I think it is a good idea.  There is however going to be a lot of images in the side show if artists with over 500 sales can have 50% of their portfolio in the sideshow!  It is nice to be able to set certain images apart from the others though.

One thing I wish though is that the side show images weren't taken out of the regular search.  Currently they only show up in the sideshow area.  If there is 50 images in the side show the buyer is only ever going to see those last 43 images if they click on the sideshow link.

Artists that don't have 100 images yet, but achieve that total after July 19, 2007 will have to pay $1/image to custom price images.

My biggest complaint with the new feature is that it is geared towards members with uber-portfolios, since it is way easier to reach 100 downloads with 1000s of images.

Since most members have < 100 images online, they won't be able to take advantage of this new feature.

In other words, for members with smaller portfolios, they will need to pay to use this new feature.

I would have preferred to have seen the new feature implemented for images that were selling well.  For example, all images that have over a certain # of sales could then be priced higher.

Although I don't have a large portfolio (it averages a little over 100 images between all of the sites that I am on), I am usually in the top 10% of sales on each site.  Yet, I won't be able to participate in this new feature unless I pay (since I only have a few dozen sales at this point).

and for the first time in my short carreer, I'm actually thinking about going exclusive.....

Say it ain't so tom!

I'll have more to say a little later today - but consider the Best Match search on IS - consider being able to actually influence what images appear on the first page - that would be a great advantage to photogs!

I think it would be nice to have a max of 10% of ones portfolio in that section... It seems odd that the rate was set at 50%.. however luckyoliver also seems to know what they are doing, or don't generally seem to do things on a whim so hopefully they have thought through why they want such a large number.

Getting 50% of the sales from that section however is a very nice bonus.

it will be interesting to see if customers go for it, or if they just search around to the other sites more?

what are others putting their side show images at?  I have put mine at 5 tokens.

Indeed it will be interesting!

The pricing is another question all together - that's the hardest thing i can think of in this biz. LO isn't the first site to start this individual pricing thing tho but as far as i know, this sideshow is the first of its kind and should be a very interesting feature for LO.

let's just make sure we understand the numbers...

first, to be able to price 25% of your portfolio and have them put in the sidebar, you must have over 100 downloads.

the 500 number comes later and let's you put 50% of your portfolio (which is a maximum by the way - you don't have to put any in there).

And the special allowance for those already over 100 let's LO get some images there in the sidebar quickly. Yes, that means those of us (like me) with less than 100 (i only have 41 at this point) may potentially have to pay token per image to get in the sidebar, but like on Google Adwords, you gotta pay something to get special treatment.

Think of 100 DLs as a goal. I'd love to get there quickly to be able to have my images in the sidebar - even if i don't use special pricing (i may just leave them at the LO pricing but want to have them highlighted?)

"After the initial 90-day complimentary period, eligible Carnies will pay one token to place one image in the sideshow, but the image will garner sideshow listing for every sticky word related to the image. In essence, for the cost of one token, you can get preferred Sideshow placement for your image in 25, 50, 100 or more searches, depending on the number of sticky words associated with the image."

Looks like Lucky Oliver is starting its Marketing effort - starting with you. Obviously this will make them money while putting the risk squarely upon yourselves - ala Google Adwords.

I find it funny that they're offering it free for 90 days but you need 100 downloads to participate. They know hardly anyone has 100 downloads, so not many will get the free placement. Thanks guys.

On a side note, I want to thank whoever here recommended Feature Pics - just got my first payout. Now there's a site I hope keeps growing.

Quote from: nruboc on April 20, 2007, 11:36

Looks like Lucky Oliver is starting its Marketing effort - starting with you. Obviously this will make them money while putting the risk squarely upon yourselves - ala Google Adwords.

I find it funny that they're offering it free for 90 days but you need 100 downloads to participate. They know hardly anyone has 100 downloads, so not many will get the free placement. Thanks guys.

I'm not sure i understand your logic.

There's no "risk" for those getting in in the first 90 days - they're getting good placement for nothing. Yes, after that, if you reach 100 DL's, you'll have to give up a token (you'll have 100 at that point), but it is only one token and it doesn't cost you per click as Adwords does... it is a one time cost. Is that a huge risk? Not like Getty that charges you $250 per image.

