App wants you to tip your favourite celebs

Shukran app wants you to show appreciation to content creators that entertain, educate and inspire you, says co-founder Andanje Wobanda.

Harriet James @harriet86jim

The beauty of social media is that it has permitted artistes and other people with the intent of making money online to do so.

It has also enabled them to build genuine relationships with their fan base.

Behind the content are many producers who work tirelessly to ensure their output is creative and reaches as many of their target audience as possible.

According to the Influencer Marketing Hub, these content creators make money through affiliate links, advertisements, merchandising, endorsements, sponsorships, as well as subscription fees.

However, presently, the market is flooded since many people have joined the space to make money.

The barrier to entry to building a brand and garnering an audience has become harder, especially with  social media algorithms making fewer people able to  monetise their content.

It also requires one to invest highly in marketing  skills and equipment, things that people starting out might not have.

Some opt to have part time gigs just to finance their passion, leaving them with  less time in building their content.

With such challenges, software developers are coming up with solutions to enable content producers earn income.

One such space is Shukran, a platform that gets content creators  earnings from audience who enjoy their work regardless of the size of their fan base or algorithm.

From podcasters, musicians, bloggers, Youtubers, writers, poets, digital creators, non-profits, communities, the platform attracts creators of all kinds.

Churning content

“This means your fan base gets to support you with as little as Sh100 or $1.

The best thing is that you can be tipped from anywhere around the globe. Content creation is expensive; it costs time and money for creators to churn out content.

This is a platform that will allow you to build a team, collaborate with other content creators across Africa, therefore building your fanbase and helping you raise money to become a full time content creator. 

The end goal is to have content creators start thinking of themselves as media houses,” explains Andanje Wobanda , co-founder and Kenyan country lead.

Once a creator opens an account on Shukran, they will be provided with a unique link where they upload their details such as their name, a link where audience can find their work, approximate size of their audience, their content link as well as a ‘Thank You’ message to their audience. 

It also includes banking details so that a user can withdraw their money once tips exceed Sh299.  

“If you are a supporter and you like a certain content creator or as a person whose vision you believe in, she can request for anything such as a camera or sell her food photography photos, you click on her Shukran link and tip her,” she says. 

Creative process 

By supporting content creators on Shukan, the fans become a key player in their creative process and a part of their success story.

They can either support them with money on a daily or monthly basis or they can send an encouraging message to keep them going. 

So far, the app has reached over 300 content creators in the last two and a half months with Kenya and Nigeria leading the pack.

The founders estimate that over 2.5 million content creators across Africa will be reached in the next five years. 

Andanje advises content creators to be active and creative in engaging audiences on all the platforms. 

“Create a WhatsApp group to share exclusive content with regular tippers, offer  a shoutout on social media, send branded merchandise (notebooks, framed photos, or t-shirts) or invite fans for a cookout if you are a foodie, or have a guest post/ feature on your blog or book,” she says.