Author Topic: Stock ideas for Christmas: what you should NOT do (Read 10635 times)

ribtoks · « **on:** September 25, 2021, 10:23 »

Hey folks

As a preparation to October stock photo ideas newsletter, I investigated Christmas as one of the topic. This led me to writing this short blogpost which, however, should be useful for contributors that are thinking what should they do for Christmas!

https://stockphotosideas.com/blog/christmas-photo-ideas/

Let me know what are you thoughts on Christmas? Have you already given up to find Christmas niches or you believe that they exist?

cascoly · « **Reply #1 on:** September 26, 2021, 13:38 »

Quote from: ribtoks on September 25, 2021, 10:23

Hey folks

As a preparation to October stock photo ideas newsletter, I investigated Christmas as one of the topic. This led me to writing this short blogpost which, however, should be useful for contributors that are thinking what should they do for Christmas!
...

A different takeaway on your statement: "keywords related to Christmas and, while being flooded with content, sees almost no traffic. " reason not that there's no traffic, but that it's too late for xmas 2021 - ads starting in a few weeks, ad buys before that & design (ie, downloads) even earlier. time to start shooting for easter

on a more positive note - an interesting research project would track those keywords over 6+ months before a given holiday

ribtoks · « **Reply #2 on:** September 27, 2021, 04:15 »

Quote from: cascoly on September 26, 2021, 13:38

reason not that there's no traffic, but that it's too late for xmas 2021 - ads starting in a few weeks, ad buys before that & design (ie, downloads) even earlier. time to start shooting for easter

No, it's no the case. It seems that you actually did not take a look at the keywords itself in the table below this sentence. Most keywords were broader topics related to winter and holidays, not Christmas. And actual statistics was aggregated over some time which definitely included time "6 months before Christmas". So the takeway is different from what you just said.

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #3 on:** September 27, 2021, 05:35 »

Not sure what the value of this is. "Holiday Graphics" having virtually no traffic but loads of results probably just means people don’t use the search term "holiday graphics" when looking for holiday graphics, but instead use "Christmas background" or similar (to look for the exact same image).

Are these tips for better keywording rather than about what to actually shoot or produce?

ribtoks · « **Reply #4 on:** September 27, 2021, 05:57 »

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on September 27, 2021, 05:35

Not sure what the value of this is.

The value is in:

a) choosing (or not choosing) general theme for your work (either photography, illustration etc.)
b) not targeting these specific keywords when doing keywording

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #5 on:** September 27, 2021, 06:25 »

that makes sense, thanks

Firn · « **Reply #6 on:** September 27, 2021, 06:43 »

Quote from: ribtoks on September 25, 2021, 10:23

...
A different takeaway on your statement: "keywords related to Christmas and, while being flooded with content, sees almost no traffic. " reason not that there's no traffic, but that it's too late for xmas 2021 - ads starting in a few weeks, ad buys before that & design (ie, downloads) even earlier. time to start shooting for easter

I doubt that that's the case. I have images related to all holidays in my port and I selll 95% of my Halloween photos starting around 6 weeks before halloween and sell more the closer it gets to the actual Holiday's date, 95% of my Christmas photos 6 weeks before Christmas and so on - and I actually sell quite a lot of Holiday photos.
I have a Christmas image that sold pretty much daily in December, but only sells like once a month for the rest of the year.

Yes, of course you are right about items for Christmas like greeting cards being printed months before the actual event and these are probably also the sales that bring contributor's the most money, but most photos bought from microstock sites end up being used online nowadays and there is no need to buy a photo related to Christmas 6 months before someone writes an article. So while the profitable sales might happen much earlier, traffic for these keywords is definetly the highest shortly before the event.

cascoly · « **Reply #7 on:** September 27, 2021, 12:34 »

Quote from: Firn on September 27, 2021, 06:43

Quote from: ribtoks on September 25, 2021, 10:23

...
A different takeaway on your statement: "keywords related to Christmas and, while being flooded with content, sees almost no traffic. " reason not that there's no traffic, but that it's too late for xmas 2021 - ads starting in a few weeks, ad buys before that & design (ie, downloads) even earlier. time to start shooting for easter

I doubt that that's the case. I have images related to all holidays in my port and I selll 95% of my Halloween photos starting around 6 weeks before halloween and sell more the closer it gets to the actual Holiday's date, 95% of my Christmas photos 6 weeks before Christmas and so on - and I actually sell quite a lot of Holiday photos.
I have a Christmas image that sold pretty much daily in December, but only sells like once a month for the rest of the year.

