Author Topic: Summer Slump vs. Beginner's Growth (Read 4771 times)

PowerDroid · « **on:** August 17, 2009, 13:24 »

Hello all!

This is my first post here. I've been reading for a few months, finding lots of insightful information, and figured it was time to "enter the fray."

I've been uploading to several microstock sites since late in 08, and it's been a fun, rewarding experience. Every month until July 09 has been a "BME." I've been steadily uploading about 50-60 images a month, with the goal of 2 a day, so I imagine that helps keep the portfolio fresh and my pics near the top if the buyer is searching by newest first. (It's worth noting that I've been striving to create a diverse portfolio, mixing up my subject matter so I'm not cannibalizing my own sales.)

So things were going great until July hit, and my growth stopped. No complaints... July was flat to June, which I guess I expected. But then August rolls in and my downloads are taking an even bigger hit.

Since I have yet to go through an entire 12-month cycle, I'm wondering if this is common, or if this is an indication that my "beginner's growth" is running out.

Please share your:

1. Best months
2. Worst months
3. Did you have a "beginner's growth" period that noticeably tailed off after a number of months, and if so, after how many months did it happen?

Thanks!

stockastic · « **Reply #1 on:** August 17, 2009, 13:42 »

I've been doing this since the beginning of February, and my porfolio is small. DT, FT and IS continue to make occasional sales for me. SS used to be the best by far; but a couple of months ago, they made a change which de-emphasized new images. Nothing I uploaded since then has sold, although images uploaded before that time keep selling. For me, there seems little point in continuing to submit to SS.

cidepix · « **Reply #2 on:** August 17, 2009, 13:50 »

This is my 2nd year and I can say there isn't really a big summer slump.

But If you have to choose a worst month I would choose August.

This month so far has been slower than last year's August. All the other months are good for me, I don't think there is a noticable difference apart from august.

PowerDroid · « **Reply #3 on:** August 17, 2009, 13:55 »

I've heard a lot about people being adversely affected by the Shutterstock search change, but (knock on wood) I didn't see a difference one way or the other in my downloads. I'd say my daily downloads break down to about 50% new (uploaded in last four months) vs 50% old (uploaded in my first four months).

SS is consistently my #1 earner, and here's how I'm faring lately on the other sites, by order of how well they're doing for me...

#2 StockXpert - did great until they made their recent changes, and today is the lowest in a LONG time
#3 DT - steady performer, growing quite a bit lately as my better images climb up in the levels
#4 FT - unpredictable... great one day, terrible the next... with today being awful
#5 BigStock - never really saw much growth there.... a good day is $5, a bad day is $0, and that's been consistent for many months.

Not on IS yet... my last several submissions got the "images too similar" rejection, and I'm in the 180-day waiting period to resubmit... it's coming time to try again, but I'm terrified I'll get rejected again and hear that I have to wait a full year to try again, since the periods seem to double with each rejection.

MicrostockExp · « **Reply #4 on:** August 17, 2009, 14:18 »

I post my stats on-line since June 2007 at http://microstockexperiment.blogspot.com/
I did not really experienced a summer slowdown but I upload regularly so it might explain. Also small portfolios are more susceptible to variation

IS took over SS three months ago as number 1 , looks like I reached a plateau at SS a long time ago

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #5 on:** August 17, 2009, 14:29 »

A summer following the greatest economic depression since we were boiling our boots - I have to say I can think of a better timeline point to occupy. People can still go "on vacation" if it only means visiting relatives upstate, and I am sure most people are fed up with putting so much into work and getting so little out because some suits decided to abscond with everyone's $ - you better believe a lot of buyers are tuning out this summer and getting back to basics.

PowerDroid · « **Reply #6 on:** August 17, 2009, 14:30 »

Also, out of curiosity, do you track return per image (RPI)? I'm finding that to be an effective way to identify trends. As you add to your portfolio, you would expect your revenue to go up, but only if your return per image holds steady.

I track a daily and monthly RPI. I had been holding steady at about $.11 daily RPI, allowing me to predict my revenue growth as I added new images, but that has taken a hit these past few months, knocking me down to about $.085 RPI today. Not sure what to think about how the next several months will go.

Without a crystal ball, I guess the best plan is to just keep steadily uploading!

sharpshot · « **Reply #7 on:** August 17, 2009, 14:30 »

I get more sales in the spring and autumn than the summer and winter but it isn't that noticeable.

disorderly · « **Reply #8 on:** August 17, 2009, 15:01 »

I don't track RPI and don't consider it a useful metric. Two reasons: first, some images age, either because of improvements in resolution and quality (I've been submitting for four years, and the technical requirements have changed dramatically in that time) or because the subject itself starts to look dated; and second, because the number of images I can get from a shoot varies dramatically with the subject.

A day of shooting architecture or landscapes or isolated food may yield a half dozen submitted images, where a studio shoot can produce up to a hundred different poses in different outfits with different backdrops. Those hundred may give me considerably more sales than the half dozen, even though the RPI tells a different story.

Instead of RPI, I track a moving twelve month sales period: September 08 - August 09 vs. August 08 - July 09. That reduces seasonal variables and shows me how my growing portfolio is really doing. That shows a steady increase in sales, although it does of course require a full year of data before you can compare.

lisafx · « **Reply #9 on:** August 17, 2009, 15:02 »

I normally get a slowdown from June through August, but this year June and July were about normal. August is a bit slower, but not as bad as it could be.

My "slump" this year seems to be less about sales drops and more about so many sites that have been extremely slow in making payouts.

PowerDroid · « **Reply #10 on:** August 17, 2009, 15:23 »

Quote from: disorderly on August 17, 2009, 15:01

I don't track RPI and don't consider it a useful metric.

I think this shows that everyone finds their own ways of tracking progress. Whatever gives you insight on how to create the most marketable images is what you should do.

I also track moving averages -- 14-day to show short-term trends and 120-day to show the long-term -- but for my forecasting, I think RPI is the single number that matters most to me. My short term goal is to earn $100 a day, and if I know I'll earn an average of $.10 daily RPI, I need to have a portfolio of 1,000 images to do $100/day. If I upload 3 images a day, I will have 1,000 images after just under a year, and will be at my desired $100/day level... but only if my RPI holds steady.

So for me, it all boils down to two numbers: my uploads (which I control) times my RPI (which I don't control but watch like a hawk) = my goal.

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Author Topic: Summer Slump vs. Beginner's Growth (Read 4771 times)

PowerDroid

stockastic

cidepix

PowerDroid

MicrostockExp

zymmetricaldotcom

PowerDroid

sharpshot

disorderly

lisafx

PowerDroid

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