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Author Topic: Does uploading too many files "at once" hurt chances for success at SS?  (Read 10832 times)

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wds

« on: August 20, 2013, 15:24 »
0
I have seen it mentioned that it may not be a good idea for new account holders at SS to upload large numbers of files in a short time as they would compete with each other and drive down their search positions. Is there any proven truth to this or is it pure conjecture?

I would think that any "large number" of files by an individual contributor would be totally swamped out by the bulk of files from all contributors. If there was any truth to the "don't upload to many files at once" rule, it would imply that SS search algorithms "cared about" library growth rate at the contributor level...hard to believe.

Can anybody shed any light on this? If a new contributor has a few thousand files to upload, should they not "upload as fast as they can"? Should they hold to some metered rate and what would that rate be?



« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2013, 15:34 »
+1
I don't know of any proof or even convincing evidence that larger or smaller batches will get larger attention.  On the other hand, my sales seem to indicate that images get noticed a bit more when they're new.  I prefer to submit small batches on a daily basis on the assumption that always having something new improves the chance of getting some early sales.  My advice is to stagger your uploads to minimize gaps, but I can't swear it matters all that much.

Ron

« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2013, 17:02 »
0
I just had a batch of 80/85 images approved, and my last batch was large as well. I also have submitted smaller batches in the past, but I cant tell the difference, even if there is one.

Also, how would a small batch not be swamped and a large would be? I dont follow that logic.

wds

« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2013, 20:26 »
0
I just had a batch of 80/85 images approved, and my last batch was large as well. I also have submitted smaller batches in the past, but I cant tell the difference, even if there is one.

Also, how would a small batch not be swamped and a large would be? I dont follow that logic.

What I had seen somewhere here implied that if you uploaded a large number of files rapidly that they would "compete with each other" and this would limit the individual downloads thus driving the files down in search position more rapidly than if they had been not all "uploaded at once". Now this doesn't make a lot of sense to me since any file that is uploaded is competing with the enormous number of files being uploaded by everyone else anyway. I think the implication was that the SS "system" at least to some degree, would try and make people happy (and therefore more likely to upload more files) even if they uploaded just a few files. They would do this by weighting the small upload more heavily. As a rough example if person A uploaded 10 files and person B uploaded 100 files, the overall search position weighting of the 10 files from person A would be higher than say the weighting of any group of 10 out of the 100 files from person B. I'm not saying this is true, but I did see something like that logic eluded to in at least one other post here (don't remember what thread).

ruxpriencdiam

    This user is banned.
  • Location. Third stone from the sun
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2013, 20:51 »
-1
There are image factories that upload in excess of 10,000 per week!

Who cares just upload and let it go.

Too many people worry to much about stuff that they have no control over.

Here you think this factory is only uploading 20 a week? Think again!

http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-137002p34.html?sort_method=popular&safesearch=1

tab62

« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2013, 00:10 »
0
Short Answer- No.   A while back there was the so-called Mean Monday Reviewer but I haven't seen any difference on batch size or images reviewed on Monday's. Just keep feeding the machine...

Batman

« Reply #6 on: August 21, 2013, 14:21 »
-2
I just had a batch of 80/85 images approved, and my last batch was large as well. I also have submitted smaller batches in the past, but I cant tell the difference, even if there is one.

Also, how would a small batch not be swamped and a large would be? I dont follow that logic.

80 faces with flag overlay you must be happy.

Ron

« Reply #7 on: August 21, 2013, 16:36 »
0
I just had a batch of 80/85 images approved, and my last batch was large as well. I also have submitted smaller batches in the past, but I cant tell the difference, even if there is one.

Also, how would a small batch not be swamped and a large would be? I dont follow that logic.

80 faces with flag overlay you must be happy.
Actually, there are over 200 countries in the world, I intend to create all flags. I dont see anything wrong with that. Plus if you had looked, it were only 37, the other 48 images are just quite different. And you called me what?

Ow I am happy indeed as they sell like gang busters

« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2013, 11:04 »
+1
Just upload everything as fast as possible. The sooner it is out there on Shutterstock, the sooner it can get some sales. Don't worry about stuff like 'should I upload a few every day or not?' because in the end, it doesn't matter at all.

If anything, uploading large batches would make you prominently featured at that moment.

« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2013, 11:05 »
0
Just upload everything as fast as possible. The sooner it is out there on Shutterstock, the sooner it can get some sales. Don't worry about stuff like 'should I upload a few every day or not?' because in the end, it doesn't matter at all.

