MicrostockGroup
Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: rene on May 17, 2010, 07:36
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After over 2 months of exclusivity my feelings are mixed. Before my IS earnings represented 40-50% of total microstock earnings.
Now it's about 120%-yes, I earn more and it's a positive point.
Now negative point: my downloads' number is the same. It seems that I didn't benefit from better best match placement.
My earning increase come only from better commission and much higher prices (exclusive, exclusive+ and Vetta).
I'm curious about experiences from other fresh exclusives.
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There was always some thread about exclusivity and best match position in search, and although most people say exclusives have better postilion in search I think it was never proved to be truth. I have read several threads where exclusives say they earn more just because they get more per image because they are exclusives, not because they get more downloads.
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Thanks for posting Rene. This is very good information. Exactly the type of thing fence-sitters need to know in deciding which direction to go in :)
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I am going exclusive soon but I am not expecting my images will get any better best match placement.
What made you think there is currently such a benefit for exclusives ? (Though it would be great!)
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After over 2 months of exclusivity my feelings are mixed. Before my IS earnings represented 40-50% of total microstock earnings.
Now it's about 120%-yes, I earn more and it's a positive point.
Now negative point: my downloads' number is the same. It seems that I didn't benefit from better best match placement.
My earning increase come only from better commission and much higher prices (exclusive, exclusive+ and Vetta).
I'm curious about experiences from other fresh exclusives.
Have you increased your uploads substantially during that time? If you have and you still don't show an increase in downloads, that is disappointing.
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After over 2 months of exclusivity my feelings are mixed. Before my IS earnings represented 40-50% of total microstock earnings.
Now it's about 120%-yes, I earn more and it's a positive point.
Now negative point: my downloads' number is the same. It seems that I didn't benefit from better best match placement.
My earning increase come only from better commission and much higher prices (exclusive, exclusive+ and Vetta).
I'm curious about experiences from other fresh exclusives.
So did you actually check file placement to see if there was any before/after difference? Or are you just assuming there was no best match change because your downloads didn't increase?
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We need to know that behavior of customers can be different for each of them...
Someone want usual best seller, but someone want a new photo, in that case best match position is irrelevant!
P.S.
I have heard that IS exclusivity brings 40-60% more in average...
So , IS piece of cake before exclusivity need to be also cca 40-60% ...
My part of IS is cca 30%, that is not enough to think about exc.
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Yes indeed, thanks again Rene for the honest feedback. I have to say I haven't found any evidence of exclusive images being better placed (other than Vetta) since they implemented the BM2.0 thing which must be a couple of years ago now.
On a positive note the fact that your images are now significantly more expensive to the buyers than non-exclusive and yet it hasn't had a negative effect on sales numbers. The 20% increase in overall earnings sounds very worthwhile anyway. Does that also include the effect of the Exc+ prices?
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A significant advantage of being exclusive is the larger number of upload slots. If you don't upload all your work to istock because of the restriction (as independent) then building a larger portfolio should generate more income too.
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After over 2 months of exclusivity my feelings are mixed. Before my IS earnings represented 40-50% of total microstock earnings.
Now it's about 120%-yes, I earn more and it's a positive point.
Well, that's the purpose of exclusivity I figure, exceeding earnings on one site compared to when on many. Mission accomplished then, no? But it's a very interesting observation that you need at least 40-50% on iStock before even considering exclusivity. This is very valuable info. Thanks. It deserves a heart.
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Also, anecdotal reports so far indicate that downloads have been lower on iStock since March, which was a BME for many contributors.
So, if you still have roughly the same number, maybe that's not so bad!
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What made you think there is currently such a benefit for exclusives ? (Though it would be great!)
It has been hinted at and discussed endlessly for years. For example Vetta are openly admitted to have better search positions than non-vetta, and it has been suggested that in time E+ will also have better best match placement. Both of which amount to a best match bump for exclusive files, if not actually exclusive contributors.
The best match is constantly changing, and sometimes it is quite obvious that the front pages are dominated almost entirely by exclusive images. I keep a number of public lightboxes with a good mix of exclusive and nonexclusive files. Usually they are pretty evenly spread out, but there have been certain incarnations of the best match where it is REALLY obvious that ALL the exclusive files in them are in the front and all the non-exclusive ones are in the back.
