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Author Topic: Shutterstock sales is sinking deeply...  (Read 100746 times)

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« Reply #150 on: February 05, 2015, 14:01 »
+2


« Reply #151 on: February 05, 2015, 14:12 »
+3
I am more optimistic. The 400.000 is not relevant in my opinion - most of the images is newbie, boring and unsellable stuff with bad postprocessing like landscapes, flowers or pets. I think only small percentage is relevant and sellable. The question is also what will happen on the demand side of this business. It was growing rapidly last year.

There is that of course. Over on fotolia I started with a total rank of 212400 right at the bottom. Now, 18 months later and with only 811 files and still on bronze level I have moved to 10800 in total rank. Which means I leapfrogged over 200 000 people on an agency that has been around for 10 years. And my portfolio is nothing really special, but it is fully usable stock and not snapshots of pets and flowers.

From what I have seen by working with artists it takes 2-3 years to really get into stock. There is so much to learn and most people give up a long the way. It is not easy money.

If an agency has a good search engine like SS they can handle a high volume of incoming files.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2015, 14:14 by cobalt »

« Reply #152 on: February 05, 2015, 14:28 »
+4
I don't understand why someone who is stating their OWN info get voted down.   I also don't understand why Gbalex and Mantis make very similar posts and Gbalex gets downvoted and Mantis gets so many + his post is in a box.   Nothing against Mantis.  I +1 both him and Gbalex cuz they basically said the same thing about flood of new lousy images burying good work.   And +1 Ron too cuz this is a thread about our sales and he posted his sales experience.

Some people around here use the +/- system like spoiled kids instead of adults and professionals.

honestly i don't even look at + - thing. i just speak my piece .
  but pixie u r right about too much crappy and cause a microstock constipation . perharps this explain the sudden blockup of sales these 2 months . is it because buyers are fedup with seeing flowers and birds and cats and field,etc and just going to fotolia or istock again>?>>
or is it just buyers have already downloaded all they want in the microstock smorgraboard (sorry spelling may be wrong but u know what i mean).
   also re what someone said before, mantis or whoever, we look at the SOD getting us a motherlode when in fact if u remove the SOD, the sales are really dismal.
  but i cant help doing a 180 about what i said here, and for believing what other ppl say in ss forum or here that ss is going to recover after the clients come back from their christmas vacation.
  the buyers have all gone to the AGM and became shareholders and do not have to rummage through pages of crappy snapshots to find what they need in your/my port.

« Reply #153 on: February 05, 2015, 14:48 »
+3
Not sure what is going on, but sales have been abysmal for over a week now.
Let me rephrase: Not sure what is going on, but MY sales have been abysmal for over a week now.

6 subs today. Thats abysmal.

I don't understand why someone who is stating their OWN info get voted down.   I also don't understand why Gbalex and Mantis make very similar posts and Gbalex gets downvoted and Mantis gets so many + his post is in a box.   Nothing against Mantis.  I +1 both him and Gbalex cuz they basically said the same thing about flood of new lousy images burying good work.   And +1 Ron too cuz this is a thread about our sales and he posted his sales experience.

Some people around here use the +/- system like spoiled kids instead of adults and professionals.

The same young men vote down every post I make, this has been going on for ages and I know who casts them. The contents of my posts are of no consequence to them, they must hope that their down votes will gain momentum.

Semmick Photo

« Reply #154 on: February 05, 2015, 14:59 »
+4
 I dont want to dig up old cows but you have always been saying I voted you down. Under this name I have voted you more up than down, and I am not young any more. Luis has also not posted in ages and a few others you had conflicts with. I wouldnt know who disagrees with you, but its not as if you receive dozens of down votes. I minus here and there is hardly a trend.

Sorry for the off topic.

« Reply #155 on: February 05, 2015, 15:03 »
+1
Not sure what is going on, but sales have been abysmal for over a week now.
Let me rephrase: Not sure what is going on, but MY sales have been abysmal for over a week now.

6 subs today. Thats abysmal.

I don't understand why someone who is stating their OWN info get voted down.   I also don't understand why Gbalex and Mantis make very similar posts and Gbalex gets downvoted and Mantis gets so many + his post is in a box.   Nothing against Mantis.  I +1 both him and Gbalex cuz they basically said the same thing about flood of new lousy images burying good work.   And +1 Ron too cuz this is a thread about our sales and he posted his sales experience.

Some people around here use the +/- system like spoiled kids instead of adults and professionals.

The same young men vote down every post I make, this has been going on for ages and I know who casts them. The contents of my posts are of no consequence to them, they must hope that their down votes will gain momentum.

Us girls can't vote you down? Sounds like you have some kind of persecution problem.

« Reply #156 on: February 05, 2015, 15:45 »
+3
I am  a complete newbie to Shutterstock and only have just under 60 photos.  Less than 40 at the beginning of January, started in November.   January was my best month with 15 sales.  I know that is nothing and this is horrible low compared to a lot of you, but for being so new, I am happy with that.

If you sold the equivalent of a quarter of your portfolio in January you are doing pretty well, I would say.

Uncle Pete

« Reply #157 on: February 05, 2015, 16:03 »
+3
I read it, I liked it, he's right. And I have two words for what he's pointing out.