Yes, of course you are right about items for Christmas like greeting cards being printed months before the actual event and these are probably also the sales that bring contributor's the most money, but most photos bought from microstock sites end up being used online nowadays and there is no need to buy a photo related to Christmas 6 months before someone writes an article. So while the profitable sales might happen much earlier, traffic for these keywords is definetly the highest shortly before the event.

thanks for sharing some actual experience!

KimC · « **Reply #8 on:** October 05, 2021, 11:00 »

Christmas happens to be one of my stock topics. I make what I feel for and upload to all agencies on which I'm involved. There seems to be some segmentation on the market there. The images are uploaded with same keywords on the agencies. Shutterstock makes me almost no christmas sales. Adobe quite some sales, but for me Istock is the top seller (measured in $) when it comes to Christmas.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #9 on:** October 06, 2021, 08:25 »

Personal results are interesting. I just sold two Easter Images through Adobe. And I thought the Christmas image last week was ahead.

I'd agree that the early sales are for one market and the late ones would be for a website or immediate use. Print media, kinds of use, can be six months in advance... electronic can be the same day. If someone wants downloads from people who plan in advance, yes, get your Christmas images up NOW!

2022 calendars are already designed, printed, and on sale in stores. If someone does pretty calendar type photos, that ship has sailed.

I wish the topic was what we SHOULD do, instead of telling us what not to do?

SpaceStockFootage · « **Reply #10 on:** October 09, 2021, 05:35 »

I was thinking of doing a series of alien exoplanet landscapes and also selling the 3D landscape models I create in the process. Should be very festive.

For Real · « **Reply #11 on:** October 09, 2021, 17:17 »

I am shooting on a blue background to prove you can sell blue xmas images

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #12 on:** October 11, 2021, 07:24 »

Quote from: For Real on October 09, 2021, 17:17

I am shooting on a blue background to prove you can sell blue xmas images

Elvis was a success with Blue Christmas?

lostintimeline · « **Reply #13 on:** October 11, 2021, 17:56 »

i on the other hand shooting in a Red background
cause RED is the new black lol

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #14 on:** October 12, 2021, 09:40 »

Quote from: lostintimeline on October 11, 2021, 17:56

i on the other hand shooting in a Red background
cause RED is the new black lol

Women's prison in China?

Lets be reasonable. If we shoot the most popular and most downloaded, it needs to be better than the best that's already for sale. Even with that, unlikely to be seen or gain any traction, so shooting "most popular" is mostly a dead end, even if that's the most likely to be needed by someone.

If we shoot boring, unnecessary, or no demand subjects, they will just sit and get no downloads.

Shooting a niche that has lower coverage or selection, can get some downloads, but there's little demand, so the sales will be minimal. Work for a minimal return, but at least it's better than the two above. (unless you see that as three and include being in a Woman's prison in China as one of them?)

The market is flooded with good images, and some great images, so good enough can get accepted, but then what? And all this analysis, of the competition, ignores the real number that matters, not views, or searches, or images, but what has sold. All the hypothetical and interesting research and stats, don't make a sale.

Another way to look at this, IMHO, most popular for actual sales is also most produced and most competition. There's a reason why that happens. What not to shoot, is everything that sells well and has a solid history of making the most money. So, "what you should NOT do" is everything that earns the most and historically has the most buyers and unfortunately the most images to select from.

What's the answer then? My question isn't what not to shoot, but what should someone shoot?

UPLOAD-UPLOAD-UPLOAD · « **Reply #15 on:** October 13, 2021, 22:42 »

I'm at the point where I don't do Christmas or any other holiday images. Everybody and his uncle uploads holiday images, so I avoid the crowd.
To be honest I have a horrible sales record regarding holidays.

UPLOAD-UPLOAD-UPLOAD · « **Reply #16 on:** October 13, 2021, 22:47 »

Quote

I doubt that that's the case. I have images related to all holidays in my port and I selll 95% of my Halloween photos starting around 6 weeks before halloween and sell more the closer it gets to the actual Holiday's date, 95% of my Christmas photos 6 weeks before Christmas and so on - and I actually sell quite a lot of Holiday photos.
I have a Christmas image that sold pretty much daily in December, but only sells like once a month for the rest of the year.

