Tag: Creators

  • Wowzi and MDP: Transforming Financial Management for Creators

    Wowzi and MDP: Transforming Financial Management for Creators

    Imagine living in a world where all your financial transactions could be completed with a simple wave or tap of the wrist. That is the idea behind Mastercard’s most recent endeavour, a $2.04 million investment into the digital content space through a partnership with Wowzi and MDP.

    They are creating a new reality for content creators, influencing our digital lives, and not merely providing cash for ideas.

    Content creators are the new entrepreneurs in the fast-paced world of social media, where every like, share, and follow turns into cash. However, tremendous power also comes with great responsibility; in this case, that obligation is the difficult task of handling money.

    Read also: Mastercard-AfDB Digital Economy Alliance to boost African digital access

    Here’s Wowzi, MDP, and Mastercard together to take this head-on. They’re developing financial management tools that simplify things and transform an unorganised earnings dashboard from a disarray of revenue streams.

    Wearable Payments Take Center Stage

    However, why end with software? This trio is considering more. With their Watch Cards and Ring Cards, they’re adding flair to the world of finances. These aren’t your typical accessories; they’re wearable technology that allows you to pay with your hand or finger. Transactions are completed quickly and securely with a simple flick of the wrist or touch of a finger.

    The following explains why these wearable marvels are going to be the best friend of content creators:

    Convenience: With your watchable to pay for purchases, who needs wallets? Alternatively, let your ring speak for you.

    Security: These devices are intelligent. They can feel your pulse and recognise you by touch. Falsers do not have to apply.

    Efficiency: By tapping quickly, you can save time and money. Stop searching for cards and continue with your creative process.

    Innovation: State-of-the-art? Indeed. Like the creators for whom they are intended, these wearables are cutting-edge.

    This is a movement, not just a collection of glitzy devices. Thanks to the efforts of Mastercard, Wowzi, and MDP, content producers will be the stars of a financial revolution. Thanks to these tools and technology, they can concentrate on what they do best—engaging us with their inventiveness. Collaborations like this will keep the digital landscape changing and the industry thriving.

    Thus, cheers to Wowzi and MDP’s clever designs, Mastercard’s audacious action, and both. By working together, they’re altering and redefining the game, ensuring that creativity and financial understanding go hand in hand—or, perhaps more accurately, hand and finger—in the realm of content development.

    About Wowzi and MDP

    Wowzi is a Nairobi, Kenya-based business that assists marketers in automating their operations and creative marketing campaigns. It enables various clients, including NGOs, creative agencies, multinational enterprises, and small and medium-sized businesses, to engage with the influencers shaping African commerce trends. The primary skill of Wowzi is scalability.

    Read also: Egypt partners Mastercard for payments technology solutions

    Thousands of artists globally can be reached by brands through creating and managing many campaigns that span multiple regions and demographics simultaneously. The website offers impressive statistics, citing over 100,000 authors, 150 clients, and 15,000 campaigns across 23 countries.

    The renowned American private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners (MDP) is based in Chicago, Illinois. It focuses on leveraged buyouts and growth capital investments in already-established companies. MDP was founded in 1992 and has a long history of investing in various sectors, such as TMT, primary industries, healthcare, business and government software and services, and financial and transaction services.

    MDP, which has put together one of the most experienced teams in the private equity industry, has raised seven funds totalling over $23 billion and has invested in more than 130 businesses.

  • Twitter(X) now pays Nigerian influencers and creators

    Twitter(X) now pays Nigerian influencers and creators

    Through X’s ad revenue-sharing model, content creators and social media influencers in Nigeria have begun to receive money from Twitter.

    Verified users in Nigeria and around the world who met the requirements and impressions threshold on their posts and content were paid. This payment was made to verified users.

    Because of this, “Twitter Blue” managed to maintain its position as the most popular trend on Tuesday, with over 513,000 postings.

    The proprietor of X, Elon Musk, has stated that the cash gained by advertisements will only be distributed to content authors whose posts receive advertisements in the comment threads of those postings.

    Musk had previously stated that the programme will only be beneficial to content providers who are subscribers to Twitter Blue.

    Read also: Twitter Blue subscribers can hide verification checkmarks

    Testimonies from X (Twitter) beneficiaries

    A great number of compensated creators have taken to the platform in order to share their receipts and express their gratitude to Elon Musk.

    Abazz, a Nigerian X influencer, published a tweet on August 8, 2023, stating that he had made ₦220,345 under X’s ads-sharing revenue programme.

