Outstanding numbers.  It was only a couple of months ago that they passed 2 million members, so 400,000 additional customers in two months!  In that same period the number of contributors hasn't changed (hardly) so the customer/photographer ratio is growing.  That's excellent.

53% of sales from the US shows the success of their overseas expansion.

Outstanding.

This shows what happens as a result of INVESTMENT and MARKETING.

Quote from: hatman12 on October 14, 2007, 00:15

This shows what happens as a result of INVESTMENT and MARKETING.

You mean like Lucky Oliver?  (Ha ha, couldn't resist!  )

Anyway....yeah, I agree totally.

Number of Images online: 2,253,903
Number of Contributors: 37,000

Did Simple math.

Average number of files in a portfolio: 60.9 images.

Considering there is a large number of people with 1000+ portfolios I think that with my 250 files I am still in top third of contributors.

That makes me feel important

There are only 160 diamonds.

And only 2,300 golds.  Of those, only 260 are exclusive.

These members probably account for at least 80% of all sales.  Perhaps 90%.

There is a serious shortage of quality, volume stock photographers.

Quote from: hatman12 on October 14, 2007, 00:15
Outstanding numbers.  It was only a couple of months ago that they passed 2 million members, so 400,000 additional customers in two months!  In that same period the number of contributors hasn't changed (hardly) so the customer/photographer ratio is growing.  That's excellent.

53% of sales from the US shows the success of their overseas expansion.

Outstanding.

This shows what happens as a result of INVESTMENT and MARKETING.

But how do we know that those 400,000 are downloaders?  It just says registered members.  A lot of them might be contributors who haven't passes the initial QC or haven't even uploaded anything yet.  How many of those new "registered members" go on to download images?

Quote from: hatman12 on October 14, 2007, 04:25

And only 2,300 golds.  Of those, only 260 are exclusive.

How do you know this? Are there any other fun stats you know?

I would love if iStock would start raking of photographers like fotolia used to do (but since v2 it has been stuck on the same number)

Quote from: maco0708 on October 14, 2007, 15:28

Quote from: hatman12 on October 14, 2007, 04:25

And only 2,300 golds.  Of those, only 260 are exclusive.

How do you know this? Are there any other fun stats you know?

I simply keep my eyes and ears open when I read their forums.

Yeah - 40% of their content is presently exclusive.  This suggests that the exclusive artists generate much much higher volume production than non-exclusives.

I'm ashamed to admit that although IS was the first agenecy to accept me, in the two years I have been there I have only gotten 47 images accepted (somewhat less than 50%).  Every couple of months I try and concentrate on them but get distracted by other agencies where my portfolio is larger and so is my return.  For the last four days at IS I have been sitting 37 cents short of a payout with no dls.   This is not a cry for help, just venting, I know it's my own fault.
Rosta