Should Your Artists Be on Shimmur?
In the early days of a platform’s growth, free media is everywhere and the room isn’t too packed. Early adopters with strong off-platform followings are rewarded with promotional perks and partnerships that benefit both artist and app. Musical.ly is a prime example, but there are others. Shimmur, an LA-based startup, turns social media engagement on its head to help influencers build loyal, engaged audiences. The app has grown rapidly since its December launch due in large part to relationships with emerging Musical.ly stars. Below is an interview with Shimmur co-founders Charlie Buffin, Max Levine, and Matthew Peltier. Feel free to reach out for more information on how this platform can help your artists. - Max
Q: Explain Shimmur in one sentence
A: Shimmur makes it easier for celebrities and influencers to interact with their fans.
Q: What do you do differently?
A: On other social media platforms, the influencer creates the content for the fans. We are the exact opposite. On Shimmur, the fans create the content in the form of questions, stories, pictures...or whatever they’d like the influencer to see. The rest of the community (referred to as a “Tribe”) upvotes or downvotes those posts and the most popular content gets a notice, like, or response from the influencer for all to see.
Q: What’s an example?
A: Max and Harvey Mills, two big influencers on our platform, recently gave personal advice to a young fan tormented by bullies. This was a valuable exchange for both sides, and might have never occurred on another platform.
Q: Where did you get the idea?
A: We were working with and managing young Vine stars a couple years ago, including Brent Rivera and Sammy Wilk. They were generating thousands of Twitter mentions, DMs, and comments but could only interact with a handful each day. That’s when we realized the importance of simplifying influencer-to-fan communication.
Q: Why is it working?
A: We’re tapping into the fundamental human desire for attention from our idols and scaling it in a way that has never been done. Rising musician Sammy Wilk, for instance, interacts with 300 fans per month on Twitter. On Shimmur, he’s able to engage with 13,000 fans in the same amount of time. 60 seconds on Shimmur is equivalent to 45-60 minutes on another platform. We’re saving influencers time and giving fans unprecedented access to their favorite personalities.
Q: How has Musical.ly helped you grow?
A: Engagement on Musical.ly is already astronomical but the community is still relatively untapped. We were early to recognize this passionate user base and became the first platform to indirectly onboard Musical.ly influencers.
Q: Your users seem way more valuable than just an average follower on other platforms. Is that true?
A: Exactly! You’ve heard of the “80/20 rule" - 20% of your audience accounts for 80% of your revenue. Shimmur users are the 20%.
Q: Do you have a plan to monetize?
A: Definitely. We're implementing features that will allow influencers to monetize directly through their most loyal fans. We’ll also be testing out brand partnerships and user subscription models over the coming months.
Q: So artists can sell tickets and/or merch directly to fans from within the platform?
A: Yes, down the line artists will have a direct way to sell essentially anything to their fans, including tickets and merch.
Q: That’s huge! Congratulations! And thank you very much.
A: Our pleasure.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like us to know?
A: Making this app as special as possible relies on openness and collaboration, so if you'd like to connect, feel free to reach out at contact@shimmur.com. Lastly, you can download Shimmur in the iTunes App Store and follow us on socials @shimmur (@shimmurapp on Instagram) to stay up-to-date with our progress!
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Young Performers Look to Apps for Stardom // New York Times
Musical.ly Signs Its First Major Label Deal with Warner Music // Billboard