It happened to millions of social media users. You post a video or photo to your favorite app only to find it’s been taken down a few days later for “violating community guidelines.” Maybe you were in a bikini and the platform thought you were posting nudity, or you were using language – like the word “death” – the algorithm deemed offensive. Either way, it’s gone, after you’ve spent valuable time and effort getting it right.
Social media can be downright frustrating at times, for influencers and users alike. It is common for content creators to have their posts removed due to the aforementioned guidelines, and some are even shadowbanned Where totally forbidden. Many users find this disheartening, as the creators they like to follow often get censored by the app or lose some of their authenticity by trying to follow. avoid be censored by the app. Creators also sometimes have to deal with unclear community guidelines, and on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, it’s not as easy (and often, it’s downright impossible) to monetize content that violates those guidelines. .
Walk in TEMPERA: a hybrid social media and creator monetization platform that aims to solve all of these problems and more. Founded by David Gross and Fred Spivock, SLUSHY is a business-centric space where invite-only creators can host subscription content for fans, and it provides all the tools creators need to make money. The couple created the platform after recognizing the need for an “in-between” when it comes to content creation and monetization.
“When you look at creators today, they love the tools of Instagram and TikTok and the way people consume that content, but the big issue for them is that they have to send [fans] apart from those [apps] …and then people buy their content on Patreon or OnlyFans – and that really impacts their business,” CEO and co-founder David Gross tells Elite Daily.
“For us, [SLUSHY] is a celebration of these entrepreneurs,” says Josh Metz, CMO and co-founder of SLUSHY. “We want them to gain financial freedom and earn what they deserve…We don’t want them to fear phantom bans, account deletion, [or] unclear guidelines. We want them to feel safe in what they post and have fun doing it at the same time.
SLUSHY quickly attracted the attention of investors from other well-known social and consumer brands, including Tinder and Shutterstock. Even celebrities have gotten involved in SLUSHY, like Drew Taggart and Alex Pall, better known as The Chainsmokers.
What is SLUSHY?
Think about TEMPERA like OnlyFans meets TikTok. You can register as a member for free, and creators can join the site by invitation only. Once accepted, creators can produce whatever content they want, from photos to videos, stories, live streams, and more. They can also dictate the price they charge for each, with options for free, subscription, and pay-per-view content. SLUSHY takes home 20% of a creator’s earnings, while creators keep 80%, which is the same as OnlyFans. (Patreon takes a lower cut, between 5% and 12%.)
Members can scroll through this content in a TikTok-style vertical scrolling format on the homepage. This allows for seamless discovery that most creator monetization apps lack. “It’s the most fun way to consume this type of content,” Gross says. “And I think once people use it, they really fall in love with it, both the creators and the members themselves.”
Members also benefit from SLUSHY, with more ways to interact with their favorite influencers and celebrities. Most of the time, members can message their favorite creators for free, but for more personal or intimate conversations, creators can turn on monetization, where members can tip creators while they chat. Members can also request a live video with a creator, paying for the experience based on what the creator decides to charge.
“SLUSHY gives people the ability to message these creators directly and talk to them in a way where they’re more likely to get a response and engage with them,” says Metz. “If those fans were on Instagram and saw one of their favorite designers and messaged them, they’re [likely] won’t be seen or answered, whereas here…fans have the opportunity to jump right in and engage with them.
Along with the built-in monetization aspect and nifty discoverability landing page, Gross is proud of SLUSHY for prioritizing free speech. The site lets you say or do just about anything you want – as long as it’s not illegal, of course. This is possible because, unlike most social media platforms, SLUSHY does not rely on ads. Two, it’s not hosted in the App Store. Apps on the App Store must adhere to the store’s guidelines, which prohibit things like nudity.
“There are a lot of creators who have built a huge following, and their accounts get deleted all the time. It’s a common thing now…and what does it do to your business? If you’re a person who sells content and your account is deleted, it’s your livelihood – it’s not sustainable,” Gross says.
“That’s where we see SLUSHY come in – it’s really free speech, free speech,” Gross adds. “If you really look at how people talk on social media [media] today they censor themselves. If you talk to a creator, they say the most important thing to connecting with an audience is authenticity, and that’s not really allowed in a lot of ways.
How Slushy compares to OnlyFans
Although SLUSHY is OnlyFans’ latest competitor to hit the market, there are some important differences that set it apart. As mentioned earlier, it has a similar layout to TikTok, which makes it easy to follow new creators when you meet them. “If you look at OnlyFans and Patreon, there’s not a lot of discoverability there. It’s really hard to find people unless they refer you directly from their social media,” says Metz.
SLUSHY also provides more ways for fans to connect with their favorite influencers and celebrities, and in turn, more ways for creators to profit from their content. As a member, it’s free to join, but you’ll need to subscribe to creators whose exclusive content you want to see. The subscription price varies depending on what each creator wants to charge. While OnlyFans also allows personalized and personalized content, SLUSHY takes it a step further with the aforementioned options for live video chats and on-the-fly conversations. Also unique to SLUSHY is an upcoming, first-to-market feature: subscription-based stories, which are similar to “Instagram close friends stories but for followers,” according to Gross.
Perhaps the thing that stands out the most about SLUSHY is that for creators, it’s invite-only. Once you have applied as a creator to join the site, you will be placed on a waiting list. Due to the early stage nature of the platform, creators are selected on a case-by-case basis, but no specific subscriber count is required. Your existing social networks should simply reflect your desire to create content and make it a business. The other way to become a creator is to be sponsored by someone already on the site. As a referral, you will be immediately accepted and the creator who successfully refers you will receive a 5% payout.
“The invitation and sponsorship system is not there to be elitist or exclusive,” says Metz. “We just want to make sure that our first subset of creators is entrepreneurial, appeals to like-minded creators, and sets the tone we want to follow.”
You’ve heard the jokes about social media platforms copying features from each other (Snapchat stories and face filters, TikTok videos and duets, BeReal’s dual camera mode). SLUSHY aims to bring something New to the social media landscape which is, well, as its motto goes, fucking refreshing.
“You’re going to hear, see, and experience things on SLUSHY that you can’t access on other platforms,” Gross says. “So that in itself is refreshing – people are looking for that, and it’s like a breath of fresh air, finally.”