     

    Here is another beneficiary, Harrison.

     

     

    How to profit from the revenue sharing plan 

    It was announced in February 2023 that Blue subscribers and verified organisations will be able to share in the revenue that X makes from advertising that are put in answers to their posts through a system called the ads revenue-sharing programme.

    This simply means that if you are a Blue subscriber or a verified company, you will make money off of the impressions received from other Blue subscribers who see advertising in the answers to your post. If you are not a Blue subscriber or a verified organisation, you will not make money off of these impressions.

    Read also: Twitter, now X; display will soon default to dark mode

    How to qualify for X revenue sharing 

    Becoming a Blue member, which costs either eight dollars or six thousand yen a month, is the first thing you need to do in order to start earning money from Twitter or qualify for the ad revenue sharing scheme.

    In addition to this, you need to have more than 500 followers, and each of your combined articles should have had at least 15 million organic impressions within the past three months.

    Sharing material that is both entertaining and relevant to your audience is one approach to grow the number of people who follow you. Make it a goal to publish new content at least once every day, and be sure to include a variety of text, photographs, and videos. Additionally, make sure to make use of hashtags (#) and mentions of users’ handles (@) in order to reach a larger audience. Following other users is another strategy that may be used to get new followers.

    In order to be paid through X’s ad revenue-sharing plan, you will need to open an account with Stripe as soon as you become qualified for the programme. Stripe is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) that powers online payment processing and commerce solutions for websites of varying sizes. Take payments, and your business will grow more quickly.

    If you already love to tweet and share your opinion, this new development is a motivation to do what you love and get paid.

  • YouTube new monetisation favours smaller creators

    YouTube new monetisation favours smaller creators

    YouTube is loosening some of the restrictions on its partner programme to make it easier for new video makers to get their careers off the ground and start making money as quickly as possible. 

    However, things aren’t looking very well for new content makers at the moment.

    YouTube is one of the most popular websites for video material, and its influence on the current era of digital creativity cannot be overstated. However, new video creators on YouTube who only have a few followers are not eligible to join YouTube’s Partner Programme (YPP). 

    Creators have the opportunity to make money from advertisements through the use of this programme.

    The eligibility requirements for YouTube producers were loosened up in June of 2023, which paved the way for these creators to begin earning on the network more quickly. Creators gain access to a variety of fan funding options when they sign up for the partner programme, including channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Thanks, and more.

    Read also: Kunda Kids announces fundraising round, new YouTube series

    Bringing down the barriers to generating revenue 

    The previous year, YouTube announced that significant upgrades were on the way for the YouTube Partner Programme (YPP), which was designed to assist more creators in earning more money on YouTube. 

    Creators on YouTube who have reached the threshold of 500 subscribers, have uploaded 3 public videos within the past 90 days, and have either accumulated 3000 watch hours over the course of the previous year or received 3 million views on Shorts over the course of the previous 90 days are now eligible to apply for the YouTube Partner Programme. 

    The application process began today. In the past, in order for channel owners to be eligible for YPP, they needed either 1,000 subscribers who had logged 4,000 valid public watch hours in the preceding year or 1,000 subscribers who had logged 10 million valid public Shorts views in the preceding 90 days.

    “Our options for crowd funding provide content creators with an additional way to increase their profits while simultaneously connecting with their audience as they grow their communities on YouTube,” says YouTube leaders 

    These tools allow creators all over the world, such as Emily D. Baker, to reward their followers with exclusive content and benefits in exchange for channel memberships or shoutout viewers who use Super Chat during their live streams. In point of fact, as compared to the previous year, the number of channels in the United States that derived the majority of their revenue from fan funding items in December 2022 witnessed an increase that was greater than 20%

    Eligible creators will be able to apply to YPP sooner, beginning on June 13, 2023. In order to be eligible, creators must have a minimum of 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads during the last 90 days, and either 3000 watch hours in the previous year or 3M Shorts views over the last 90 days. These new partners will be able to gain access to fan-funding features such as channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Super Thanks, in addition to the capacity to promote their own products through YouTube Shopping.

    The manner in which YouTube would implement this modification 

    YouTube would begin rolling out this higher level of YPP to creators in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Taiwan, and South Korea, and over time, the company will introduce earlier access to YPP in all countries where YPP is now available.

    These producers will automatically become eligible to earn revenue sharing from commercials and even more perks once they reach the existing YPP eligibility criteria as their channel continues to expand, and they won’t have to go through the complete YPP application process again to do so. This will save these artists a lot of time and effort. These pre-existing criteria for eligibility to participate in revenue sharing will not be amended.

