If you had told Monica Huldt years ago, as she was working as a religious education teacher in Sweden, that she would one day have one of the most successful social media accounts a particular platform had ever seen, she probably never would have believed you.
But, through a wild and sometimes rugged upward battle, Monica managed to immigrate to a new country, work her way out of poverty, and build a six-figure business by leveraging social media.
As a first-generation immigrant to the US, Monica Huldt carried some basic attributes common to most immigrants: ability to be adaptive, hard-working, and some may say scrappy! Upon arriving in the US with her husband, who was also from Sweden and looking to start a personal training business, Monica was very much set adrift without a paddle.
She had worked in education and business development in Sweden, but those endeavors had not fulfilled her. Monica’s passion was modeling, and she desperately wanted to pursue that passion in the United States. Easier said than done, in many ways.
Monica had no visa initially, and her husband was getting his business off the ground. To say they were struggling would be an understatement. So, Monica turned to stripping. She found herself on day shifts at a strip club which are notoriously hard, and she barely made enough to pay her rent – let alone for things like food.
During one’s toughest trials, however, comes great perseverance. It was sink or swim time for Monica and her husband. She had cultivated a following on Instagram, and a friend had introduced her to the subscription service OnlyFans. Leveraging her Instagram engagement, Monica started an OnlyFans account, showcasing modeling images and adult videos. She instantly loved the safety and control aspects of OnlyFans over that of stripping in the afternoons. `
Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Monica’s OnlyFans account blew up. Her account served as an escape for some subscribers, entertainment for others. She knew some of her subscribers were experiencing hardships throughout the pandemic, and it gave her a sense of pride to be there for them in this small way.
Monica credits growing her Instagram and OnlyFans accounts with saving her life and bringing a newfound sense of financial security to her and her husband. It is now a six-figure endeavor, and Monica’s is one of the most successful OnlyFans accounts.
Finding success on social media doesn’t require adult content, it’s just the space where Monica has succeeded. The tools she used to grow her following on Instagram and OnlyFans apply to any social media-based business in need of growth. To Monica, it’s all about the people and the community. How is a profile reaching out and serving their followers?
Some tips that Monica finds crucial to growing a successful social media presence:
Be Authentic
Fans and followers are drawn to particular accounts because those influencers always strive to be their most authentic selves online.People can tell if you’re putting on an act. Monica believes her followers appreciate that she shows up as she truly is.
Cultivate Relationships
Monica advises that this is paramount to a successful account. People seek out social media connections because they want relationships. Monica strives to talk to the people who message her, get to know them, and listen to their stories. People feel connected to her and continue to follow and engage.
Make People Feel Special
Much like cultivating relationships, Monica says, you have to make people feel like there’s a reason they visit your account. You have to work to make the people choosing to engage with you feel special. Whether that’s taking time out to acknowledge them personally or showcasing content you know they like, it comes down to personalizing your account, so it’s not something easily ignored.
Respond and Engage
When people comment or send messages, respond to them! This takes very little time but makes a world of difference when it comes to growing a following. Again, it circles back to the idea of cultivating relationships. It’s “social” in social media!
Monica continues to grow her business and looks to branch out into the real estate space soon, utilizing the same principles that have brought her social media success. She hopes to continue to help remove the stigmas attached to adult-orientated/explicit content work online and bring the stories of the women behind the camera and behind the accounts to the forefront.
Building a business online can take time, but working every day to cultivate relationships and bring authentic content to the table can help shorten the length of time between struggle and success.
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