If you look, there are plenty of images already appearing in the sidebar... i don't know any stats, but there are obviously folks over 100DLs. Yes, i wish i was at 100 now to get in free, but i'll willingly pay 1 token to try to ensure i get my images some additional visibility.

Well, considering you work for them, I don't expect you to understand my logic. In your eyes they can do no wrong. Just look at the poll, the vast majority are under 100 downloads, so they don't get the free placement. I did the "dog" search as recommended and see the same two dogs over and over, yeah as a designer that's what I want to see. As a designer looking for an image, that's the first and last time I would use that feature.  I think it would be a lot better if LO handpicked the "best" shots to go in that area. But NO then they wouldn't make any money off of us.

It's funny that you and the CEO like to compare LO to Getty, justifying the low commission rate of 30% and now what they charge for placement, are you reading out of the same playbook? Getty sells images for $350 a piece so the comparisons are really few and far between. 

Well, considering you work for them, I don't expect you to understand my logic. In your eyes they can do no wrong.

Not understanding your logic has nothing to do with my feelings toward LO - as someone reading your post, i honestly didn't understand your point. I don't know where you get that "they can do no wrong" thing - just because I like LO and have commented in a positive way does not make me blind. Yes, I'm now a forum moderator but that doesn't close my eyes and I'm just as quick to provide them negative as well as positive opinions (tho i usually don't post negatives online - i do send them to LO directly).

I did the "dog" search as recommended and see the same two dogs over and over, yeah as a designer that's what I want to see. As a designer looking for an image, that's the first and last time I would use that feature.  I think it would be a lot better if LO handpicked the "best" shots to go in that area. But NO then they wouldn't make any money off of us.

Umm... the feature was just released today - give it time to even out. If you'll notice by the way, if there are more images than will fit on the first page of the sidebar, they will randomly rotate if you refresh the search.

It's funny that you and the CEO like to compare LO to Getty, justifying the low commission rate of 30% and now what they charge for placement, are you reading out of the same playbook? Getty sells images for $350 a piece so the comparisons are really few and far between. 

Getty happens to be a well recognized name, so it is easy to use their name as an example. My intent was not to compare LO and Getty as equals, i was just using the example that i believe Getty charges to host some images.

Quote from: nruboc on April 20, 2007, 11:36

Looks like Lucky Oliver is starting its Marketing effort - starting with you. Obviously this will make them money while putting the risk squarely upon yourselves - ala Google Adwords.

I find it funny that they're offering it free for 90 days but you need 100 downloads to participate. They know hardly anyone has 100 downloads, so not many will get the free placement. Thanks guys.

I'm not sure i understand your logic.

Then let me give it a shot.

This offer is pretty useless to 99% of the artists that submit to LO.

Only a handful of artists have over 100 downloads.  And those artists are probably already onboard.  For example, the #50 Top Photographer only has about 40 downloads.

For the rest of us, we will need to pay if we want to use this new service.

So they might as well have skipped the 90 days, and just said that it will cost in order for us to use the service.

Basically it was clever marketing...

EDITED to correct bad math and to protect the innocent...

I just wish sites would choose inclusive ideas rather than exclusive ideas............here is the list that LO is not giving me:

Beer mat
T Shirt
Side Show

Lucky O started GREAT, gave everyone of the early submitters tokens, it seemed LO was well on it's way to being a fair community for contributors, why not give everyone 10 spaces in the sideshow as a sign of good faith. Sure give the bigger portfolios more, they deserve it, but us little people pad out the bigger portfolios and make the site more visible.

Or how about every 5 comments gets 1 entry into the sideshow...........but 100 dl's, is a bit of a slap down to the vast majority of contributors, really Bryan.

In other words, for members with smaller portfolios, they will need to pay to use this new feature.

Maybe we will be able to use our tokens?  Then it would be perhaps a treat (though I haven't given much thought whether this is advantageous) to those who've been there from the start and have gained tokens.

Regards,
Adelaide