Author Topic: Other ways to sell video outside of agencies (Read 2992 times)

Cranky Cameraman · « **on:** May 03, 2019, 22:40 »

Anyone tried Shopify or Zenfolio?, any luck?.

It's become impossible to make a living selling video through the various agencies, cuts and creative math all hidden by startup speak and smoke and mirrors with pay cuts presented as good news and now large discounts to high volume deep pocketed customers at my expense and after than I get my 40% or 60%, this is mathematical engineering to set us up to fail while they increase their revenue.

Why can any other product be sold on the internet but with stock we must go through these agencies?, I don't mind going through the agencies but I think we need to figure out and fast some way to sell this product directly on the internet just like other products are.

Sure there is Amazon and Ebay for selling stuff, not everyone can code and develop a site and master SEO to rank on page one of Google but I know I can no longer make a living selling through these agencies.

Motion elements still alive and kicking btw?

SpaceStockFootage · « **Reply #1 on:** May 04, 2019, 00:49 »

"Why... with stock we must go through these agencies?"

"not everyone can code and develop a site and master SEO to rank on page one of Google"

You answered your own question in your own post! But no, there is absolutely no reason why you can't decide to not use the agencies... and there is absolutely nothing stopping you from selling your content by yourself.

stockman11 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 04, 2019, 03:03 »

Those technical stuff like building a website and seo are not too hard, especially if you have money to invest in good hosting, maybe hire some web developers, etc.

The real tricky part is marketing (getting buyers) - facebook ads and stuff like that ain't gonna cut it. Being active on social media as many "experts" advice is laughable. If marketing isn't so tricky, there would be much more people successfully living from their own shops and probably not dealing with agencies. Instead of that, people are lucky if they earn from their shops enough to pay hosting and domain.

georgep7 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 04, 2019, 04:44 »

Videos are made and delivered everyday. Speaking in general, word of mouth and personal pushing of services is the only solution for individuals and small business. No stock sales? Weddings, web commercials, events, you name it. Small budget productions even for one man band.

Nothing new or innovative on the previous statement.

The "trouble" is if a person can drop everything and start a small production company of it's own from scratch and zero customer base. More that skills, experince and self confidence, taxation and non pausable everyday needs of family and bills seems to be the biggest "no" arguements.

Speaking again in general, random ENG died as long as people live stream news events on facebook or offer their clips for free to tv stations. Wedding and event videography requires way more equipment, audio, multicams etc. Web commercials, edits etc are worse paid through platforms.

The solution? If not already having a steady job or freelancing in this industry to keep it as a hobby and what is called from many (i think) people: a passive side income.

Cranky Cameraman · « **Reply #4 on:** May 04, 2019, 08:52 »

Quote from: georgep7 on May 04, 2019, 04:44

Videos are made and delivered everyday. Speaking in general, word of mouth and personal pushing of services is the only solution for individuals and small business. No stock sales? Weddings, web commercials, events, you name it. Small budget productions even for one man band.

Nothing new or innovative on the previous statement.

The "trouble" is if a person can drop everything and start a small production company of it's own from scratch and zero customer base. More that skills, experince and self confidence, taxation and non pausable everyday needs of family and bills seems to be the biggest "no" arguements.

Speaking again in general, random ENG died as long as people live stream news events on facebook or offer their clips for free to tv stations. Wedding and event videography requires way more equipment, audio, multicams etc. Web commercials, edits etc are worse paid through platforms.

The solution? If not already having a steady job or freelancing in this industry to keep it as a hobby and what is called from many (i think) people: a passive side income.

Hate to say it but you might be right, this is becoming a hobby, even the 40% at pond would be fine but now they are adding 20-50% discounts to the customers onto our prices before our 40% and well it's less than hobby money in some cases.

Cranky Cameraman · « **Reply #5 on:** May 04, 2019, 09:07 »

Quote from: stockman11 on May 04, 2019, 03:03

Those technical stuff like building a website and seo are not too hard, especially if you have money to invest in good hosting, maybe hire some web developers, etc.

The real tricky part is marketing (getting buyers) - facebook ads and stuff like that ain't gonna cut it. Being active on social media as many "experts" advice is laughable. If marketing isn't so tricky, there would be much more people successfully living from their own shops and probably not dealing with agencies. Instead of that, people are lucky if they earn from their shops enough to pay hosting and domain.

Yeah that's the hard part, need to master SEO and get on the front page of a google search when someone uses certain keywords when searching for stock footage but the problem is those keywords change with each search obviously. I don't know enough about this myself or I'd be doing it and perhaps it's not possible without a ton of money for marketing and web development.

Maybe the solution is a new agency that simply provides the platform but doesn't do out of their way to discount our prices and offer all these programs etc to further discount and sell our work for next to nothing but instead lets us set prices and takes a commission that allows them to remain healthy.

thirdbornentertainment · « **Reply #6 on:** May 04, 2019, 11:21 »

Quote from: Cranky Cameraman on May 04, 2019, 09:07

Quote from: stockman11 on May 04, 2019, 03:03
Those technical stuff like building a website and seo are not too hard, especially if you have money to invest in good hosting, maybe hire some web developers, etc.

The real tricky part is marketing (getting buyers) - facebook ads and stuff like that ain't gonna cut it. Being active on social media as many "experts" advice is laughable. If marketing isn't so tricky, there would be much more people successfully living from their own shops and probably not dealing with agencies. Instead of that, people are lucky if they earn from their shops enough to pay hosting and domain.

Yeah that's the hard part, need to master SEO and get on the front page of a google search when someone uses certain keywords when searching for stock footage but the problem is those keywords change with each search obviously. I don't know enough about this myself or I'd be doing it and perhaps it's not possible without a ton of money for marketing and web development.

Maybe the solution is a new agency that simply provides the platform but doesn't do out of their way to discount our prices and offer all these programs etc to further discount and sell our work for next to nothing but instead lets us set prices and takes a commission that allows them to remain healthy.

How many clips do you have and how long have you been at this?