Losing Patience Fast

DanP68

« on: February 20, 2008, 03:45 »

#link

My portfolio continues to fail miserably with Lucky Oliver. I've made $0.60 in February so far, and that actually qualifies as a BME. Roll Eyes

Total Earnings? $1.50 since September. I make that much in one morning at Shutterstock.

Lucky Oliver now constitutes less than 0.01% of my total earnings over this period.

Hey, maybe it's just me. People do post now and then about success and payouts at LO. Perhaps my portfolio simply does not fit in with their model. I noticed Compete.com shows falling traffic at LO since peaking early last fall. Granted you can see a similar pattern at more established sites, but this should not be the case with a website spinning up from a small base.

As of today I will no longer be uploading to Lucky Oliver. It seems a waste to spend 1/8 of the effort for 1/10000 of the return. If sales pick up over the next month I will re-evaluate. If they do not, I may simply close shop and place my efforts elsewhere. All the best to Brian and his staff, and good luck to those who are getting some return on their investment.


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sharpshot

« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2008, 03:59 »

#link

I am pleased with the sales there recently. A BME last month and it is continuing this month.


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DanP68

« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2008, 05:03 »

#link

You aren't the alone one Sharpshot. Keep it up!

It must be my style doesn't fit in with Lucky Oliver. Just one of those things, I guess.


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grp_photo

« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2008, 05:33 »

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LO works better for me than FP and SV. LO 800,-$, FP 600,-$ and SV 150.-$ so far. Sure SV is not so old but monthly earnings are also better at LO. Comparable Portfolios. I actually losing patience with SV.


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sharpshot

« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2008, 05:34 »

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Dan, I think your portfolio is good and you should do well there. I noticed you have only made 4 comments on other peoples images. The images with comments go on the front page. If you leave comments, other people comment on your photos and they go on the front page. I think this is a good way to increase downloads there.


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DanP68

« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2008, 05:58 »

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Yeah, I've always been leery of that strategy. I don't understand why an image with a comment should be placed on the front of the main web page. I mean, what if the comment is, "Your image stinks." Cool

I suppose I could do this for a few days to see if it reaps benefits. It really feels like I am scamming the system though. Images should sell based on quality, search placement, and demand. I just don't get why LO chooses to do this.


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sharpshot

« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2008, 06:49 »

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I like that they do something different from the other sites. It is possible to sell there with a big portfolio full of great images but this gives everyone a chance to get their images on the front page.


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anonymous

« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2008, 08:31 »

#link

Quote from: DanP68 on February 20, 2008, 05:58

I'm with you...gave them up a year ago....if I don't have time to waste on uploading to low earners, I d@mn sure don't have time to play the "comment" game...


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sharply_done

« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2008, 10:15 »

#link

Quote from: DanP68 on February 20, 2008, 03:45

My portfolio continues to fail miserably with Lucky Oliver. ...

Given the bad sales experience that most people here have had with LO, I'm wondering why you bothered with them in the first place. I'd be very surprised if a significant percentage of "carnies" average more than $1 per day. Didn't you do any research before uploading there?


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vphoto

« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2008, 10:44 »

#link

I lost my patience. I have just asked them to cancel may account. The only site on which I did not have any downloads is LO. True, i just made one comment and I stopped uploading there 3 months ago. Still i have had there 333 images ... and the rest is now history.


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louoates

« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2008, 11:43 »

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If it wasn't so darn easy to upload there I'd be long gone. I've gotten maybe $110 there out of my best 184 images in over 18 months. I guess there's something to be said about consistency. It was very slow action there at first and very slow action there now. I had extremely low expectations when I saw their "marketing" strategy but went along with their cutesy approach. Now it seems like more of a con. Whatever it is it just doesn't work for my images. I haven't bothered uploading my last few dozen images there.


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a.k.a.-tom

Premium Member

« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2008, 17:03 »

#link

Well I surely understand where all you folks are coming from.....
Been there myself nearly from the start... member since August 2006
got 381 images
got 36,718 views
got only 56 downloads
got $72.20 in the piggy bank (had one EL that accounts for over a third of that)

I feel the same.... thinking my shots are just not the kind that LO buyers want.... 'cause I sure have no problem selling them everywhere else. Kind of depressing..

However.... in spite of all that, I'm not pulling out. In fact, I'm continuing to upload. The upload process is one of the easiest around.... I'm still hanging in there for awhile more. Something has to give. It just doesn't make sense that LO's customer base is so oddly different than IS, SS, DT, BigStock, and the other agencies that are selling my junk. Something has to give.. hopefully soon, I know they are new, but after a year and a half... I thought there'd be a little more....

I'm in for awhile more. I'll hang out for 2 years... Heck, I've got 71 tokens there. There's gotta be some use for them.... Huh

On the matter of comments. Yeah I did that... what I found was not an equal tit for tat. I put out a lot more than I got back. I still comment, but I do so only on pix that I REALLY do enjoy.

