Author Topic: We need competition to Stocksy! (Read 22129 times)

Tror · « **on:** July 07, 2014, 10:47 »

Who would be up for it?

Legal structure: COOP (various options and legal structures depending on the funding country).
Capital source: COOP (expect to sink some money) and maybe investors if we can convince someone after funding the legal entity.
Style: Not like stocksy. Broader. We have to define a paradigm which allows more styles yet makes a point to differ from current microstock content.
Category: Midstock
Advertising: personal promotion, social networks, print....don`t even start to think in adwords!

Please let`s discuss constructively! If you bash the idea, please give us your reason that we can improve the concept!
If you love the idea, please understand that it`s realization takes a LOT of time, passion, patience and money and rethink if you would be truly in!
If you have a great Idea please share!

Shelma1 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 07, 2014, 12:23 »

Step one:

http://www.sba.gov/writing-business-plan

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #2 on:** July 07, 2014, 12:27 »

So it sounds like you're not really wanting to compete with Stocksy. You just want to emulate it without a USP.

roede-orm · « **Reply #3 on:** July 07, 2014, 12:44 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on July 07, 2014, 12:27

So it sounds like you're not really wanting to compete with Stocksy. You just want to emulate it without a USP.

Mercy with non native speakers: What means USP?

Tror · « **Reply #4 on:** July 07, 2014, 12:48 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on July 07, 2014, 12:27

So it sounds like you're not really wanting to compete with Stocksy. You just want to emulate it without a USP.

Yes, "competition" might not be the right word. Lets talk about an alternative for photographers :-) The style should differ too but should be defined in community (talking about USP). I love stocksy, and the good thing about them is their strategy, which, at the same time, excludes many of us for subject, style or simply because they (you) want to limit the amount of photographers (which is good).

Regarding the business plan: yes, surely you have to draft one ;-) This is not exactly the first business I would start lol But lets see how many people would be honestly interested. A one man COOP may not make sense, doesn`t it? ;-)

cuppacoffee · « **Reply #5 on:** July 07, 2014, 12:50 »

USP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unique_selling_proposition

pixsol · « **Reply #6 on:** July 07, 2014, 12:51 »

Quote from: roede-orm on July 07, 2014, 12:44

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on July 07, 2014, 12:27
So it sounds like you're not really wanting to compete with Stocksy. You just want to emulate it without a USP.
Mercy with non native speakers: What means USP?

Unique Selling Proposition

... Sorry, repeat information as the above post from cuppacoffee :-)

roede-orm · « **Reply #7 on:** July 07, 2014, 12:54 »

Thank you both

Shelma1 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 07, 2014, 12:58 »

Quote from: Tror on July 07, 2014, 12:48

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on July 07, 2014, 12:27
So it sounds like you're not really wanting to compete with Stocksy. You just want to emulate it without a USP.

Yes, "competition" might not be the right word. Lets talk about an alternative for photographers :-)

I'm out then, since I'm primarily an illustrator.

grsphoto · « **Reply #9 on:** July 07, 2014, 13:10 »

to be successful it has to be based on providing something useful for buyers.... it doesn't matter how great it is for creators, if it doesn't sell it folds.

Tror · « **Reply #10 on:** July 07, 2014, 13:11 »

Quote from: Shelma1 on July 07, 2014, 12:58

Quote from: Tror on July 07, 2014, 12:48
Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on July 07, 2014, 12:27
So it sounds like you're not really wanting to compete with Stocksy. You just want to emulate it without a USP.

Yes, "competition" might not be the right word. Lets talk about an alternative for photographers :-)

I'm out then, since I'm primarily an illustrator.

Please excuse if I do not add in each and every post photographer+illustrator+3d graphics designer+videographer+audio creator....

...am I right that your constructive suggestion is to open up the concept to unique illustrations as well? That would make a great point to get some distance to stocksy...nice!

Tror · « **Reply #11 on:** July 07, 2014, 13:12 »

Quote from: grsphoto on July 07, 2014, 13:10

to be successful it has to be based on providing something useful for buyers.... it doesn't matter how great it is for creators, if it doesn't sell it folds.