    YouTube Introduces “Name Handle” To Make Creator Tagging Simpler

    YouTube shopping affiliate programme is going through an expansion

    YouTube is expanding the YouTube Shopping affiliate programme to all qualified US-based producers who are in the YouTube Partner Programme and have more than 20,000 subscribers. This will benefit creators who are further along in their careers on YouTube. 

    The affiliate programme enables content creators to highlight the products of other artists and companies in their videos and Shorts, and it also makes them eligible for competitive commission rates on the sales of those products that are tagged in their films and Shorts.

    YouTube has partnered with more than 50 different businesses, and more are on the way so that users’ videos and Shorts can highlight and tag products from those firms. This means that when a content creator is discussing a product, they can tag it directly in their video or Short to make it easier for viewers to purchase the item, and the creator can then receive a commission on sales produced by the content itself.

  • How Digital producers facilitate economic growth in Africa

    How Digital producers facilitate economic growth in Africa

    In Africa, the creator economy has grown in recent years, giving bright people, especially young people, more ways to use their skills in this digital age.

    Creators are looking for new ways to make the most of their skills, like selling e-books online and marketing goods to their thousands of followers on Instagram, TikTok, and other social media sites, and it’s working.

    Digital creators do more than just make a steady income, which is interesting. They are also putting other pros to work. A YouTuber who has too much work and not enough time can now hire a virtual assistant to set up meetings or a videographer to help with records.

    Selar commissioned a study called “The African Creator Economy and the Future of Work,” which gives more information about how online entrepreneurs have become employers.

    According to the study, more than one-quarter of digital creators have paid someone to work with them on a project. It’s one in three for bloggers and YouTubers. With 36% of hired staff, YouTube artists are at the top, followed by bloggers with 35%, social media influencers with 31%, and digital product makers with 27%.

    Graphic designers were hired more often than people in other jobs, according to the job descriptions of those who had jobs. Social media managers are the second job that digital makers want to hire the most.

    Both require a deep understanding of how digital production works, which is a skill not all digital entrepreneurs have.

    The study also showed some of the most important reasons why digital producers are outsourcing more and more work.

    More than 2,000 creators took part in a study, and 43.6% of them said that they hired help because they didn’t have enough time to do everything themselves.

    In second place are the 36.8% of producers who say they did it because they needed an expert. “I’ve grown and become too busy” (7.3%), “Other” (3.4%), and trying to give back to society (1.1%)

    Selar CEO Douglas Kendyson said, that digital innovators on the continent are creating jobs. “Before this research survey was even a thing, we had noticed that many of our creators, especially the most successful ones, didn’t work alone, at least not all the time,” he said. They usually had extra support for various tasks. This is a significant reason we did this study.”

    Read also: How health tech is changing the game in Africa 

    Why is Africa’s creator economy growing?

    Hubspot said that the creative industry would be worth $104.2 billion in 2022. People and businesses have both put money into it. Selar, Caffeine, Linktree, and other companies like them are new and important.

    Africans from many different countries have always been known for their creativity. The maker economy has grown faster because of the internet.

    Statista predicts 59.9% internet penetration in Nigeria in 2026. Smartphones are sold in almost every African market, which makes it easy to connect to the internet and participate in the rewarding creative economy.

    More Africans joined social media and found out how to make money on TikTok and Instagram. Influencers are used by brands to sell their products these days. Some of these businesses are 1XBet and Moniepoint.

    According to the story, “Instagram creators can make money through sponsored content deals, merchandise sales, and other income streams.”

    The study also connects the creator economy’s rapid rise to the drive for financial independence. That’s unchanging.  Young Nigerians struggle to find jobs due to inflation and an economic downturn. Statista forecast 33% unemployment in Nigeria last year.

    The creator ecosystem offers flexibility and creative control over one’s material in addition to making money. If you have the desire and the tools to hustle, it’s easy to enter the economy. In a white-collar career, formal experience and connections are essential to advancement.

    The creator ecosystem offers flexibility and creative control over content in addition to making money. If you’re enthusiastic about economics and have the tools to hustle, it’s easy to get in. Most white-collar jobs require formal training and contacts to advance.

    Traditional employment’s future

    Problems often lead to both good and bad changes. Online shipping from Amazon and AliExpress is hitting retail. People are also worried that millions of jobs will be lost because of AI.

