MicrostockGroup
Microstock Photography Forum - General => Newbie Discussion => Topic started by: sugarstock on December 19, 2018, 15:24
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My goal is to give photographers a platform and the tools to be able to run their own shop, run promotions and keep a much fairer cut of the profits. We are also looking at features like custom photo requests or other community features.
Here’s the idea:
* Anyone can contribute and set their own prices
* You can create coupons or we run promotions for up to 40% off
* You keep 80% of the commission
We're also looking at things like custom photo requests or additional community features, but I would love to hear your thoughts.
What would you think of a platform like that? Is there anything that you’ve been missing from other platforms that would make you jump for joy?
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What do you mean by "run our own shop"? Hopefully not that we are supposed to get buyers, because if that is so easy, everybody would run their own site with success and the agencies would pretty much be out of job. If you just want to make a platform and not be an agency, 20% seems too much. Look at Picfair's deal as an example. And deal with the fact that there are not going to be much sales.
If you want to start an agency, marketing aka getting sales has to be your main strength, so that should be your top and almost only priority, not making the best contributor portal. If you need or want higher cut for that, that's not a problem as long as it's reasonable - from our point of view better 50% from decent sales than 80% from rare or no sales.
And to answer your question - only thing really missing from other platforms are more sales. We are into this to make money and to spend as little time as possible on the site, not to play with features. Just make simple but effective platform with good statistics.
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The key question is how would it attract buyers?
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decent sales numbers for a decent amount for which we get a decent percent.
We will put up with almost anything if you can deliver those three.
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We would do marketing like a typical stock agency and attract customers by having the best content from contributors. Giving contributors the ability to set prices should also mean that you can calculate your margins and make more money per sale on our site while potentially charging less.
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We would do marketing like a typical stock agency and attract customers by having the best content from contributors. Giving contributors the ability to set prices should also mean that you can calculate your margins and make more money per sale on our site while potentially charging less.
That doesn't sound like much of a plan. 2 things:
1. Even if you do attract the best content and contributors, why do you think any buyer would go to you instead of keep going to Shutterstock, Istock, AdobeStock or even Dreamstime? How will they even find out about your agency? And the ones who do, how will they be convinced to come and buy stuff when they already have the best content available on mentioned agencies? Why is it so hard for many new agency founders to understand that getting buyers is not a piece of cake.
2. You thought that you just have to win over contributors and the rest will go smoothly. Just content in today's microstock will get you nowhere because it's already available, and contributors know that, so even if you have the best contributor platform ever, pretty much nobody will put their work there just because of that. One and only way to win over contributors is to present a strong marketing plan or background, not to build cool features. It's all about getting buyers, so you just have to have strong marketing. That's the very reason why agencies exist - they are supposed to have experts and funds to run a successful marketing campaign. Some original idea or feature for buyers wouldn't hurt either. Do you have any of those things? Since you've already said what's your plan, I guess you don't.
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Someone will have to help me here, but how does Photoshelter or Smugmug operate? Don't the artists kind of run their own stores on their sites?
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I wouldn’t waste your time. No USP.
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We would do marketing like a typical stock agency
How would you do that on 20%?
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I wouldn’t waste your time. No USP.
Short and to the point! And as sharply accurate as a pointy stick too!
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We would do marketing like a typical stock agency
How would you do that on 20%?
and 20% of nothing on day one..either the creator of the site will need very deep pockets or will need a loan or investors who will soon become a higher priority than contributors. Unless of course we pay to contribute...which is improbable to put it mildly.
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More pie in the sky ;D
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Stock agencies exist for customers, not contributors. Super contributor friendly agency with zero customers is still not helpful to us.
I'd much rather see existing agencies becoming contributor-friendly and implementing the ideas you mentioned. They are nice ideas, but I think that they are not ideas to build business around them.