To Bryan..... some of us are still hanging in there.........hoping it breaks loose..................... Huh

=tom


« Last Edit: February 20, 2008, 20:59 by a.k.a.-tom »	Ignore \| Logged

Pixart

« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2008, 17:54 »

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Now that they have lowered payout to $25 I don't think there is any reason that people should cancel their accounts. At the current rate I should get 2, maybe 3 payouts a year this way. I know that's laughable - but the tough part is already done.

If they were different people running the place, I'm sure my attitude would be different on this one though.


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DanP68

« Reply #13 on: February 20, 2008, 23:21 »

#link

Quote from: sharply_done on February 20, 2008, 10:15

Absolutely. I'm pretty sure a guy named sharply_done told me they were just getting hot. Cool

Seriously though, I did what I usually do when looking at new sites. I looked to see if anyone was experiencing success, and there were a few, and then I checked their growth using site analytic tools.

It was worth a shot.


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hospitalera

« Reply #14 on: February 25, 2008, 20:08 »

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Total results: $100 payout received, nearly $50 in the bank.

5 dls so far for February BUT nearly all, but one, being sideshow sales = $2-4 commission for me Grin

beats a lot of the lower performing sites like craphamlet and the like Grin

looking at my overall earnings at LO there is definitively an upwards trend ;-) Yes, I earn more money at SS/ IS in a month then I do at LO in several months BUT I still like the higher commission they give me (after reaching the sideshow WHICH IS FREE)

It just feels better to get $$$ for your work then cents, SY

*In case you haven't joined already fell free to use my Lucky Oliver Referral LInk, doesn't cost you anything, but might earn me a bucky*


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dbvirago

« Reply #15 on: February 25, 2008, 21:06 »

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Heading for my worst month there in a year. Only ELs and Sideshows make it worthwhile. Without them the volume isn't worth the effort. Doing better this month at Canstock!?!


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epixx

« Reply #16 on: February 25, 2008, 21:45 »

#link

Quote from: sharpshot on February 20, 2008, 05:34

That's a completely amateurish way to run a stock agency. It's like saying that everybody who wear a yellow T-shirt with an LO logo will get to the front page this week.

As a buyer, I want to see the best, most relevant photos on the front page, not the photos from those with enough time on their hands to comment on the photos of others. As a photographer, I want to improve my photography and key-wording skills, not waste my time on commenting the photos of others.


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tsmarkley

« Reply #17 on: February 25, 2008, 22:13 »

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I have a few sales there but it is slow. I also don't like sites that require me comment or chat to get pictures noticed. It's all about the picture not the shooter.


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Rozmaryna

« Reply #18 on: February 26, 2008, 04:14 »

#link

I like LO - they are nice and fun, but I have put them on my "stop" list as my sales there are worse than poor, and I prefer spending my time doing photography rather than commenting on other people's images. Moreover, the logic of the system mentioned above puzzles me - if I were a buyer, I would want to have the most relevant images rather than the most commented ones on the front page - particularly if it does not even matter what the comments are...

I will be more than happy to resume uploading at LO if my sales improve, but if the increase in sales is subject to the "comments" system, I am not very optimistic...


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null

« Reply #19 on: February 26, 2008, 04:28 »

#link

Quote from: hospitalera on February 25, 2008, 20:08

the lower performing sites like craphamlet and the like

Since I was the first to creatively craft the word CrapHamlet, it's copyrighted. You can buy a license on the word for 0.25cents per forum post but in your case I would suggest an extended license Grin

Caveat - joke Wink


« Last Edit: February 26, 2008, 04:30 by FlemishDreams »	Ignore \| Logged

hospitalera

« Reply #20 on: February 26, 2008, 06:11 »

#link

Quote from: FlemishDreams on February 26, 2008, 04:28

.... but in your case I would suggest an extended license Grin

Do you want to say that I spent too much time on the forum Huh

? SY


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null

« Reply #21 on: February 26, 2008, 07:37 »

#link

Quote from: hospitalera on February 26, 2008, 06:11

Do you want to say that I spent too much time on the forum Huh

? SY

Nah, I wouldn't dare. And anyways "he amound you who is without sin, cast the first stone" Roll Eyes


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hospitalera

« Reply #22 on: February 26, 2008, 07:44 »

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If your quotation is from the English King James Bible then you own the Crown royalties now Grin

as the translation is crown copyright Grin

SY

PS How much do you charge for an extended license for "craphamlet" btw?


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takestock

« Reply #23 on: February 26, 2008, 10:24 »

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This thing about commenting on other's work is so like Red Bubble.

If you haven't got hours on end to spend on your PC or laptop your images won't be seen.
Anyway, 80% of comments are reciprocal and don't really mean much.
False exposure comes to mind!
Personally, I don't think there's a need for commenting in Microstock.
Just get on with what we are all there for - selling!!

Better to be out taking photographs and uploading to sites where you get exposure and sales on merit!