Quote from: Achilles on June 19, 2009, 13:51

visual search

One way of working your way to the front page is participating in the assignments. Even if the assignment image doesn't sell, you'll get exposure and a chance of trapping a buyer in your port.

But don't forget that your image will be trapped for 12 months.

And exclusive. In return you get a better positioning in the search engine and instant level 5. You also get the halo effect which I was mentioning. I don't care if it's "trapped" since I have no intention to leave DT. As far as I can see, there are only 2 reasons to remove an image(s) from microstock: (a) exclusive buyout, but only DT has it, so it's not applicable, or (b) going exclusive somewhere.

THis special treatment you get only if your image wins the assignment. It doesn't mean every one who submits to the assignment get this better position,  instant level 5,etc

THis special treatment you get only if your image wins the assignment. It doesn't mean every one who submits to the assignment get this better position,  instant level 5,etc

No, the level 5 is acquired, whether you win it or not. That's the trick. Plus the extended exposure on the front page of course. Buyers can be trapped in "more of this port" or "more of this model" by visual search. I got a bunch of sales (sadly, most of them subs) the past 4 days [after I entered 2 images in the assignment] of shots that never sold at DT. "Sacrificing" (exclusivity) one or two pictures from a series is a good investment for these halo sales.

My point was basically that you have to play on the visual search mechanism too on DT, apart from proper keywording of course.

Here's my last sales on my most recent assingnment file.   Seems well worth it to me.
11 credits (2008) $6.60 medium
9 credits (2008) $4.82 extrasmall
14 credits (2008) $6.72 maximum (upsized) ,
11 credits (2008) $5.50 medium (RF) ,
13 credits (2008) $6.96 extralarge (RF)
13 credits (2008) $7.08 extralarge (RF)
subscription $0.42 extralarge (RF)
subscription $0.42 extralarge (RF)
6 credits (2007) $3.60 medium
10 credits (2008) $5.02 small

awesome.
 thanks to Flemish and fotographer .
I've been following your comments on Assisgnment . I was not aware of this.
 Early this month I had an image approved, and got a note about Assignment.  I didn't know what it was. I thought Assignment was just another comment from someone. (lol newbie of one year, uninformed).
With your comments here, I realise what this is. For that,  I just submitted my first assignment entry a moment ago.
Only thing is I also like to submit the one that was approved recently. How do I do this? Do I need to resubmit the image and delete my approved one? Will it be rejected if I did that?

Only thing is I also like to submit the one that was approved recently. How do I do this? Do I need to resubmit the image and delete my approved one? Will it be rejected if I did that?

http://www.dreamstime.com/thread_16757

I'm having my BME on DT now. No views, but plenty of sales. Tripple the number from May (which was very bad). Yes, yes, tiny portfolio, no good for statistics, etc,  but very nice on a personal level.  

Thanks gaja for the thread. I found your question which was similar to mine. ie. submit an existing image from your port, then disable it when it gets approved for the assignment.

A pity they haven't done what the thread asked for and made the rules clearer in a FAQ or on the page where you go to upload for assignment. I think they would get many more exclusive images that way. Easily obtainable information is always important if you want to appear open and user friendly.

I think that for new images, the bar has now been raised so high - and the returns are so low - that it may no longer be worth submitting here unless you can somehow produce a high volume of very "stock worthy" images at no cost to yourself. 

From my own selfish point of view, sure.  But I'm not sure that would be fair to the original contributors.  It would make more sense to purge low-quality photos, but that takes work (i.e. money).

Newer isn't always better. 

Um, it might make sense, if the site uses some overall portfolio 'performance' metric in ranking your photos -  in other words, if their search engine rates you higher according to the percentage of good sellers in your portfolio.    I have no idea if that is actually happening though.

There is perhaps an advantage in weeding out your portfolio for the benefit of buyers who might just be browsing through it, not keyword searching. 

Um, it might make sense, if the site uses some overall portfolio 'performance' metric in ranking your photos -  in other words, if their search engine rates you higher according to the percentage of good sellers in your portfolio.    I have no idea if that is actually happening though.

There is perhaps an advantage in weeding out your portfolio for the benefit of buyers who might just be browsing through it, not keyword searching. 

Ya, I was thinking of what sharply_done said in another thread about someone else uploading more new images . Stephen pointed out that if your current images are not getting views or downloads
adding new images will actually make it worst for your portfolio.  Or something like that.

On my front page of "new images" I have now 20 pics with 0 views, except this one that's got 3 views and 1 sale: http://www.dreamstime.com/children-ready-to-race-thumb9628528.jpg

When I clicked on the keywords the buyer used, it was clear that (s)he had changed to newest first, cause the picture is nowhere to be seen on the regular search, while on newest it was no.3.

I don't know what other people should do, but I'll keep trying to improve keywords and pictures. I wouldn't mind if you all deleted all your files and gave me monopoly, but I don't really see the logic in why anybody would do that.

Well, I think I'll try to cull some of my new images to deselect them, and see if it improves my views on the latest uploads. If not, I will deselect some of those  new images that sell for me on the other site very quickly. No point to upload more if it makes it worst for me.