At the moment, beyond the Vetta placement, there doesn't seem to be much exclusive bias, but it is still very good to hear from someone who would actually know first hand.
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Thanks for this feedback! Nice to know that there has been an overall benefit for you.
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Images should get a best match position based ONLY on merit, the more commercial, the better and the more DLs, only then does an image deserve to jump in best match. Never because it exclusive or non-exclusive, this and that.
Buyers dont care one way or the another, the prime and most important aspect is that buyers find their shots, quick, nice and easy and without having to wade through pages or irrelevant rubbish only for the sake of it.
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Images should get a best match position based ONLY on merit, the more commercial, the better and the more DLs, only then does an image deserve to jump in best match. Never because it exclusive or non-exclusive, ...
That is what I have always thought and I think it's bad business that exclusives get rewarded just because they are exclusive, not because their files are any better. Which to me seems so totally ridiculous because Getty makes more profit on independent best-selling photos than they do mediocre-selling exclusive photos. But hey whatever, they have all the big bucks and they know what they are doing. <cough>
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It looks like the new best match may intend to increase the downloads for the non-exclusives and keep the non-excl prices affordable for buyers. The change of the non-excl cannister levels won't cost Istock more money while it wants to please the exclusives by giving them even more money by selling their images at higher prices.
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... Getty makes more profit on independent best-selling photos than they do mediocre-selling exclusive photos. But hey whatever, they have all the big bucks and they know what they are doing. <cough>
No, that's not correct. iStock profits the least amount from licensing a non-exclusive image, albeit the difference in is marginal.
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Images should get a best match position based ONLY on merit, the more commercial, the better and the more DLs, only then does an image deserve to jump in best match. Never because it exclusive or non-exclusive, ...
That is what I have always thought and I think it's bad business that exclusives get rewarded just because they are exclusive, not because their files are any better. Which to me seems so totally ridiculous because Getty makes more profit on independent best-selling photos than they do mediocre-selling exclusive photos. But hey whatever, they have all the big bucks and they know what they are doing. <cough>
Mmm... Exclusives are making a huge sacrifice and commitment to IS. Don't they deserve an advantage over non-exclusives? I think they do.
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Well OK, that might be correct. BEFORE the last big price jump on exclusive files, I was correct. Now that Getty is charging more for exclusive files, they have offset the extra 20% they pay exclusives over nons.
And if your/IS's chart is correct, Getty isn't wanting to be keeping non-exclusives around much longer, will they?
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Mmm... Exclusives are making a huge sacrifice and commitment to IS. Don't they deserve an advantage over non-exclusives? I think they do.
Oh boy here we go again. I never said exclusives didn't deserve an advantage. Explain to me what business sense it makes to put a best-selling non-ex photo in the best match behind a non- or mediocre-selling exclusive file? Exclusive perks can come in many ways, but seeings how Getty is all about profits and bottom line, to me, that doesn't make sense. Does it to you? If so, please explain. And your chart clearly shows they make way more profit on larger sizes non-ex than ex. What if they compare Diamond non-ex to Diamond ex? Doesn't seem like they are comparing apples to apples.
ETA change ahead of to behind, sorry about that, mispoke
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No, that's not correct. iStock profits the least amount from licensing a non-exclusive image, albeit the difference in is marginal.
Interesting. The minute difference in profit margin between Exc & Non-Exc images suggests that the price structure was specifically designed to create that effect.
Of course IS make an even higher margin on Exc images from contributors with lower canister levels.
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Rene, at least you don't have to deal with many agencies. You just have to work with IS, and you can focus on your portfolio to make it perfect looking with lightboxes and other nice things.
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Just wanted to point out two things that have been going on over the last few weeks - a big ripple in the best match (nothing like best match 2.0, but some people have felt a big change in downloads) and seasonal changes (that March was acknowledged to be the Spring high point for the site as a whole when an admin said that although April was below March, as it had historically been, April '10 was up from April '09)
One of the things I contended with back when I went exclusive was the chaos of search engine changes prior to best match 2.0 and things were just awful for a few months. If I hadn't been committed to give exclusivity a serious effort, I'd have bailed after two month. Until you can compare a month with the year prior, it's really hard to make comparisons.
