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Author Topic: attracting new buyers  (Read 7592 times)

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« on: August 08, 2007, 19:06 »
0
Hi all,

after I joined micro's late summer 2006, I wrote a 26 page article about these stocksites.  Main intend was to attract new contributors and earn something that way. (for the link ... those who search will find  ;D )

But I've found it always a little strange to attract / motivated new competitors.

--

Trying to attract new buyers makes much more sense.  First you earn something with their subscription but secondly and most important, they will increase the success of microstocks in general.  This is very important for the future of these sites and therefor our future  ;D

So I made an article intended to attract new photo buyers.

Of course I don't mind collecting some referral fees, but this isn't my main intention.  Proof is that I put ad-words on the article, so fees will be invested in advertising  :-[

Why do I post this here ?

I have 2 suggestions / wishes  :

OR you guys with websites make something similar as I did

OR promote my article

either way, the idea is to attract more buyers, spread the worth, here we will all  benefit from.

--

Aren't all buyers already be informed ?

I don't think so. 

The main site-developers will surely know these sites.  But

- the smaller website developers
- people in europe, asia
- normal people who want a print on the wall
- ...

They certainly don't all know that you can buy a very nice high-res photo for less than $5.  So I'm looking for niche area's to promote my article / guidance.

what do you guys think ?

for the record, the url :

http://www.perrush.be/art_buy_stock_images_01.html

(and it's a shame I'm not a website builder  >:( )
« Last Edit: August 08, 2007, 19:09 by Perrush »


« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2007, 19:33 »
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just checked your blog and agree with you there seems to be lack of such websites and blogs. and it does sound like beneficiary to all contributers if there were more of them.. formula is simple I guess:the more buyers will mean the more sales ;D
as for referring new  contributers, first it sounds like a bit contradictory  to invite new seller to the market  as in some ways all sellers are competitor.but on the other hand if there were more contributers,it would not only provide the sites with more variety to offer but it  would also attract more buyers to look into micro-stock market,in my opinion.

lastly,thank you for your efforts to create such a websiteand mentioning in on the forum.as you say we will all benefit from such an activity.

« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2007, 20:30 »
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Let me play devil's advocate, and I'm sure many will not agree with me on this but I'll throw it out so others can think about it.

Why should I promote a stock agency that I pay (through commission) to promote me?  I see this constantly at various sites - improve your rank in the search engines or promote your portfolio.  What in the world is my commission paying for?

Instead, why not promote my own portfolio, through my own web site, or through Photolibra or through Digital Railroad so that I can get a bigger piece of the pie?  I want a 100% commission for my efforts - not 20% or 50%.

There's a reason iStock is so popular with contributors despite they only pay out 20% commission - it's because they promote themselves to death (with the 80% they keep) and use that money to represent their contributors.  That's what I pay them for and that's what they're good at.

In short - "No Taxation Without Representation" (sorry, that's my opinion as an American). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_taxation_without_representation

« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2007, 20:55 »
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After posting the above...I thought I should also add to my comments.

Rather than spending time and money creating blogs and links to my agents (that I'm paying to represent me), why not invest in a ktools template (http://tinyurl.com/ynn85a) and let them host it for $50/month and then promote that site, with your own work...so you get 100% commissions?  Does the template look familiar?  There's a reason for that  ;)

I know I'll get called on this  ;D ...my response is simply, I do this to make images and I leave the marketing to those that are good at the marketing (I'm not good at that aspect of the business).

« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2007, 09:47 »
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not much response here   ???

-- 

Well let's give it a kick with saying I redid the layout. Should look more profession this time.

« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2007, 11:17 »
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Perrush,

maybe lots of us are in vacations who would reply to your post, I am sorry I did not replied earlier, I wanted to reply.
So here I do it:

I think you have some good thoughts.
I build my self a website, but for photographers. I did this, because I am myself a photographer and can give others tips where to sell.
I just felt more confortable then doing a website where people can get information where to sell images, because I like selling images and have more or less success with it. So writing about it was more fun, then I think writing about buying images.
But yes I agree you are totally right, making a website to tell people where they have the best opportunity to buy photos is probably more clever. I will start a section soon, where people get information where they can buy. And another thing regarding the referral earnings. Referred photographers very often do not have good enough images to pass the application process. Buyers on the other hand do not need to apply they start buying from the beginning :)

« Last Edit: August 10, 2007, 11:22 by Freezingpictures »

« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2007, 15:13 »
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Perush, I actually had a similar idea, but went a slightly different route, I put up a little web site where to get good free images for different purposes. I plan to do a series of three mini sites over the next weeks "Free Images", "Buyers Guide" and revamping my old site about "Being a submitter". We could exchange some links ideas, do some networking etc. if you want. Phase one you can see here: http://www.freewebs.com/freeimageguide. I took the freebie route, because freebies is what a lot of people are interested in the first place, but when they don't find what they are looking for they will buy (happened even to me some months ago!). It is more a long term project but I have some nice ideas, if I would be only a better web designer! PM me if you would like to do some networking, SY

« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2007, 16:06 »
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Hey hospitalera, good idea with the freeImage site.
I will put your link to left hand at Microstock news.
And as long as I will not have a buyers guide on my website, I will post your link on my site too Perush. If I at one point have my own "Where to buy good and cheap image section" I will probably remove it. It would be nice if you backlink me, however, I will do it anyway, because I do not have that information you give on my website. And I guess I am the competition regarding referring photographers :)

« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2007, 16:34 »
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Thanx a lot Freezy, just stumbled your site and added a link here http://www.freewebs.com/freeimageguide/friends.htm to your home page, tell me if the caption is ok like this ;-) SY

« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2007, 05:17 »
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Thanx Hospitalera! Yes it is great :)

« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2007, 12:47 »
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Quote
- people in europe, asia...

Yes, maybe, but things have changed theses past years.
« Last Edit: August 11, 2007, 12:54 by tilo »

« Reply #11 on: August 11, 2007, 18:15 »
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not much response here   ???

"Perrush" sounds like Brussels dialect or slang to me. It's a small world after all ;-). Van welke kotij zedde gai? :-p

« Reply #12 on: August 11, 2007, 18:19 »
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not much response here   ???

"Perrush" sounds like Brussels dialect or slang to me. It's a small world after all ;-). Van welke kotij zedde gai? :-p


his web site ends in .be  ;D

« Reply #13 on: August 15, 2007, 14:34 »
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his web site ends in .be  ;D

so that makes me a BElgian :) :)

I'm from Oevel, I guess you have to look that up on a chart :)

« Reply #14 on: August 15, 2007, 15:09 »
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so that makes me a BElgian :) :)
I'm from Oevel, I guess you have to look that up on a chart :)

Well I'm NOT a BElgian, I'm Flemish. Belgian is just what is written on my passport ;-). Texans can rely to this private joke.

Oevel, of all places. Last sunday I was driving around in that area to shoot cows but after lunch no sun, no blue sky and no fluffy clouds any more. Bad stock weather. Better next time.

But the weathergods should hurry up. In 30 days I'm back in my second Asian home, shooting sunsets and waterfalls again. Beer at 1/3 and cigs at 1/12 of the price. I'm just struggling how to fit a 15kg Bowens strobe set plus my other 15kg gear in my 20kg luggage allowance. ;-)


 

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