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Author Topic: Shutterstock starting a free stock site?  (Read 6289 times)

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Shelma1

  • stockcoalition.org
« on: May 10, 2017, 11:42 »
0
They're looking to hire a senior product manager for "Freestock:"

https://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=a1c250646253d0e3&from=ja&alid=5746ab99e4b00f6d0c3f007c&rgtk=1bfoqpvtk05224fd

Freestock.com has a logo very reminiscent of Shutterstock's:

https://www.freestock.com/


« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2017, 11:51 »
+1
Not sure how this helps Shutterstock.  I see some of AndresR images on this site.

Why?????

« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2017, 12:01 »
+3
There was a thread about this 7 years ago: https://www.microstockgroup.com/shutterstock-com/freestock/

« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2017, 12:35 »
+2
Same style position is also open for bigstock
https://www.themuse.com/jobs/shutterstock/senior-product-manager-bigstock-9a3a8c

Whats going on here?

« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2017, 13:07 »
0
not owned by SS, registered in SF but the website says made with love in NY. it is related to https://www.markmonitor.com.

Registrant Contact Information:
NameDomain Administrator
OrganizationDNStination Inc.
Address3450 Sacramento Street, Suite 405
CitySan Francisco
State / ProvinceCA
Postal Code94118
CountryUS
Phone+1.4155319335
Fax+1.4155319336
Email

Administrative Contact Information:
NameDomain Administrator
OrganizationDNStination Inc.
Address3450 Sacramento Street, Suite 405
CitySan Francisco
State / ProvinceCA
Postal Code94118
CountryUS
Phone+1.4155319335
Fax+1.4155319336
Email

Technical Contact Information:
NameDomain Administrator
OrganizationDNStination Inc.
Address3450 Sacramento Street, Suite 405
CitySan Francisco
State / ProvinceCA
Postal Code94118
CountryUS
Phone+1.4155319335
Fax+1.4155319336
Email


edit: just read the other comment that this was already live 7 years ago and owned by SS
« Last Edit: May 10, 2017, 13:09 by Microstockphoto »


« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2017, 16:13 »
+3
I imagine the business model is going to be to lure people in with the hope of free images, and people will search the site, find a few crappy free images, but many much nicer ones that can be bought on Shutterstock and/or BigStock.   There are a bunch of small players already doing this as affiliates, so SS probably figured they can beat those little guys and bring more paying customers under the SS tent.

If that's the plan, it could be good for us.  If not, I'm curious to learn what SS is thinking.

« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2017, 20:04 »
+8
Or maybe people decide to just use the crappy free images. 

Justanotherphotographer

« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2017, 01:55 »
+1
I imagine the business model is going to be to lure people in with the hope of free images, and people will search the site, find a few crappy free images, but many much nicer ones that can be bought on Shutterstock and/or BigStock.   There are a bunch of small players already doing this as affiliates, so SS probably figured they can beat those little guys and bring more paying customers under the SS tent.

If that's the plan, it could be good for us.  If not, I'm curious to learn what SS is thinking.
I don't think it would make a difference for us. Just make SS more money by saving them the affiliate fee.

« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2017, 03:21 »
+3
So let's put this into perspective. There was a topic about Freestock seven (!) years ago, so it's been around that long. If microstock is still able to bring in sales after 7 years, maybe those free stock sites aren't so damaging after all.

Stockvideo99

« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2017, 09:39 »
0
Sounds like something similar to this offering from Videoblocks and it looks like it's just a lure to drive traffic to the real site and in that case nothing wrong at all.

https://www.stockfootageforfree.com/

In doing a Google keywords/Adwords search the the other day I found that stock footage FREE comes up #1 so I can see the traditional paid services simply using that to drive traffic to the paid sites.  Everyone wants video and photos for free and they are capitalizing on that.

« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2017, 09:41 »
+2
It's not much of a site.  So long as my stuff doesn't turn up on it, I don't care what they do.

Shelma1

  • stockcoalition.org
« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2017, 10:48 »
+2
Well, ether they're ramping things up by hiring a product manager, or that person will have the world's easiest job running a nothing site. Maybe I should apply. Ha ha. Easier than running the uploading hamster wheel that results in less money every month.

« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2017, 10:59 »
0
Sounds like something similar to this offering from Videoblocks and it looks like it's just a lure to drive traffic to the real site and in that case nothing wrong at all.

https://www.stockfootageforfree.com/

In doing a Google keywords/Adwords search the the other day I found that stock footage FREE comes up #1 so I can see the traditional paid services simply using that to drive traffic to the paid sites.  Everyone wants video and photos for free and they are capitalizing on that.


So if they can't make money the honest way, they are going to try and bait and switch people.  ::)

« Reply #14 on: May 11, 2017, 15:51 »
0
Sounds like something similar to this offering from Videoblocks and it looks like it's just a lure to drive traffic to the real site and in that case nothing wrong at all.

https://www.stockfootageforfree.com/

In doing a Google keywords/Adwords search the the other day I found that stock footage FREE comes up #1 so I can see the traditional paid services simply using that to drive traffic to the paid sites.  Everyone wants video and photos for free and they are capitalizing on that.


So if they can't make money the honest way, they are going to try and bait and switch people.  ::)

What is dishonest about that? They're not scamming anyone are they?

« Reply #15 on: May 14, 2017, 04:21 »
+1
Searched for something just to check my content wasn't on there and the thumbnails that came up were all hosted at Shutterstock and indeed reverse image searching found them there still for sale.

Number of images that came up for that search on freestock was 41 whereas on SS it's over 416,000...

Not sure why they'd randomly give away a small number of their images on a site for free when it doesn't have any obvious way of driving traffic to SS. Adding poorly selling images there for free alongside adverts for better images hosted at SS I could understand but I didn't see the word Shutterstock once outside the image thumbnail url.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2017, 04:25 by Fredex »


 

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