Author Topic: Old images with no downloads (Read 8905 times)

Nemo1024 · « **on:** March 08, 2012, 11:48 »

Well, e-mails with this subject kept rolling in for the last month or so.

Quote

The following action options are available for you to decide:
- donate the image to the free section (default action) which can provide significant portfolio exposure and increase your sales; images can be disabled at any time later.
- re-keyword the image via keymasters ($0.60/image); choose this option only if you strongly believe your image has sale potential.
- disable the image; this is permanent deletion of your image and should be used as a last resort.

I ignored the first couple of batches, effectively donating the images into DT's free section. My intention was to see whether it would increase paid image traffic. The answer is no. There was no visible increase in sales, however the now-free images got downloaded between 2 and 50 times each over the last two weeks. Some of those images sell at other agencies. As I am not comfortable with such an outcome, I've flagged all the pending "old" images for deactivation. Then I had to manually go though my collection and delete those 70+ images already in the free section one-by-one.
Not impressed.

wut · « **Reply #1 on:** March 08, 2012, 12:02 »

Are those images in the free section at least gaining levels? I know they're not, I'm just asking to be 100% sure. Not that I'd ever give a single image out for free. We're basically doing it in the regular section

kingjon · « **Reply #2 on:** March 08, 2012, 12:44 »

Umm, I was under the impression that deactivation was the default. I recall deactivating the first few batches. Could the site be using the previous setting as a default? Can anyone confirm?

Thanks,

Nemo1024 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 08, 2012, 13:09 »

@wut: Yes, they were gaining level, but they were still free, i.e. I didn't see any benefit from that gain.

@kingjon: The quote I gave in my post is from the official e-mail. Though it seems you can change the default behaviour on the page with all the images, which are about to expire. There are a few links in the text above the table.

gillian vann · « **Reply #4 on:** March 10, 2012, 08:02 »

I ignored the first couple of batches, effectively donating the images into DT's free section. My intention was to see whether it would increase paid image traffic. The answer is no. There was no visible increase in sales, however the now-free images got downloaded between 2 and 50 times each over the last two weeks.
[/quote]
so what i learn from that is: buyers don't have standards when it comes to image quality, they are all about price.

and that is evident in the agencies dropping commissions to stay competitive.

the only one who truly suffers is the artist.
{buggar!}

Metsafile · « **Reply #5 on:** March 10, 2012, 09:01 »

There was no visible increase in sales, however the now-free images got downloaded between 2 and 50 times each over the last two weeks.
[/quote]

This is what I've always suspected. Thanks for the verification.
I've always considered subscription sales as being my free downloads.

gemmy12 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 10, 2012, 09:15 »

i looked for the option if we can again start selling free photos after a period of time but did not get such option. Can we ?

stockastic · « **Reply #7 on:** March 10, 2012, 13:44 »

These agencies will never stop asking us to donate to their favorite charity (i.e. themselves). Watch for all sorts of thinly disguised schemes to slide your images into that steadily growing "free" bin. They see big possibiltiies in a future business model of free images on ad-supported search pages.

pancaketom · « **Reply #8 on:** March 10, 2012, 16:24 »

I never submit to the free bin, thanks for the confirmation that it was the right choice. (at least based on your data).

I would much rather a site accept more images and deactivate them if they don't sell after a certain period than arbitrarily decide they are LCV or whatever.

I have always been skeptical of free bins that have more than a few images (like a free image of the week or something). I do wonder how much overlap there is between free image takers and buyers though - I'd certainly check the free image section first if I had the time.

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #9 on:** March 10, 2012, 18:00 »

Quote from: vannphoto on March 10, 2012, 08:02

I ignored the first couple of batches, effectively donating the images into DT's free section. My intention was to see whether it would increase paid image traffic. The answer is no. There was no visible increase in sales, however the now-free images got downloaded between 2 and 50 times each over the last two weeks.

so what i learn from that is: buyers don't have standards when it comes to image quality, they are all about price.

and that is evident in the agencies dropping commissions to stay competitive.

the only one who truly suffers is the artist.
{buggar!}
[/quote]

Exactly right. I remember (details might be sketchy here) maybe 2 or 3 years ago on the 123rf forum, someone saying he will put a few images in the free section. There is the option of putting images in the free section on 123rf for between 1 to 30 days, and if I ever do it I put some of my not so good images in for 1 or 2 days max. Anyway, he then came back and said it wasn't working and he has now put half his port in the free section for 30 days, which is a bit over the top to say the least and particularly strange to announce it in a public forum.