    The creator economy is a good way to make money, show off your talent, and get more fans on YouTube, Facebook, etc. Most people, especially young people, are interested in digital business. But there is a cost. As more people start their own businesses, white-collar jobs may become outdated.

    African startup acquisitions decline

    Supporting this creator economy

    The study suggests that government authorities can boost the local economy by making the area an attractive place to do business. For instance, computer training programmes It states, “Policymakers may also need to think about new rules and regulations to protect workers and ensure competition is fair in the creative economy.”

    Good conditions for artists should attract investors and increase revenue. The media should highlight inventors’ successes and shortcomings. This will attract more Africans and teach them valuable things. Everyone must contribute to the maker economy’s growth.

  • Ahrefs Invests $60M To Build Yep, Friendly Search Engine For Creators

    Ahrefs Invests $60M To Build Yep, Friendly Search Engine For Creators

    Search engine toolkit company, Ahrefs recently revealed that they’ve been working behind the scenes on their own search engine called Yep and have invested $60 million in it. Yep’s unique offering is that it will run its own search index rather than relying on Google or Bing APIs.

    Forging A New Path For Creators

    Yep, though the name is one character shorter than the second largest search engine, Bing, it claims it’s forging a new path in the world of internet advertising by offering to give 90 percent of its ad revenue to content creators. The pitch is quite elegant:

    “Let’s say that the biggest search engine in the world makes $100B a year. Now, imagine if they gave $90B to content creators and publishers,” the company paints a picture of the future it wants to live in. “Wikipedia would probably earn a few billion dollars a year from its content. They’d be able to stop asking for donations and start paying the people who polish their articles a decent salary.”

     

    Read AlsoInstabug Has Raised $46M To Fix Beyond App’s Bugs

     

    Fighting for Ahrefs, a bootstrapped company, is an impressively quixotic windmill. Its CEO, Dmytro Gerasymenko, explains why he thinks this is a good idea:

    “Creators who make search results possible deserve to receive payments for their work. We saw how YouTube’s profit-sharing model made the whole video-making industry thrive. Splitting advertising profits 90/10 with content authors, we want to give a push towards treating talent fairly in the search industry,” says Ahrefs founder and CEO, Dmytro Gerasymenko, and continues to make the point that his search engine is meant to be heavily privacy-forward.

    “We do save certain data on searches, but never in a personally identifiable way. For example, we will track how many times a word is searched for and the position of the link getting the most clicks. But we won’t create your profile for targeted advertising.”

    Perhaps it sounds across as somewhat utopian, but that’s precisely what excites me about Yep in the first place. It’s the faintest of echoes from a web that was once more innocent and promising than the social-media poisoned quagmire of turmoil and bogus news we’ve become accustomed to.

    Built On A Solid Foundation

    The company’s decision to build its own data centers is remarkable; it claims to have more than 1,000 servers up and running, storing more than 100 petabytes of data. Given that cloud-based solutions are typically more flexible, Gerasymenko has a plan for that as well, noting that they are significantly more expensive for such huge infrastructure, with a goal of hundreds or thousands of high-end servers running at full capacity 24/7.

    Of course, the project didn’t begin with a search engine; the company already had a large dataset from its regular operations. For the past 12 years, Ahrefs has been crawling and storing web data in order to provide its customers with its core product: an SEO toolset. The search results are powered by AhrefsBot, the company’s own crawler, which visits more than 8 billion web pages every 24 hours, according to the company. The company claims the new search engine will be available in all nations and most languages.

     

    Read Also : NFT Marketplace For Creatives, Ayoken Bags $1.4M To Help Users Grow Their Revenue

     

    So, $60 million without any outside funding? That’s a lot of money—where did all of it come from? According to the company, revenues from paid subscriptions were re-invested. The company claims to generate $100 million in annual sales from its more than 50,000 customers and has so far avoided external investment. The company is based in Singapore and has 90 employees. A total of 11 people work on the search engine project, including data scientists, backend engineers, and front-end developers. According to the firm, Gerasymenko is actively involved in the development of the search engine.

    About Ahrefs

    Ahrefs is, first and foremost, a backlink checker. Link building has changed a lot, but contrary to popular belief, it’s far from dead. Knowing who links to the biggest sites in your industry can be the first step in building quality links of your own.

    Identifying links has always been the cornerstone of Ahrefs, which sets it apart.

    But it’s a whole lot more than that too, and there are all sorts of nifty and useful SEO features like rankings, referring pages, keyword tools, and more.

    In short, it’s the ultimate tool to learn from the best sites, to get ideas, and learn from for implementation in your own context on your own website.