Author Topic: Free photos, help or hurt? (Read 4091 times)

PaulieWalnuts · « **on:** November 09, 2007, 21:53 »

Several sites have free sections. Does this help drive exposure and sales or just distract/deter buyers from buying? Discuss.

Gregor909 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 09, 2007, 22:01 »

It does on Shutterstock.
I have read that more than once on the forums.
Other sites.. I don't know!

yingyang0 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 09, 2007, 22:30 »

I had a photo that was free photo of the week about a year ago on iStock. After that free week it became my most downloaded photo (for money). It also increased the sales of photos that I linked to it while it was the free download.

To each their own.

Kngkyle · « **Reply #3 on:** November 09, 2007, 22:44 »

I think sites that have like a weekly or daily free photo is good. But if they have an entire section with thousands of free photos like Fotolia and Dreamstime, it just hurts sales overall. I think so at least.

fotografer · « **Reply #4 on:** November 10, 2007, 01:56 »

Quote from: Kngkyle on November 09, 2007, 22:44

I think sites that have like a weekly or daily free photo is good. But if they have an entire section with thousands of free photos like Fotolia and Dreamstime, it just hurts sales overall. I think so at least.

I totally agree with this. It doesn't seem good business sense to me to have a whole section free. I'm sure that most buyers will check out that section first and often find something suitable resulting in a loss of a sale.
I've had the same experience as yingyang0 on both DT and SS in that a free image has gone on to be one of my best earners which amazed me given the 1000's of times that they were downloaded free.