In a sea of popular social media websites, Yapit seeks to be the difference. The app intends to show one doesn’t have to be an influencer to make money.
Yapit’s CEO, Alvin Merrifield, built a community where one’s engagement immediately builds value. He sees social media as a thriving sphere ready for monetization across all users.
“We use social monetization versus just social media,” Merrifield told
Atlanta Daily World. “Social media was created solely as a place for users to connect and share. However, over time, it has become a multibillion-dollar industry and utility for its users. I realized that as the market changed, people are going to want to be able to get more value out of their time spent online. This is what Yapit is truly about: transforming social media so that everyone can benefit from it.”It works by users gaining profit from their multimedia posts, as well as likes, comments, and shares. Revenue can build up through ads, product placement, and engagement on content. Similar to TikTok Shop, they can also use rewards or points earned toward e-commerce on the site and a ticketing portal for promoted events. Yapit breaks the glass ceiling on payouts typically reserved for influencers to now include everyday users.
“I built Yapit as an ecosystem on a social media framework, with the ability to distribute all forms of content,” explained Merrifield. “And in real-time, content creators and users instantly receive a share of the revenue generated by the platform in their integrated wallet we built in. Content creators get to decide what content they want to share for free or for a fee. And users gain rewards for their engagement. It’s a win-win for all.”
Launching the app within the blooming tech scene in Atlanta, Merrifield also aims to diversify the landscape. According to Wifitalent, white or Asian men account for 90% of tech executive roles. However, Merrifield hopes to inspire others like him to chase their ambition in the field.
He added, “As a minority in tech, I want to share our journey and success from coloring outside the lines to inspire others with an interest in tech that they can do it wherever they are and however they want. The only requirement is to believe in their vision and stay true to themselves.”
The app is currently available to download on the App Store, as its beta stage is well underway. Yapit also has a business division, Yapex, that generates revenue and tailors back-end solutions for companies, feeding directly into its flagship platform.