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Author Topic: No uploading since 4 months - 60% income drop in 4 months ?? Seriously ?  (Read 24232 times)

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« on: July 23, 2018, 01:05 »
0
As the title said... I am doing 40% of what I was doing 4 months ago. That also mean that I'm now doing the same revenu as what I was doing in 2014 ! with half of the footage and images uploaded. Is it really possible that just by not uploading Shutterstock algorithm drom the value of the entire folio ?
I don't understand...
I have about 7000 files which include 2000 videos.
Major major drop. and it's droping every months.
I've just uploaded 100 new images since I'm worried and will find the time to upload videos soon but hey - if I'm not uploading it's because I'm on an other project that needs that cash flow !
What . !
By chance other agencies are crushing well during this rough moment.
So - anyone experiencing a major drop like that ?


« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2018, 01:55 »
+1

You say "By chance other agencies are crushing well during this rough moment.", could it be that other agencies are taking market share from Shutterstock and that could account for some of the drop, you can only sell it once to the same buyer.

Brasilnut

  • Author Brutally Honest Guide to Microstock & Blog

« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2018, 02:05 »
+2
Which months are you taking into account?

June/July/August generally tend to be slower earning months, perhaps it's just a temporary drop.

« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2018, 02:06 »
+6
Yes its entirely possible that the algorithm is designed to favour those who have a recent track record of uploading above those that don't and from SS's perspective it would make sense to do so. Whether they do or not I will leave others to speculate.

PZF

« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2018, 02:52 »
+8
Lots of threads about SS performing really badly lately.....

« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2018, 06:06 »
+3
Lots of threads about SS performing really badly lately.....
Aren't there always.........?

nobody

« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2018, 08:22 »
+1
I've been by other agencies to never stop uploading - that tells me that it does effect your ratings...

« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2018, 10:38 »
+2
There's a whole number of things that could affect your sales.

Maybe you are correct. Maybe SS does have an algorithm that favors newer submissions over old. Or sales history. I don't know. It would just be a guess unless you have access to that information. But just a guess - so no point worrying about it, because nothing you can do about it.

HOWEVER, more likely these reasons factor into your sales:

a) Increased competition. More & more people uploading. (So your discoverability is lower).
b) Less people buying. A possibility.
c) More agency competition. More and more agencies (i.e., videoblocks) are "giving away" 10,000's and 10,000's of clips for a "cheap" price, so that can affect individual clip sales. (I.e., why buy a single clip when you can have access to 10,000's. Of course there are still reasons, i.e., your clip is unique/something someone wants - and can't find in VB, etc).
d) Your content is seasonal or trendy. (I.e., if you have all christmas stuff, then less likely for people to purchase it now).

LOTS and lots of different reasons.

The microstock industry is a moving target. While uploading more is one possibility - based on your personal experience, probably not the best solution. (Simply because from the sounds of it you've done a lot more work, and now getting 50% the results).

So...

I'd suggest focusing on unique/desirable content that only you can produce, or is technically hard to re-produce (i.e., expensive cameras for unique shots, etc), and that way you can at least have a little bit longer of a 'sales lifecycle' (i.e., say 1-2 years of the same content selling), as opposed to it becoming 'expired' after 2-3 months (because of other competition, similar clips elsewhere, etc, etc).

SpaceStockFootage

  • Space, Sci-Fi and Astronomy Related Stock Footage

« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2018, 11:07 »
+1
Would be worth seeing whether your July 2017 figures were lower than your March 2017 figures.

« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2018, 01:05 »
+1
I get all of this... but honestly - since I'm uploading stock, I've only had increase in sales. Maybe for some months it has been a little slow (like july and december for me)... but then this July is equivalent of the july of 2013 when I had 1/3 of the images & footage of today.
... but hey that's not all... March was my best month ever... of this year.
So there is really something that happened.
60% drop in 4 months.

Imagine if you loose 60% of anything ... you would ask questions !

Other agencies are going stable........ reason why I'm not uploading is that I'm starting a kombucha company... and that takes lot of time - and I'm counting on my stock revenu to have decent amount of money for that company start-up.
So you can imagine.

Shutterstock is 30% of my total income... remove 60% of it... that's a 20% budget cut.

« Reply #10 on: July 24, 2018, 02:26 »
+1
Shutterstock is 30% of my total income... remove 60% of it... that's a 20% budget cut.

If the other 70% are, as you said, "crushing well", is it not logical to believe that customers might be shopping there instead? And again, how can it be a 20% budget cut if the other 70% are crushing it?

