Author Topic: Comprehensive relaunch at the Hamburg-based photo agency Zoonar GmbH (Read 2677 times)

Michael Krabs · « **on:** April 05, 2025, 11:42 »

Hamburg 05.04.2025 The Hamburg-based photo agency Zoonar has completely redeveloped its website and expanded its offering for photographers and customers. Zoonar has been given a new look and at the same time installed new languages, functions and servers.

Since this is a completely new development, some internal processes have also changed, so registered photographers will have to get used to it a bit. Image management now allows for quick batch processing, partner management is more clearly structured, and sales are listed in more detail. The image shops also have a new concept. Search terms are now stored in the shop categories, allowing photographers and designers to dynamically group their images. The contractual provisions have not been changed. Zoonar continues to pay 50% to its suppliers. A small special feature is that Zoonar is now able to block the crawlers of AI companies in order to better protect the works of its suppliers

New features include the Zoonar stories. These are connected photo series, photo reports or slideshows that are to be marketed to partners and customers in thematic groups. This offering will be gradually expanded. It is not yet possible to create your own stories. However, photographers can already send texts (in English or German) to the editorial team, which will then enter the respective stories. Later on, producers will also be able to create stories themselves. The Zoonar editorial team will then select some of them for direct marketing on a weekly basis.

Zoonar also uses the stories to give photographers tips for marketing their images. For example, interested photographers can find an article on the topic of AI photos on the new Zoonar homepage. Further articles are planned and will follow shortly.

cobalt · « **Reply #1 on:** April 05, 2025, 12:08 »

Interesting.

Anyone here have any experience with sales from Zoonar?

I see they are non exclusive, perhaps I will try.

Mantis · « **Reply #2 on:** April 05, 2025, 13:45 »

Quote from: Michael Krabs on April 05, 2025, 11:42

Hamburg 05.04.2025 The Hamburg-based photo agency Zoonar has completely redeveloped its website and expanded its offering for photographers and customers. Zoonar has been given a new look and at the same time installed new languages, functions and servers.

Since this is a completely new development, some internal processes have also changed, so registered photographers will have to get used to it a bit. Image management now allows for quick batch processing, partner management is more clearly structured, and sales are listed in more detail. The image shops also have a new concept. Search terms are now stored in the shop categories, allowing photographers and designers to dynamically group their images. The contractual provisions have not been changed. Zoonar continues to pay 50% to its suppliers. A small special feature is that Zoonar is now able to block the crawlers of AI companies in order to better protect the works of its suppliers

New features include the Zoonar stories. These are connected photo series, photo reports or slideshows that are to be marketed to partners and customers in thematic groups. This offering will be gradually expanded. It is not yet possible to create your own stories. However, photographers can already send texts (in English or German) to the editorial team, which will then enter the respective stories. Later on, producers will also be able to create stories themselves. The Zoonar editorial team will then select some of them for direct marketing on a weekly basis.

Zoonar also uses the stories to give photographers tips for marketing their images. For example, interested photographers can find an article on the topic of AI photos on the new Zoonar homepage. Further articles are planned and will follow shortly.

What sets Zoonar apart from the competition? How will you acquire customers? Are you going into AI? What is your unique identifier? From my recollection, the old Zoonar was a small player is a giant pond and sales were scarce. How will that change?

Big Toe · « **Reply #3 on:** April 05, 2025, 17:29 »

Quote from: cobalt on April 05, 2025, 12:08

Interesting.

Anyone here have any experience with sales from Zoonar?

I see they are non exclusive, perhaps I will try.

My experience with them is good. I have regular sales with them. I usually don't earn quite as much with them as with Adobe and Shutterstock, but it is not that far behind and sometimes they outsell one of the two (in most cases Shutterstock. This March sales were unusually good and they outsold both Adobe and Shutterstock.

A few things should be noted:

In my experience, Zoonar is all about the partners. They sell relatively little directly (although this March was an exception, perhaps it's connected to the relaunch and hopefully a trend). I used to sell mostly via the partner DDP Images, but in recent years, most sales were via the partner Picture Alliance. And even more recenctly, I started to sell editorials via their parter Imago Images.

I keyword in German and English for Zoonar, title in German, description both German and Englisch.

If you don't provide German keywords, they translate English keywords for their German partners, but I think this can take quite some time and I cannot say anything about the quality, so if possible, I would advise to add German keywords yourself.

As far as I can tell, my images are transferred "as is" to DDP Images and Picture Alliance without (or only automatic) changes in the metadata and they are accepted relativly quickly. For others, like Imagebroker or Alamy, where they seem to have to change more, it can take quite a while until they are accepted.

I sell mostly German landscapes and landmarks at Zoonar and also some industrial stuff or pictures of wind turbines. My editorial pictures are mostly ships.

I suspect that stuff that sells very good at the microstock agencies like lifestyle images or food may not sell just as well at Zoonar, unless perhaps it appeals specifically to the customers of their German partners like Picture Alliance.

cobalt · « **Reply #4 on:** April 06, 2025, 00:40 »

Thank you. I might try them. Keywording in German is no issue, then a mixed German English description is fine too.

I have alot of local editorial content.

Chromeorange is the other place that was recommended to me for the German market.

Your sales sound encouraging.

Her Ugliness · « **Reply #5 on:** April 06, 2025, 02:04 »

Quote from: cobalt on April 05, 2025, 12:08

Interesting.

Anyone here have any experience with sales from Zoonar?

I have been with them for a few years. At the beginning it was a nice extra income. Not anything close to the big agencies, but I still made a 3-digit figure each month.
But there has been a significant drop in income over the past months and now they are my worst selling agency with less than 5€ earnings last month. Not even worth the effort to submit images for me, even with metadada already embeded in my images.

But I also must note that I don't have any direct sales with them, always just through their partner agencies and that I do not distribute my images through most of their partner sites, because I already sell through most of their partner sites directly myself. From my experience they are more an image distribution site than a typical microstock site selling images themselves.

fotoroad · « **Reply #6 on:** April 06, 2025, 07:53 »

I have very small around 10 years old mini portfolio there, no too much sales but I do not upload to much there today but maybe I will try it again. All my sales is with partners agency.

DaLiu · « **Reply #7 on:** April 06, 2025, 08:16 »

How . you supposed to register if you don't have an VAT ID?

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Author Topic: Comprehensive relaunch at the Hamburg-based photo agency Zoonar GmbH (Read 2677 times)

Michael Krabs

cobalt

Mantis

Big Toe

cobalt

Her Ugliness

fotoroad

DaLiu

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