Yes. Therefore I mentioned in my original post that a unique style must be defined. It is not a secret that many buyers are tired of the usual microstock style and the success of sites like stocksy proves it. Well thought through with some art directors and the experience of a veteran stock group and it will work.

cthoman · « **Reply #12 on:** July 07, 2014, 13:15 »

Quote from: Shelma1 on July 07, 2014, 12:58

Quote from: Tror on July 07, 2014, 12:48
Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on July 07, 2014, 12:27
So it sounds like you're not really wanting to compete with Stocksy. You just want to emulate it without a USP.

Yes, "competition" might not be the right word. Lets talk about an alternative for photographers :-)

I'm out then, since I'm primarily an illustrator.

Probably better not to join a coop with photographers anyway. Nothing against them. It just seems like you want as much of a narrow focus as possible to have less friction between everyone involved.

Tror · « **Reply #13 on:** July 07, 2014, 13:18 »

Quote from: cthoman on July 07, 2014, 13:15

Quote from: Shelma1 on July 07, 2014, 12:58
Quote from: Tror on July 07, 2014, 12:48
Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on July 07, 2014, 12:27
So it sounds like you're not really wanting to compete with Stocksy. You just want to emulate it without a USP.

Yes, "competition" might not be the right word. Lets talk about an alternative for photographers :-)

I'm out then, since I'm primarily an illustrator.

Probably better not to join a coop with photographers anyway. Nothing against them. It just seems like you want as much of a narrow focus as possible to have less friction between everyone involved.

Why not? I think creating a high value market for illustrations would be a good idea. But yes, number of people should be limited to be able to maintain a reasonable balance...

MichaelJayFoto · « **Reply #14 on:** July 07, 2014, 13:23 »

Quote from: Tror on July 07, 2014, 12:48

A one man COOP may not make sense, doesn`t it? ;-)

"One man" not. But "too many" won't make it either. As I keep saying when posts like this pop up... ask too many people and you will never get them to agree with anything. I believe someone has to start something, define a set of rules and the say "play with me or look somewhere else". You can finetune later but before someone standing up and making a clear point, there is no point in saying "I would like to".

Tror · « **Reply #15 on:** July 07, 2014, 13:34 »

Quote from: MichaelJayFoto on July 07, 2014, 13:23

Quote from: Tror on July 07, 2014, 12:48
A one man COOP may not make sense, doesn`t it? ;-)

"I believe someone has to start something, define a set of rules and the say "play with me or look somewhere else". You can finetune later but before someone standing up and making a clear point, there is no point in saying "I would like to".

Good point. I started many businesses in my life. I think the main point I haven` started yet is that I am simply afraid of getting my accounts closed at other agencies and I am a full timer. But I start to think more deeply in setting up an site on the ownership of a legal identity - which is not too expensive nowadays.

However, I think we need some social gravity. For one this project is too big (as long as your name isn`t bruce l.). You may end up with another symbiostock. The realistic expectation is to have at least 5 or 6 experienced people designing the main principles and then incorporate.

I fully agree that we just would have to start and fine tune on the way, as long as the fundamentals are clear.

The number of people participating should be defined by:
• the relation of the expected reachable market share within a defined time, the material you need to reach this market share, and the relationship to the possible revenue at that first balance point.
• the participants value for the COOP (skills, contacts, portfolio, social weight, knowledge, business skills)
• Always in harmony with growth - Artists (yes, artists, nobody excluded) should have their work enough valued that they have the time to be able to create unique material instead of being haunted by the slavery of subscription sales - Buyers note that too. Because of that Scott Braut of SS stated here that many clients are asking for special stuff they cannot find on SS.

EmberMike · « **Reply #16 on:** July 07, 2014, 13:49 »

Quote from: Tror on July 07, 2014, 12:48

...the good thing about them is their strategy, which, at the same time, excludes many of us for subject, style or simply because they (you) want to limit the amount of photographers (which is good)...

It is good to limit who gets in. So how would you suggest changing that? Let in more people than Stocksy lets in, but still less than what the big microstock companies allow?

