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Author Topic: What would YOU pay for your own subscription site? +what options would you need?  (Read 9770 times)

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« on: August 22, 2019, 15:23 »
0
Seeing as certain agencies are trying to "force" the bigger ones in a race to the bottom through a subscription model (and seem to forget what made them BIG was the contributors contributing content)...

What would you pay for your own subscription site? IF you had an easy to use/plug & play solution?

(Also - by 'plug & play' - I don't mean a wordpress plugin. I mean something where *literally* all you have to do is upload your assets, and enter your payment information, and then start marketing - unless you want that included too).

a) Images? Video?
b) $29/month? $59/month? $99/month? More? Less?
c) Features you'd want?
d) What would you pay for 'marketing' of your content?
e) What is your portfolio size? (100 items? 1000? 10000?)

I'm thinking a good solution to the "content crisis" was if individual authors could manage their own content, and collect 100% of the fees for their work.

Not only would it help stop the race to the bottom (simply because the "mega" agencies would receive significantly less new content), but it would help make authors feel more in control of their work, and not have to undermine their own efforts.

What are your thoughts?
« Last Edit: August 22, 2019, 15:40 by SuperPhoto »


« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2019, 15:35 »
+6
Weve already done Symbiostock.  Didnt work.

« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2019, 15:37 »
0
Weve already done Symbiostock.  Didnt work.

a) Who says it doesn't work? (I've heard it mentioned here before from those who said it didn't work for them, never really looked at it. But I am sure there are some people it does work for).
b) If it didn't work for you - what specifically was "wrong" about it that you would need to be "right" in order for it to work for you?

« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2019, 15:40 »
+3
« Last Edit: August 22, 2019, 15:43 by cathyslife »

« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2019, 15:49 »
+3
What was wrong is that buyers dont care about looking at an individuals site.  Those that have niche content that is very valuable already have a way to sell.

« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2019, 15:50 »
+1
Here we go again. About once a month someone has this great idea.



https://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/is-it-possible-to-launch-own-subscription-site/msg537145/?topicseen#new

Wow, quite the negative attitude. Maybe thats the problem.

No, the post you listed is *not* the same as this one.

Also, I didn't ask how much feces you can spread on it. I am asking you would need to make it work.
« Last Edit: August 22, 2019, 15:53 by SuperPhoto »

« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2019, 15:57 »
0
What was wrong is that buyers dont care about looking at an individuals site.  Those that have niche content that is very valuable already have a way to sell.

OKay - so what you are saying is you'd need marketing?

For niche content sellers - do you know what ways they sell?

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2019, 16:07 »
+1
Weve already done Symbiostock.  Didnt work.

a) Who says it doesn't work? (I've heard it mentioned here before from those who said it didn't work for them, never really looked at it. But I am sure there are some people it does work for).
                        ^^^^^^
What makes you "sure"? Did you mean, "I think it might work for some people" ?

Read all about it here:
https://www.microstockgroup.com/symbiostock

« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2019, 16:13 »
+2
I'm not in favor of the subscription model but I think sites like Photoshelter could add a monthly subscription pricing tool for individual contributors if they wanted to.

« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2019, 17:23 »
0
vvv see below vvv
« Last Edit: August 22, 2019, 17:29 by cathyslife »

« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2019, 17:27 »
0
What was wrong is that buyers dont care about looking at an individuals site.  Those that have niche content that is very valuable already have a way to sell.

OKay - so what you are saying is you'd need marketing?

For niche content sellers - do you know what ways they sell?


No, hes spreading feces on it, too! Talk to him like hes nothing,  like you did to me.
« Last Edit: August 22, 2019, 17:33 by cathyslife »

« Reply #11 on: August 22, 2019, 17:27 »
+2
I would need about 10 million more images or video to sell.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #12 on: August 22, 2019, 18:23 »
0
For niche content sellers - do you know what ways they sell?
1. Directly to publications, often with accompanying written articles
2. In specialist macro agencies who are well trusted in the relevant markets.
... ?

« Reply #13 on: August 22, 2019, 19:48 »
0
Weve already done Symbiostock.  Didnt work.

a) Who says it doesn't work? (I've heard it mentioned here before from those who said it didn't work for them, never really looked at it. But I am sure there are some people it does work for).
                        ^^^^^^
What makes you "sure"? Did you mean, "I think it might work for some people" ?

Read all about it here:
https://www.microstockgroup.com/symbiostock

Thanks for the link. Will read through those posts.

I think one of the big issues was it was a "wordpress" plugin, and wordpress itself is nortious for been EXTREMLY slow/resource hungry/etc if you use more than a couple plugins.

I was thinking of something pretty streamlined - basically, it would be as easy as creating an account at something like adobestock/pond5/etc, except you get 100% of the commissions, except of course the fee you pay for the hosting.