I don't know how long you've been building a portfolio on IS, but I've seen lots of oldies but goodies resurfacing in the last best match jiggle. People with newer portfolios seemed to be overly represented in the group who were hit negatively by the best match changes.
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My theory on the best match search is that if they screw it up too much, people will just use the other search options. That's what I used to do when I didn't like its results, but maybe I'm a rebel. I also like to color outside the lines. ;D
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Thanks for this feedback! Nice to know that there has been an overall benefit for you.
there you are. I was hoping you would see this thread :)
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If anyone wants more feedback, here is my stats:
last month as independent (december 2009):
approx. 1100 downloads, approx. 1100 USD
last month as exclusive (april 2010):
approx 1400 downloads, approx. 3200 USD
did not upload more than 20 images in this period. my portfolio consists of about 300 images. canister level is gold.
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@Digital66
What made you think there is currently such a benefit for exclusives ?
"Exclusivity brings more attention to your portfolio and makes the most out of all that traffic."-iStock exclusivity page
@cclapper
Have you increased your uploads substantially during that time?
I've almost stopped uploading for few months
@PaulieWalnuts
So did you actually check file placement to see if there was any before/after difference? Or are you just assuming there was no best match change because your downloads didn't increase?
Both.
I've checked few files (without noting the exact position). Few of my photos were on the first page and they are still there. The files which were in the middle of best match are still in the middle of 200 pages. Maybe some change from page 120 to 118 but for me it's not a real progress.
@gostwyck
The 20% increase in overall earnings sounds very worthwhile anyway. Does that also include the effect of the Exc+ prices?
Yes. Everything included (EL is in average 60$ now). BTW I didn't see negative impact when I put my few best sellers (yellow flame) in E+ bin
@cclapper
That is what I have always thought and I think it's bad business that exclusives get rewarded just because they are exclusive, not because their files are any better. Which to me seems so totally ridiculous because Getty makes more profit on independent best-selling photos than they do mediocre-selling exclusive photos.
Agree, but exclusive best-selling photos should be before independents. And mediocre independents photos should be after mediocre exclusive ;-)
@Whitechild
Rene, at least you don't have to deal with many agencies.
If Im exclusive at IS its not because I'm fan. It's because I couldn't stand others ;-). I'm only regretting SS which is a fair and honest site.
You just have to work with IS, and you can focus on your portfolio to make it perfect looking with lightboxes and other nice things.
This is one of best thing. IĦŻm no more wasting my time reading "FifiĦ's" threads. Seriously, I think that I was spending half an hour per day checking numbers, participating to forums on others sites. It meens 3.5 hours/week + 1h for uploading =4.5h/week x 46 weeks (52 - vacations)= 207hours/year. Almost one work month!
BTW, IS standard uploading system sucks but Deepmeta is great. Uploading is even easier than on other sites.
@jsnover
I don't know how long you've been building a portfolio on IS, but I've seen lots of oldies but goodies resurfacing in the last best match jiggle.
Over 3 years
[/i]People with newer portfolios seemed to be overly represented in the group who were hit negatively by the best match changes.[/i]
You are right, I checked my downloads and oldies seem do better than my new files (even if they are better quality IMO).
In conclusion even if, for instance, Im glad from this decision Im a little disappointing. More money is ok but I thought that without my portfolio FT and DT will go out of business. But they are still thereĦ And when I see my constant number of downloads not many of my fans followed me. My ego suffers ;-)
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@cclapper
That is what I have always thought and I think it's bad business that exclusives get rewarded just because they are exclusive, not because their files are any better. Which to me seems so totally ridiculous because Getty makes more profit on independent best-selling photos than they do mediocre-selling exclusive photos.
Agree, but exclusive best-selling photos should be before independents. And mediocre independents photos should be after mediocre exclusive ;-)
I totally agree with that, but that isn't what is happening.
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Thanks for this feedback! Nice to know that there has been an overall benefit for you.
there you are. I was hoping you would see this thread :)
I'll be giving my feeback in about 2 months time...
