engineered to improve the careers of OnlyFans creators, The Siren Group’s message resonated widely across the OnlyFans space and now, the company is worth millions of dollars. Who would’ve thought, actually helping creators instead of just making money off of them is an incredibly lucrative business idea? 

Gillman has worked with thousands of creators and brands across the US, UK and Australia. She also represents high-profile creators like Lily Phillips and Annie Knight. “I see it as part traditional publicity, part celebrity talent management - for some of the most taboo and talked-about names globally,” Gillman says. She adds hers is “the kind of job people actually like hearing about at a dinner party.” 

Most people see Gillman’s clientele as attractive women, who just want to make a lot of money without possessing real business acumen or passion for their job. This misconception is sadly all too common, but it’s also part of what makes Gillman’s firm so successful. Her clients are just as invested in their own success as Gillman is. “I truly believe most high-performing businesses would hire some of my creators as their Chief Marketing Officer if they spent five minutes understanding their natural ability to read audience behavior, intuitively understand sales funnels and attract and convert new audiences,” Gillman says. 

So, why do so many popular clients flock to Gillman’s firm? To hear her tell it, it’s a combination of a good attitude and industry know-how. Gillman’s not one to talk about herself, but she says, “... empathy and open-mindedness play a big part in creating an environment where creators, who are rightfully skeptical of businesses in this space, feel safe to open up to our team and me.” She adds that her work in journalism and later in public relations shaped her understanding of the field in which she now operates. Her journalism background helped her learn about “what makes people care” while PR taught her “how to shape that attention more deliberately”. 

Her success, Gillman says, is based on a simple principle: strategizing effectively and treating OnlyFans creators like business owners, not the highly-stigmatized “adult performers” that outsiders love to label them as. “OnlyFans creators are still building their businesses without access to the strategic infrastructure available to mainstream talent,” Gillman says.

Somehow, even after building a million dollar company from scratch, Gillman still has some doubters. But that’s ok, Gillman knows it comes with the territory. “As a young woman working with adult creators, there’s often an assumption that my success is accidental, unserious or somehow morally negotiable,” Gillman explains. “A big part of what I’ve learnt is how important it is to back yourself before there’s external validation. Because there are plenty of rooms where people will underestimate you immediately based on your age, gender or clientele before you’ve even spoken.”