I get marketing is important too. That's a little more challenging. But - do you think the 'site' itself would be appealing if it was that easy?

« Reply #14 on: August 22, 2019, 20:28 »
+1
Since it reads like you know how to code, here's some random thoughts of the top of my head...

Setup it up a bit like Squarespace.com have a bunch of different beautiful templates that people can choose from. Then do sales in 2 different methods.

1st method - allow sales via individual accounts, individuals keep all profits.

2nd method - build out a platform that shows all files from all individual sites. Have some pre-defined rules about how the search algorithm will work, and make that public. Ask all the files that are submitted here are exclusive. A large amount of exclusive files will draw traffic, for example like Stocksy.

Make this site a co-op, spell out how revenue would be shared from the platform sales. Give yourself a very nice unreasonably big payment in the future for doing work for nothing in the beginning. Spell this part out upfront. After that just pay yourself a reasonable salary moving forward from the sales.

« Reply #15 on: August 22, 2019, 21:06 »
+2
OKay - so what you are saying is you'd need marketing?

For niche content sellers - do you know what ways they sell?

No, I'm saying buyers don't care about buying from individuals unless there's something really really unique.

They already have contacts that want their niche content.

« Reply #16 on: August 22, 2019, 21:08 »
0
Since it reads like you know how to code, here's some random thoughts of the top of my head...

Setup it up a bit like Squarespace.com have a bunch of different beautiful templates that people can choose from. Then do sales in 2 different methods.

1st method - allow sales via individual accounts, individuals keep all profits.

2nd method - build out a platform that shows all files from all individual sites. Have some pre-defined rules about how the search algorithm will work, and make that public. Ask all the files that are submitted here are exclusive. A large amount of exclusive files will draw traffic, for example like Stocksy.

Make this site a co-op, spell out how revenue would be shared from the platform sales. Give yourself a very nice unreasonably big payment in the future for doing work for nothing in the beginning. Spell this part out upfront. After that just pay yourself a reasonable salary moving forward from the sales.

Re: #2, was thinking of something like that... BUT... then it becomes

a) essentially a new agency
b) which, of course is a LOT more overhead than an individual sites. (An individual would be fully responsible for their content, whereas in an agency you need staff to review assets, staff for customer/sales assistance, staff for other items, etc, etc).

So I was wondering if essentially 'owning' your own site that was as easy as creating an account would be appealing.

I will give some thought to the marketing aspect though - just as I was writing this had an idea that might be appealing, going to think about it to see if it would work...





« Reply #17 on: August 22, 2019, 22:25 »
+6
...Wow, quite the negative attitude. Maybe thats the problem...

You should learn a little of the history before you start making rash judgments of people who have already done a version of what you're asking about.

A negative attitude was not the problem. I've been part of two prior efforts, Symbiostock (common search across a network of independent artist sites) and WarmPicture (a coop).

There are two things that'd I would want from any cooperative/own site setup and the biggest is marketing the sites to image buyers - without that nothing else matters. The other is some assurance that the underlying technology will be around a while and maintained.

Having a thin skin when you get questions from prospective site owners isn't a good start - a volatile leader of a project doesn't inspire confidence in my second must-have (longevity).

georgep7

« Reply #18 on: August 22, 2019, 23:17 »
0
Here we go again. About once a month someone has this great idea.

Well, agencies work this way and great ideas become great news for us!
And it works all the time!
:P

Self hosting is easy when one have little files, I wondered and tried both WordPress and Wix free plans to see how it would look. It was great but no one would login or register to get a "red rose"...

Ended up that I don't want to maintain a virtual shop. Nor submitting to one for a paid plan (or free as Blackbox) giving up my source files and losing control. So hosting my files you ask? I host them for free in an agency. Let's say P5. Making collections, arranging by subject, kind e.g. greenscreen, slowmo or dolly shots making them as attractive and easy to navigate as I can. Keeping copies, source files, excel sheets everything in tact. Guess nothing new or innovative.

But.

After low paying sales ($1,75) what I actually think is continuing uploading 4K files but with bitrates down to 10-20Mbps that produce smaller files. Easier to render and upload. Faster to deliver. Good for people with subscriptions that need low cost small files. What about enterprise buyers you might ask. And here is the only catch I can think of. "Do you need framerates up to 240fps or bitrates up to 100Mbps?"

"Contact me"
« Last Edit: August 22, 2019, 23:20 by georgep7 »

« Reply #19 on: August 22, 2019, 23:55 »
0
...Wow, quite the negative attitude. Maybe thats the problem...

You should learn a little of the history before you start making rash judgments of people who have already done a version of what you're asking about.

A negative attitude was not the problem. I've been part of two prior efforts, Symbiostock (common search across a network of independent artist sites) and WarmPicture (a coop).