Thanks for posting this, I hate to give up so I may try some Christmas images again.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #17 on:** October 16, 2021, 10:17 »

Quote from: Bigbird on October 13, 2021, 22:47

Quote

I doubt that that's the case. I have images related to all holidays in my port and I selll 95% of my Halloween photos starting around 6 weeks before halloween and sell more the closer it gets to the actual Holiday's date, 95% of my Christmas photos 6 weeks before Christmas and so on - and I actually sell quite a lot of Holiday photos.
I have a Christmas image that sold pretty much daily in December, but only sells like once a month for the rest of the year.

Thanks for posting this, I hate to give up so I may try some Christmas images again.

The point is, that right now for Christmas, might be too late for the larger projects and it's never too late for the websites and last minute people. The type of use that pays best, using Christmas, but any holiday, are planning 3-4 months in advance. The subs and low value downloads are spread out more.

After reading this thread I was staring to think to myself, "Stock ideas for Christmas: what you should NOT do" and going along with your thoughts the answer was, don't shoot Christmas, or any other over produced holiday subjects, invest time on other areas. Now there's an easy solution?

Stock ideas we should not do are anything that's already over done.

Firn · « **Reply #18 on:** October 16, 2021, 11:29 »

Quote from: Uncle Pete on October 16, 2021, 10:17

After reading this thread I was staring to think to myself, "Stock ideas for Christmas: what you should NOT do" and going along with your thoughts the answer was, don't shoot Christmas, or any other over produced holiday subjects, invest time on other areas. Now there's an easy solution?

But what does this solution actually solve?
You'll just end up with the situation you described yourself above: By producing "not overproduced" content you just end up creating content that is less in demand and therefore will generate you less sales, or you'll produce content that is equally in deman through all the year, which means you'll have the same sales as all year and not profit from any holiday boost.

Personally I am always looking forward to holidays on microstock. It's when I have the most sales, especially around Christmas - I am already having Christmas-related sales daily again by now, which are additional sales to my normal sales. So it would never cross my mind to not produce Christmas related content before Christmas. Might as well shoot myself in the foot.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #19 on:** October 16, 2021, 12:07 »

Quote from: Firn on October 16, 2021, 11:29

Quote from: Uncle Pete on October 16, 2021, 10:17

After reading this thread I was staring to think to myself, "Stock ideas for Christmas: what you should NOT do" and going along with your thoughts the answer was, don't shoot Christmas, or any other over produced holiday subjects, invest time on other areas. Now there's an easy solution?

But what does this solution actually solve?
You'll just end up with the situation you described yourself above: By producing "not overproduced" content you just end up creating content that is less in demand and therefore will generate you less sales, or you'll produce content that is equally in deman through all the year, which means you'll have the same sales as all year and not profit from any holiday boost.

Personally I am always looking forward to holidays on microstock. It's when I have the most sales, especially around Christmas - I am already having Christmas-related sales daily again by now, which are additional sales to my normal sales. So it'd never cross my mind to not produce Christmas related content before Christmas. Might as well shoot myself in the food.

Yes, good points and always the same dilemma? Go for other and targeted specific areas, with less competition, make less sales, or go for "best selling" concentrated in a specific season and have much more competition?

Not sure I sell more Christmas in the season, and spreading sales over the year, instead of trying to have a great holiday season to make up for the stinky months? I just sold two Easter images... like so many other questions, we each have our own answers, based on how we produce, and how our sales are. I'm not really advocating for, skip the popular subjects, but personally I like the idea of avoiding the rush and crowding?

My Christmas images did pick up this week on Adobe. All I can say is, I uploaded them last year, well before the Holiday Season, now they have had more sales this year. Good to know that just because they are old, they aren't lost in the avalanche of new Winter scenic.

Milleflore · « **Reply #20 on:** October 16, 2021, 14:26 »

Quote from: Firn on October 16, 2021, 11:29

Quote from: Uncle Pete on October 16, 2021, 10:17

After reading this thread I was staring to think to myself, "Stock ideas for Christmas: what you should NOT do" and going along with your thoughts the answer was, don't shoot Christmas, or any other over produced holiday subjects, invest time on other areas. Now there's an easy solution?

But what does this solution actually solve?
You'll just end up with the situation you described yourself above: By producing "not overproduced" content you just end up creating content that is less in demand and therefore will generate you less sales, or you'll produce content that is equally in deman through all the year, which means you'll have the same sales as all year and not profit from any holiday boost.

