Author Topic: Return Per Image- Newbie Question (Read 4349 times)

grsphoto · « **on:** January 04, 2013, 22:24 »

Hi
I see the term Return Per Image ( RTI ) used. Is this image uploaded, or images in my portfolio.

As an example, I have 258 images over 8 sites, but most are the same 95 images. Is my RTI calculated on the 258 number or the 95 number. ( actual for me the answer will be 0.00 since I don't have any sales

)

I know it will take years to grow, but I just want to know what stick to measure myself against is...

Glenn

pancaketom · « **Reply #1 on:** January 04, 2013, 23:16 »

Probably the best way to do it is vs. images submitted. (so 95 in your example) - and then add up all of the different site's RPI or add up all the sales and divide by 95 for the total RPI.

some people use accepted images at each site - so if a site accepts 50 - that would be the number you use for that site and if another site accepted all 95 you would use that number there.

you certainly wouldn't want to use 258 - as then adding a lower selling site would lower your RPI.

I think RPI can be used as a yardstick, but there are many ways to raise or lower RPI that wouldn't make so much sense if what you really want to maximize is income. (for instance deleting non or low selling images if you use the accepted image # - it doesn't actually raise your income (probably lowers it slightly), but does raise that measure of RPI.

grsphoto · « **Reply #2 on:** January 05, 2013, 14:23 »

Thanks... that's what I thought.

grsphoto · « **Reply #3 on:** January 05, 2013, 17:34 »

Just did a quick calculation... If I make a RPI of .10 at iStock, I would need 1000 images to make $100.

If I load my 18 images a week at my present 60% acceptance ratio... it would be 93 weeks before I was there....

leaf · « **Reply #4 on:** January 05, 2013, 18:41 »

Quote from: grsphoto on January 05, 2013, 17:34

Just did a quick calculation... If I make a RPI of .10 at iStock, I would need 1000 images to make $100.

If I load my 18 images a week at my present 60% acceptance ratio... it would be 93 weeks before I was there....

yep, it's not easy.

palirao · « **Reply #5 on:** March 19, 2013, 05:15 »

Dont get too hung up on RPI - I never use it at all myself as I don't think it's useful to YOU, but just means people can compare their portfolios to others.

If I shoot 100 images, and upload them all, but only 10 start to make money, so $10, my RPI is $10/100 = $0.1

but what if I'd only decided to upload 10, and these made $2, then my RPI would be: $2/10 = $0.2 (2 x the RPI)

or, how about I then delete the 90 images that are not selling, then my RPI is $10/10 = $1

NOTE: In every case, you have not taken into account if you are making money or not from this shoot, so for that reason Id rather use ROI for the shoot.

If this shoot costs me $500 in model and prop fees, and I've made $10, then Im still $490 out of pocket. I would monitor these images, to see if (and how fast) I get a return from it. Then I know which shoots are most profitable..

Hope this helps...

gillian vann · « **Reply #6 on:** March 19, 2013, 05:22 »

^ exactly. I have in my mind how much each shoot "owes" me, and I try to take stock shots on shoots that are paid by my other work, so they sort of start out "free" (assuming my editing work is unpaid

). of course I'm only small fry, as I don't set up and pay for models and stuff like the Big Players. At this stage I'm just squeezing it in between paid jobs.

Pauws99 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 19, 2013, 06:17 »

To me there are three key stats - money actually coming in time and cost - If I spend 3hrs fiddling with one image I would want to get more income than one I just do a quick 5mins. Also if I spend money then I want a better return. I don't think RPI is particularly helpful and can produce perverse results as discussed above.

heywoody · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2013, 10:59 »

RPI is useful to compare how different sites perform for you if you have different numbers of images on each and can help target where uploading would work best.