If anything, uploading large batches would make you prominently featured at that moment.

Unless you've got someone else at the same time uploading 10 times more than you are.  That's happened to me on a few occasions.

« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2013, 12:14 »
+3
Just upload everything as fast as possible. The sooner it is out there on Shutterstock, the sooner it can get some sales. Don't worry about stuff like 'should I upload a few every day or not?' because in the end, it doesn't matter at all.

If anything, uploading large batches would make you prominently featured at that moment.
I wouldn't agree. In my experience, timing is everything. I have uploaded 2 variations of the same photo (both accepted, duh) on two separate occasions. One of them brought 8x more cash than the second one. And they are practically the same, the only difference was timing.

If you're "lucky", a lot of buyers will search for the thing you uploaded and if the timing's right, you will easily get into the top result for that search query. And from there on it's smooth sailing. If you upload something and nobody searches for it and it isn't downloaded, someone else's photo of the same thing will be new and have the cycle that yours was "supposed" to have.

That's why I find it the best to upload similar shots (for example from the same shoot) on various occasions, to give your photos more chance to get into the positive spiral. :)

« Reply #11 on: August 22, 2013, 14:23 »
-1
Just upload everything as fast as possible. The sooner it is out there on Shutterstock, the sooner it can get some sales. Don't worry about stuff like 'should I upload a few every day or not?' because in the end, it doesn't matter at all.

If anything, uploading large batches would make you prominently featured at that moment.
I wouldn't agree. In my experience, timing is everything. I have uploaded 2 variations of the same photo (both accepted, duh) on two separate occasions. One of them brought 8x more cash than the second one. And they are practically the same, the only difference was timing.

If you're "lucky", a lot of buyers will search for the thing you uploaded and if the timing's right, you will easily get into the top result for that search query. And from there on it's smooth sailing. If you upload something and nobody searches for it and it isn't downloaded, someone else's photo of the same thing will be new and have the cycle that yours was "supposed" to have.

That's why I find it the best to upload similar shots (for example from the same shoot) on various occasions, to give your photos more chance to get into the positive spiral. :)

Since you can't predict sales, or how and when others upload more than you, it's a waste of time trying to calculate this into your uploading workflow.

« Reply #12 on: August 23, 2013, 12:36 »
0
Just upload everything as fast as possible. The sooner it is out there on Shutterstock, the sooner it can get some sales. Don't worry about stuff like 'should I upload a few every day or not?' because in the end, it doesn't matter at all.

If anything, uploading large batches would make you prominently featured at that moment.
I wouldn't agree. In my experience, timing is everything. I have uploaded 2 variations of the same photo (both accepted, duh) on two separate occasions. One of them brought 8x more cash than the second one. And they are practically the same, the only difference was timing.

If you're "lucky", a lot of buyers will search for the thing you uploaded and if the timing's right, you will easily get into the top result for that search query. And from there on it's smooth sailing. If you upload something and nobody searches for it and it isn't downloaded, someone else's photo of the same thing will be new and have the cycle that yours was "supposed" to have.

That's why I find it the best to upload similar shots (for example from the same shoot) on various occasions, to give your photos more chance to get into the positive spiral. :)

Since you can't predict sales, or how and when others upload more than you, it's a waste of time trying to calculate this into your uploading workflow.
There is no calculating there. Precisely because you can't predict sales or other uploads, it's smarter to distribute photos from your sessions across different upload batches.

This works for me, your approach works for you, that's cool, I'm just sharing my experience, not trying to convince you my method is better. I think it is, but it's up to personal choice.

Shelma1

  • stockcoalition.org
« Reply #13 on: August 23, 2013, 12:57 »
+1
I've heard of a contributor who uploaded his entire (very suuccessful elsewhere) portfolio here at once, and nothing sold. I would think it would be kind of impossible for many, many similar files to "catch on" all at once as new images. Why not experiment? Try uploading a few dozen files a day for a week and see how they do, then the next week upload a really big batch and see if it does any better or worse.

tab62

« Reply #14 on: August 23, 2013, 13:27 »
0
Wish I could upload a large batch but at my capacity I am lucky to upload 20 images a week.  I only can afford to do it part time thus barely able to produce 20 images a week.

wds

« Reply #15 on: August 23, 2013, 20:45 »
+1
Thanks for everyone's input!


 

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