The guy had chosen to give his work away, the images were free for anyone to take for a limited time. So I went in and took a few. Did I then buy images from him which weren't for free, no I didn't. Please note, I buy images for my blog and for work, microstock is affordable for me and also seemingly for quite a few people out there, but if someone wants to give me good images instead of me paying for it, I'll happily oblige and so will everyone else, but it doesn't necessarily mean that suddenly you will get loads of sales because people are at ur port taking your freebies.

If you're not bothered about any of your images, give them away, maybe the extra exposure will give an extra couple of dollars a year if ur lucky. If you have put an image online with the intention to sell it, then let it have a price, don't allow an agency to force you not to.

CCK · « **Reply #10 on:** March 11, 2012, 00:00 »

Someone downloaded my photos from the free section and sold it elsewhere. So now I deactivate those old files.

melastmohican · « **Reply #11 on:** July 13, 2012, 11:59 »

I deactivated 1/3 of my portfolio and I see drop in sales. Does it mean that a lot of people put images in free section?

WarrenPrice · « **Reply #12 on:** July 13, 2012, 12:19 »

Quote from: melastmohican on July 13, 2012, 11:59

I deactivated 1/3 of my portfolio and I see drop in sales. Does it mean that a lot of people put images in free section?

I recently deactivated a bunch of old stuff and immediately became nearly invisible at DT. Maybe the search algorithm considers deactivated images a negative?

trek · « **Reply #13 on:** July 13, 2012, 22:20 »

No free images ever... we sell them for too little as it is.

heywoody · « **Reply #14 on:** July 14, 2012, 08:40 »

Quote from: wut on March 08, 2012, 12:02

Are those images in the free section at least gaining levels? I know they're not, I'm just asking to be 100% sure. Not that I'd ever give a single image out for free. We're basically doing it in the regular section

Absolutely!!

leaf · « **Reply #15 on:** July 14, 2012, 10:31 »

You should go here to double check your default settings
http://www.dreamstime.com/oldfiles.php

Wim · « **Reply #16 on:** July 14, 2012, 10:41 »

Quote from: leaf on July 14, 2012, 10:31

You should go here to double check your default settings
http://www.dreamstime.com/oldfiles.php

Hey, thx for the notice Leaf, mine was set to donate as free.
I didn't even know there was a setting for this

Mantis · « **Reply #17 on:** July 14, 2012, 15:53 »

Quote from: Wim on July 14, 2012, 10:41

Quote from: leaf on July 14, 2012, 10:31
You should go here to double check your default settings
http://www.dreamstime.com/oldfiles.php

Hey, thx for the notice Leaf, mine was set to donate as free.
I didn't even know there was a setting for this

Now you need to go to the free section and delete all of your free stuff that's available elsewhere for money. There is no truth in donating to free and it helps promote your port. Pure bs.

Wim · « **Reply #18 on:** July 15, 2012, 05:33 »

Quote from: Mantis on July 14, 2012, 15:53

Quote from: Wim on July 14, 2012, 10:41
Quote from: leaf on July 14, 2012, 10:31
You should go here to double check your default settings
http://www.dreamstime.com/oldfiles.php

Hey, thx for the notice Leaf, mine was set to donate as free.
I didn't even know there was a setting for this

Now you need to go to the free section and delete all of your free stuff that's available elsewhere for money. There is no truth in donating to free and it helps promote your port. Pure bs.

Not to worry, I'm only a year and a half in this business

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Author Topic: Old images with no downloads (Read 8905 times)

Nemo1024

wut

kingjon

Nemo1024

gillian vann

Metsafile

gemmy12

stockastic

pancaketom

Microstock Posts

CCK

melastmohican

WarrenPrice

trek

heywoody

leaf

Wim

Mantis

Wim

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