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If anyone wants more feedback, here is my stats:
last month as independent (december 2009):
approx. 1100 downloads, approx. 1100 USD
last month as exclusive (april 2010):
approx 1400 downloads, approx. 3200 USD
did not upload more than 20 images in this period. my portfolio consists of about 300 images. canister level is gold.
Thanks for sharing, but in fairness, December is notoriously one of the very lowest earning months of the year, so a December to April comparison is going to be heavily slanted.
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Thanks for sharing, but in fairness, December is notoriously one of the very lowest earning months of the year, so a December to April comparison is going to be heavily slanted.
My December has consistently been 3rd top for dls and $$s for the three years I've been with iStock, with Nov being top and Oct being 2nd each time. That even included 2007, when I had not one Christmas/Chanukah pic in my port. In each case, December vastly outdid April.
Hope the same applies this year; although my downloads are still on a steep downward slope, my $$ continue to rise comparing with comparable months in previous years.
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I've been exclusive on iStock since March 12 of this year--just over two months. In that time, March turned out to be my BME on IS. April trounced March, but then again April is usually a good month. This month is shaping up okay dollar wise, but a little low download wise.
I'm not one of the major players with a huge spectacular portfolio. Before I went exclusive, my daily average sales was a little over $5 per day across all 13 agencies I contributed to. Since going exclusive, my daily average sales has increased just about 50%, and so far in May, it's been almost 100%. I realized that this is only two months of info, and with an April. It will be interesting to see how this fluctuates over the summer and fall.
My daily downloads have also increased. I'm not getting daily double digit sales..in fact it's the rare day where I make 10 or more sales. But I am seeing a greater number of downloads, with April being the largest number of downloads I've had since joining IS in January 2008.
I've also gotta add this...you still have to deal with the changes that the agency makes with regards to searching, and new features (Vetta, E+). The nice thing is there's only one agency to deal with, rather than being anxious about the latest change at FT, or the decrease in sales at SS, or the increase of sub sales at DT, or when sales will start to happen at the smaller agencies. So far it's been a much less stormy ride than I thought. I hope to still hold this opinion after Summer/Autumn and next Christmas.
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Before I went exclusive, my daily average sales was a little over $5 per day across all 13 agencies I contributed to. Since going exclusive, my daily average sales has increased just about 50%, and so far in May, it's been almost 100%.
so, in effect, is has replaced all 13 agencies with 100% growth (in may), increasing from $5 to $10/day? well done!
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so, in effect, is has replaced all 13 agencies with 100% growth (in may), increasing from $5 to $10/day? well done!
A little over $10 a day, but yes. E+ XXXL sales sure do help. ;)
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I'm exclusive since the beginning of April, and it's way too early to draw any conclusions.
I'm happy for now though, no sub's anymore and only one (set of) hoop (s) to jump through.
April was my 4th BME, no Vetta, no Exclusive+ (still figuring out some kind of strategy).
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Thanks for sharing, but in fairness, December is notoriously one of the very lowest earning months of the year, so a December to April comparison is going to be heavily slanted.
My December has consistently been 3rd top for dls and $$s for the three years I've been with iStock, with Nov being top and Oct being 2nd each time.
My pattern (2010 may be different as March broke a previous pattern by beating the prior November) has been November, December, October for the top 3 months of the year. I know December is horrible for some, but it's not universal.
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If anyone wants more feedback, here is my stats:
would be helpful if we could take a look at your portfolio....
s
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Anyhow even in last madness I'll never think about to be exclusive nowhere. ;D
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If anyone wants more feedback, here is my stats:
last month as independent (december 2009):
approx. 1100 downloads, approx. 1100 USD
last month as exclusive (april 2010):
approx 1400 downloads, approx. 3200 USD
did not upload more than 20 images in this period. my portfolio consists of about 300 images. canister level is gold.
Thanks for sharing! brave of you to give your stats.
On the whole counting Micro, RM and RF, well I made approx, 5 times your best amount, so you see the dilema? Im Diamond at IS but you know? Im really tired of supplying various sites, its taking up an awful lot of time, etc and would really wish for one big exclusive agency, I would choose Istock by far.
The thing that scares me stiff is exactly that massive best match change Jsnover was talking about, few years back when all of us went through a nightmare.
Small changes like this last one, I wouldnt mind but these big ones?? they can cripple you permanently.
best.