Shelma1 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 07, 2014, 13:56 »

Here's an issue I have....I have no idea who you are or what your work looks like. Perhaps others know, but I'm clueless. So far all I know is that you're someone whose work is not acceptable to Stocksy. I'm assuming you'd like others with work similar to yours, or up to your standards, to be part of the co-op. But I don't know what your standards are or how you'd differentiate yourself from all the other sites out there.

You might have more luck approaching people whose work you admire/would mesh with yours privately.

cthoman · « **Reply #18 on:** July 07, 2014, 14:04 »

Quote from: Shelma1 on July 07, 2014, 13:56

You might have more luck approaching people whose work you admire/would mesh with yours privately.

That's probably the best way to do it. I've often thought that might be the next step if my personal site ever gets large/successful enough. I'm not sure if I'll ever get to that step to seriously contemplate it though.

Tror · « **Reply #19 on:** July 07, 2014, 14:51 »

Quote from: cthoman on July 07, 2014, 14:04

Quote from: Shelma1 on July 07, 2014, 13:56
You might have more luck approaching people whose work you admire/would mesh with yours privately.

That's probably the best way to do it. I've often thought that might be the next step if my personal site ever gets large/successful enough. I'm not sure if I'll ever get to that step to seriously contemplate it though.

Yes, it is. So far I test the waters how the community reacts. There is a reason that I am anonymous. Especially when discussing these matters. I would not be the first one having to face "strange" consequences for building up a competing site lol

But we are not there yet. I do not want to convince people. I want to see how convinced you folks are by the idea.

old crow · « **Reply #20 on:** July 07, 2014, 15:33 »

Stocksy seems like a great agency. You simply need a stocksy style agency with more common images/themes. Think of how many contributors would jump to an organization that takes their well being in consideration. The end to many oraganizations could actually be an agency that paid contributors more, that would be ironic, an agency that pulled all the images away from the others simply by paying them more

Would you go exclusive for 30-40-50 % ?

Symbiostock was close but needed a common webpage and reviewers with a percent of profits to the agency.

Full disclosure: I am not a stocksy contributor and I do not think my work is anywhere near good enough to even apply.

heywoody · « **Reply #21 on:** July 07, 2014, 16:44 »

Is stocksy a great agency? Take away the elitist element, is it making more for contributors than those agencies that the rest of the great unwashed contribute to? (no sarcasm here, genuine question)

I see no evidence that the OP is not concerned with a USP - quite reasonable that this might take a bit of thought but a different USP is not the same as no USP.

roede-orm · « **Reply #22 on:** July 07, 2014, 17:13 »

By the way: How long will it take until buyers are tired of this special Stocksy style?

ShadySue · « **Reply #23 on:** July 07, 2014, 17:19 »

Quote from: roede-orm on July 07, 2014, 17:13

By the way: How long will it take until buyers are tired of this special Stocksy style?

Presumably they have researchers to spot the next-but-one trend.

EmberMike · « **Reply #24 on:** July 07, 2014, 17:48 »

Quote from: heywoody on July 07, 2014, 16:44

Is stocksy a great agency? Take away the elitist element, is it making more for contributors than those agencies that the rest of the great unwashed contribute to? (no sarcasm here, genuine question)...

I don't think that "making more" is the criteria that most folks around here use to judge an agency. At this point I think the bulk of the community can be satisfied with a company that can make some money for contributors, pay a decent percentage, and not be releasing products and deals that repeatedly attempt to undercut artists.

I certainly don't judge companies based solely on how much they make me. My favorite company right now isn't a huge earner, but it earns respectably. And it's not even on the poll. I know there are some people who deem Shutterstock to be the best company in the business because they earn the most there, but "the most" certainly isn't the criteria I use to decide who I prefer.

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Author Topic: We need competition to Stocksy! (Read 22129 times)

Tror

Shelma1

Sean Locke Photography

roede-orm

Tror

cuppacoffee

pixsol

roede-orm

Shelma1

grsphoto

Tror

Tror

cthoman

Tror

MichaelJayFoto

Tror

EmberMike

Shelma1

cthoman

Tror

old crow

heywoody

roede-orm

ShadySue

EmberMike

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