There are two things that'd I would want from any cooperative/own site setup and the biggest is marketing the sites to image buyers - without that nothing else matters. The other is some assurance that the underlying technology will be around a while and maintained.

Having a thin skin when you get questions from prospective site owners isn't a good start - a volatile leader of a project doesn't inspire confidence in my second must-have (longevity).


I was a part of those same two efforts.


Theres a whole section here SuperPhoto ... Selling Stock Direct ... like I said, about once a month someone thinks it will work. Maybe peruse that section, you will likely get a lot of insight.


 https://www.microstockgroup.com/selling-direct/
« Last Edit: August 22, 2019, 23:59 by cathyslife »

« Reply #20 on: August 23, 2019, 00:32 »
+1
Since it reads like you know how to code, here's some random thoughts of the top of my head...

Setup it up a bit like Squarespace.com have a bunch of different beautiful templates that people can choose from. Then do sales in 2 different methods.

1st method - allow sales via individual accounts, individuals keep all profits.

2nd method - build out a platform that shows all files from all individual sites. Have some pre-defined rules about how the search algorithm will work, and make that public. Ask all the files that are submitted here are exclusive. A large amount of exclusive files will draw traffic, for example like Stocksy.

Make this site a co-op, spell out how revenue would be shared from the platform sales. Give yourself a very nice unreasonably big payment in the future for doing work for nothing in the beginning. Spell this part out upfront. After that just pay yourself a reasonable salary moving forward from the sales.

Re: #2, was thinking of something like that... BUT... then it becomes

a) essentially a new agency
b) which, of course is a LOT more overhead than an individual sites. (An individual would be fully responsible for their content, whereas in an agency you need staff to review assets, staff for customer/sales assistance, staff for other items, etc, etc).

So I was wondering if essentially 'owning' your own site that was as easy as creating an account would be appealing.

I will give some thought to the marketing aspect though - just as I was writing this had an idea that might be appealing, going to think about it to see if it would work...

Virtually no stock buyer is going to go to an individual's own website unless it is amazing work and they can't find something similar on one of the big agencies' website. It is all about what would be the least amount of effort for the buyer. A big stock site is most often where the buyer finds what they want with the least amount of effort. Similar to shopping on Amazon.com, 50% of all US online shopping happens on that website because it is where people go to buy stuff with the least amount of effort. Anyway, the only way for you to launch something new is that you have to have contributors that commit to giving high quality exclusive files, otherwise buyers already have existing stock websites to go to.

Regarding staff, just find volunteers who will work for nothing, just like you will work for nothing. Then one day if and when the site actually becomes profitable, then pay all these people an unreasonably large amount of money out of the sales for all the free work they gave. Then figure out what the new pay will be moving forward.
« Last Edit: August 23, 2019, 00:40 by charged »

« Reply #21 on: August 23, 2019, 02:29 »
+3
..
So I was wondering if essentially 'owning' your own site that was as easy as creating an account would be appealing.
always promised, never realized

Quote
I will give some thought to the marketing aspect though - just as I was writing this had an idea that might be appealing, going to think about it to see if it would work...

are you saying you HAVEN'T yet given  'some thought' to marketing!??! and you wonder why no one takes your proposal seriously .

« Reply #22 on: August 23, 2019, 02:36 »
+2
a) Who says it doesn't work? (I've heard it mentioned here before from those who said it didn't work for them, never really looked at it. But I am sure there are some people it does work for).
                        ^^^^^^
who?

I dont know of anyone getting sales from symbio sites - mine's still active because I use it for blogging and other purposes, but sales are non-existent 

Quote
I think one of the big issues was it was a "wordpress" plugin, and wordpress itself is nortious for been EXTREMLY slow/resource hungry/etc if you use more than a couple plugins.

I was thinking of something pretty streamlined - basically, it would be as easy as creating an account at something like adobestock/pond5/etc, except you get 100% of the commissions, except of course the fee you pay for the hosting.
again do your homework - wordpress was never the problem - lack of sales was

you still haven't shown why your vaporware would be easier than existing apps

« Reply #23 on: August 23, 2019, 05:12 »
0
So........
« Last Edit: August 23, 2019, 05:42 by SuperPhoto »

« Reply #24 on: August 23, 2019, 05:16 »
0
..
So I was wondering if essentially 'owning' your own site that was as easy as creating an account would be appealing.
always promised, never realized

Quote
I will give some thought to the marketing aspect though - just as I was writing this had an idea that might be appealing, going to think about it to see if it would work...

are you saying you HAVEN'T yet given  'some thought' to marketing!??! and you wonder why no one takes your proposal seriously .

The original question was with respect to setting up the site itself, nothing to do with marketing. As an aside though, something occurred to me that might work marketing wise as well.
« Last Edit: August 23, 2019, 05:42 by SuperPhoto »


 

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