Sharetori is a social sharing network that allows a user to share links to a site, a video and audio, on their Facebook, twitter, G+ & LinkedIn with a short commentary and in return receive rewards such as points, airtime or cash after verification.
Sharetori also enable publishers to share their campaigns in their inventory via a simple ad network resulting which assures them of earnings anytime one clicks the ad.
Follow our interview with the founders below.
What is Sharetori and when was it launched and where?
Sharetori is coined from “Share the story” where “tori” is story in pidgin, a widely spoken derivative of English amongst West African Anglophone countries. It is a community of Africans who choose cool stuff to share on social media and get rewarded with airtime, cash, and points.
As an individual, our platform allows a user to share links to a site, a video and audio, on their facebook, twitter, G+ & LinkedIn with a short commentary. The sharing involves rewards such as points, airtime or cash after verification. As an online content publisher (website or blog), we enable the publishing of campaigns in our inventory via a simple ad network resulting in earnings for the online content owner.
Our beta launch was in October 2012 starting with Nigerian cities.
How is the startup scene like in your city?
Incubation labs such as Co-Creation Hub and Wennovation Hub have helped birth many start-ups and keep entrepreneurs engaged with large corporate companies such as Nokia, Blackberry, Google e.t.c as they endeavour to create domestic and home based applications, games e.t.c for their growing user base.
Several other start up ecommerce businesses are also gaining traction with usage and are creating new trends for how many Nigerians especially in cities such as Lagos and Abuja choose to shop.
What problem does it solve?
Advertisers using several online channels to get across to their potential target market usually face a big dilemma – that of enhancing word of mouth and trust. Sharetori’s platform incentivizes the process of word of mouth while introducing the element of trust, as friends in your social networks are more likely to share items posted to your wall with their network than the adverts running along the sides of the social network.
How does it work?
An advertiser in six simple steps is able to kick-start an advert within five to ten minutes by uploading a campaign image of 600×400 pixels, including a catchy ad copy and specifying targeted details such as gender, minimum number of friends or followers required.
Advertisers are able to set reward limits at their discretion (at the moment, instant airtime for any GSM network) to encourage community members to share a campaign while the more catchy or cool your campaign, the more the community shares or, the more rewarding your campaign, the more it is shared.
Publishers & Promoters
A publisher or promoter is able to use existing online platform such as a blog, website or social network to earn incentives for sharing our content via their platforms.
Who are your target population?
Major users of social networks who are “mavens” – that have many followers and friends and are usually at the forefront of trends and information
How do users gain?
Advertisers gain exclusive access to the newsfeed of social network users and improve engagement and interaction for service or product as campaigns are shared to the walls of friends resulting in increased viral possibilities for the shared campaign. Brands are able to build their engagement with prospective users and improve loyalty amongst existing users.
Publishers and promoter earn incentives such as bonus points, discounted vouchers, airtime and cash for sharing cool campaigns with their network.
What is your marketing strategy?
We are reaching out to new users via online mediums such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs. We have also been able to arrange win-win sign up deals with several online businesses.
How do you make money?
Advertisers are charged a percentage for using our platform to reach out to our network.
Are you funded or are bootstrapping?
We are seed-funded.
Take us through your features?
Promoters are able to earn incentives after registration by clicking on “Social Share”. A campaign is shared by generating a link unique to each promoter and campaign and is shared across any of the various social networks displayed. Accessing the Account section, a promoter can view the amount earned, make instant airtime withdrawals to their registered mobile number via the Withdrawals button.
A promoter in addition, can earn from publishing campaigns to blogs or websites they own via our ad network. API codes can be generated instantly to match existing blogs or websites and can be immediately integrated for display.
Advertisers have at their disposal easy upload tools to attach images, input details of their campaign as well as JavaScript enhanced forms to determine their budgets at their discretion. An advertiser can determine that campaigns are displayed to specific demographics such as gender, number of specific friends or followers e.t.c
Any future plans?
Our plans are unfolding as we are barely 2 months in existence. We intend to roll out our service across African countries in the near future.