Personally I am always looking forward to holidays on microstock. It's when I have the most sales, especially around Christmas - I am already having Christmas-related sales daily again by now, which are additional sales to my normal sales. So it'd never cross my mind to not produce Christmas related content before Christmas. Might as well shoot myself in the food.

Firn, I agree with what you say.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #21 on:** October 18, 2021, 08:07 »

Quote from: Milleflore on October 16, 2021, 14:26

Quote from: Firn on October 16, 2021, 11:29
Quote from: Uncle Pete on October 16, 2021, 10:17

After reading this thread I was staring to think to myself, "Stock ideas for Christmas: what you should NOT do" and going along with your thoughts the answer was, don't shoot Christmas, or any other over produced holiday subjects, invest time on other areas. Now there's an easy solution?

But what does this solution actually solve?
You'll just end up with the situation you described yourself above: By producing "not overproduced" content you just end up creating content that is less in demand and therefore will generate you less sales, or you'll produce content that is equally in deman through all the year, which means you'll have the same sales as all year and not profit from any holiday boost.

Personally I am always looking forward to holidays on microstock. It's when I have the most sales, especially around Christmas - I am already having Christmas-related sales daily again by now, which are additional sales to my normal sales. So it'd never cross my mind to not produce Christmas related content before Christmas. Might as well shoot myself in the food.

Firn, I agree with what you say.

What I was headed at and apparently missed the target, was, if we shouldn't shoot all the things that the OP says his research says, are a waste of time. We might as well shoot nothing? I sell Christmas and other holidays, all year long. True I avoid subjects if I find they are over populated, but holidays are an exception. Silly me, last year I created a big batch of Thanksgiving images, and didn't think ahead that Thanksgiving is an American holiday!

Poor planning.

OP @ribtoks "All of these niches are bad, but if I were to select the one to work on (if I did not have other data), it would probably be “christmas ornaments” which sees a lot of traffic and “only” 3 millions of existing photos and vectors."

What Not To Shoot List:

christmas tree
christmas background
christmas lights
christmas decoration
christmas pattern
christmas card
christmas ornaments
christmas vector
christmas party

What's left? Christmas Pudding?

My Christmas sales, started in August, grew in September and have continued so far in October. If I have a chance to add more sometime I will.

Read this again please? If this is what ribtoks is telling us...

Quote from: Uncle Pete on October 16, 2021, 10:17

After reading this thread I was staring to think to myself, "Stock ideas for Christmas: what you should NOT do" and going along with your thoughts the answer was, don't shoot Christmas, or any other over produced holiday subjects, invest time on other areas. Now there's an easy solution?

Does that make my point clearer? ribtoks says, research shows, don't shoot - See the list above. Well if I shouldn't shoot any of those, I might as well not shoot anything Christmas?

For Real · « **Reply #22 on:** October 18, 2021, 09:58 »

Personally, I don't agree with what not to shoot. If you can do the image/video very well and capture it uniquely it can bump off other top selling images. The top sellers will be come stale and buyers will be looking for something fresh. Objectively and being creative are key to competing with millions of images...

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #23 on:** October 18, 2021, 12:33 »

Quote from: For Real on October 18, 2021, 09:58

Personally, I don't agree with what not to shoot. If you can do the image/video very well and capture it uniquely it can bump off other top selling images. The top sellers will be come stale and buyers will be looking for something fresh. Objectively and being creative are key to competing with millions of images...

I think that is where I was headed. I mean, yes we can say, don't shoot pets, flowers, Sunsets, sliced vegetables and all that, but in the end, if something is good, different, well done, it will be possible to make sales.

And I still want what to shoot, not what NOT to shoot. I can find many things not to shoot, like finding sand in the desert. Where's the Oasis in that desert, there's the question?

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Author Topic: Stock ideas for Christmas: what you should NOT do (Read 10635 times)

ribtoks

cascoly

ribtoks

Justanotherphotographer

ribtoks

Justanotherphotographer

Firn

cascoly

KimC

Uncle Pete

SpaceStockFootage

For Real

Uncle Pete

lostintimeline

Uncle Pete

UPLOAD-UPLOAD-UPLOAD

UPLOAD-UPLOAD-UPLOAD

Uncle Pete

Firn

Uncle Pete

Milleflore

Uncle Pete

For Real

Uncle Pete

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