And lastly, a 20% drop in July is normal, and every store, marketplace and company in the world wants, and usually rewards, a steady inflow of new products.
« Last Edit: July 24, 2018, 02:29 by increasingdifficulty »

SpaceStockFootage

  • Space, Sci-Fi and Astronomy Related Stock Footage

« Reply #11 on: July 24, 2018, 04:36 »
+2
And if March was your BME then maybe that's not the best month to use as a baseline as it's an outlier rather than a 'regular' month. How much is the drop from February or April?

« Reply #12 on: July 24, 2018, 05:44 »
+5
And if March was your BME then maybe that's not the best month to use as a baseline as it's an outlier rather than a 'regular' month. How much is the drop from February or April?
If it was me and I was trying to forecast my income I'd take a 12 month rolling average and probably knock off 20% as income from microstock is uncertain and another 20% if I were to stop uploading. I certainly wouldn't be taking out any finance based on expecting to get 100% of what I got in the past.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #13 on: July 25, 2018, 10:58 »
+1
Would be worth seeing whether your July 2017 figures were lower than your March 2017 figures.

July, that's my guess as all of the answers are pretty much just a generalized guess.

« Reply #14 on: July 26, 2018, 21:51 »
0
It happens. That's pretty much the only given anymore.

« Reply #15 on: July 27, 2018, 07:28 »
+2
To be able to answer why this happens we need to know few things:

1. Do you have seasonal content and what percent of total portfolio?

2. Are your best selling photos are in one or two niche subjects?
It is possible that these niche subjects have lots of new good quality photos from competition.

3. How old is your portfolio? How many files you uploaded in last 12 months? last 24 months? How old are your best sellers?

« Reply #16 on: July 27, 2018, 07:52 »
+2
My uploads have been light and this month is the worst since the second month after I started in 2013.


« Reply #17 on: July 27, 2018, 14:37 »
+2
Same here. I am usually in the $800+ per month camp with SS but May was $600, June was $600 and July is $500. This was an overnight kind of thing, so perhaps another search tweak.  I do both video and stills and both are down, which is why I think it might be a search thing. 

« Reply #18 on: July 27, 2018, 15:25 »
0
I've noticed big clumps of similars in the search results lately.  Wish they would mix things up more. 

« Reply #19 on: July 30, 2018, 12:20 »
0
As the title said... I am doing 40% of what I was doing 4 months ago. That also mean that I'm now doing the same revenu as what I was doing in 2014 ! with half of the footage and images uploaded. Is it really possible that just by not uploading Shutterstock algorithm drom the value of the entire folio ?
I don't understand...
I have about 7000 files which include 2000 videos.
Major major drop. and it's droping every months.
I've just uploaded 100 new images since I'm worried and will find the time to upload videos soon but hey - if I'm not uploading it's because I'm on an other project that needs that cash flow !
What . !
By chance other agencies are crushing well during this rough moment.
So - anyone experiencing a major drop like that ?

No drop but I keep uploading. Have you tried starting again to see if you have been account killed or if sales will come back?

derek

    This user is banned.
« Reply #20 on: July 30, 2018, 12:52 »
0
My uploads have been light and this month is the worst since the second month after I started in 2013.

Yeah I agree! I only upload RM/RF nowadays but I have probably taken a 30% drop in microstock. Never mind!

« Reply #21 on: July 30, 2018, 19:59 »
+1
Headed for my lowest month since Sept 2007!!  >:(

At least I'll get paid, but back then this wouldn't even have qualified for a payout! They graciously lowered min payout a while back---anticipating this, I'm sure, so that at least their precious contributors could get paid at all.

angelawaye

  • Eat, Sleep, Keyword. Repeat

« Reply #22 on: July 30, 2018, 22:14 »
+1
My uploads have been light and this month is the worst since the second month after I started in 2013.

Yeah I agree! I only upload RM/RF nowadays but I have probably taken a 30% drop in microstock. Never mind!

Derek, what RM agencies do you recommend? ArcAngel is very very slow ...

derek

    This user is banned.
« Reply #23 on: July 31, 2018, 01:00 »
0
My uploads have been light and this month is the worst since the second month after I started in 2013.

Yeah I agree! I only upload RM/RF nowadays but I have probably taken a 30% drop in microstock. Never mind!

Derek, what RM agencies do you recommend? ArcAngel is very very slow ...

I send you a PM on that one!

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #24 on: July 31, 2018, 08:35 »
+1
My uploads have been light and this month is the worst since the second month after I started in 2013.

I tend to think that some people think this is a personal issue, while I'd say if you are down and I know what quality and diverse work you do, the whole business is suffering and depressed. I have a portable drive, filling with new files, that I haven't gotten around to editing or uploading. No motivation. But that's a personal issue.  ;D

I think I took one shot this week, one the road back from Xfinity in Iowa, that I like. Now I need some buyers to like it?


 

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