Perceived Value

That and one brief conclusion = Darwin's theories apply to Stock Photography.  :)


Food for thought......

http://davidduchemin.com/2015/02/commodity-failure-a-rant/

« Reply #158 on: February 05, 2015, 16:26 »
+1
Not sure what is going on, but sales have been abysmal for over a week now.
Let me rephrase: Not sure what is going on, but MY sales have been abysmal for over a week now.

6 subs today. Thats abysmal.

I don't understand why someone who is stating their OWN info get voted down.   I also don't understand why Gbalex and Mantis make very similar posts and Gbalex gets downvoted and Mantis gets so many + his post is in a box.   Nothing against Mantis.  I +1 both him and Gbalex cuz they basically said the same thing about flood of new lousy images burying good work.   And +1 Ron too cuz this is a thread about our sales and he posted his sales experience.

Some people around here use the +/- system like spoiled kids instead of adults and professionals.

The same young men vote down every post I make, this has been going on for ages and I know who casts them. The contents of my posts are of no consequence to them, they must hope that their down votes will gain momentum.

Us girls can't vote you down? Sounds like you have some kind of persecution problem.

Quite the opposite, I speak my mind and leave it to you to take my inventory.

Phadrea

    This user is banned.
« Reply #159 on: February 05, 2015, 17:34 »
+1
I don't know what is happening at SS but sales are getting more dire by the month. Last week I had hope because sales went up all week. Today absolutley nothing. As if fallen off a very high cliff.

« Reply #160 on: February 05, 2015, 19:13 »
+2
i dont know, my sales are superb this week and are stronger and stronger every week, today i have 100 subs and 20 od, superb, go shutter, go shutter
my best sellers goes 6-7 a day

is here any heavy stock contributor with 500 commercial upload  per month?

« Reply #161 on: February 05, 2015, 22:19 »
0
i dont know, my sales are superb this week and are stronger and stronger every week, today i have 100 subs and 20 od, superb, go shutter, go shutter
my best sellers goes 6-7 a day

is here any heavy stock contributor with 500 commercial upload  per month?

That might be one way to make ss really work, is to produce a very large number of files.

I can produce 200 files maximum and that includes everything, video,Micro,Macro,exclusive files etc...so I doubt I could ever send more than 10-15 a week to ss.

500 a month is what I see studios produce or people who have staff or family to help them every day. I think andresr said somewhere that his team and him create around 600 stock files a month.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2015, 22:44 by cobalt »

« Reply #162 on: February 06, 2015, 00:46 »
+4
i dont know, my sales are superb this week and are stronger and stronger every week, today i have 100 subs and 20 od, superb, go shutter, go shutter
my best sellers goes 6-7 a day

is here any heavy stock contributor with 500 commercial upload  per month?

That might be one way to make ss really work, is to produce a very large number of files.

I can produce 200 files maximum and that includes everything, video,Micro,Macro,exclusive files etc...so I doubt I could ever send more than 10-15 a week to ss.

500 a month is what I see studios produce or people who have staff or family to help them every day. I think andresr said somewhere that his team and him create around 600 stock files a month.
[/b]

i suppose if you are a grand-dad and you have children and children's children, you could put them all to slave labor and have them pose for you. much like the old famer who made lots of children so they would have them work in the fields.  ironic, isn't it?  microstock is the one modern (business) where having alot of children pays off ... in pennies  ;D

« Reply #163 on: February 06, 2015, 03:07 »
+2
Greetings to everyone!

I see that we are becoming more and more people that we complain about the current situation, regardless of the quality or size of our portfolio.
I do not know how this thinks can help us, may be just to see that we are quite many who suffer from the same problems. My guess is this cries will not help us, but even to become increasingly more upset and frustrated.
Why do not try to come up with solutions / ideas, regardless of their nature? I find that we will have much more to gain!
Let us not caring about SS, FT, DT, etc. Let's do something concrete or at least to think of possibilities and alternatives. I find it more constructive.
It is clear that will not get far with this microstock agencies provided above. Unfortunately, as said most people from here, it's hard to keep up with hundreds of thousands of new images and photographers, regardless of the search algorithm, quality, etc.
My idea: let's think together  a system to begin to sell photos, regardless of photos nature. After that, lets implement the system who we thought.
I know ... First temptation is to complain that it is impossible; it is difficult that we need a lot of money, and so on. However, there are the kinds of alternatives.
We can use some scripts that are not expensive at all, and then we can collaborate with freelancers to modify our script/web pages/sell system as we want.
There are google addwords, our web pages and many other promotional tools. If we make a big enough team, we can create something. And finally, let's dropped this mastodon that we are increasingly dissatisfied like SS, FT, IS... And ideas can continue...
I hope you will think at least to some new way to do this kind of job.

Have a wonderful day and the best possible light for your photos
 :)

« Reply #164 on: February 06, 2015, 03:18 »
+4
my sales are ok, if u made commercial stuff, not old pipes or landscape, sales are ok then.

i made scenes,  i need 2 hours to make scene  for two images in basement, but then i expect at least 50dl/image, if i dont have 20dl/image i made loss.

i forgot, dont shoot food, too much food is on SS  8)

« Reply #165 on: February 06, 2015, 06:57 »
+3
If "LCV" shots are making money they can't be LCV can they? Customers will buy what they want to buy not what we think they should buy :o

« Reply #166 on: February 06, 2015, 07:11 »
0
my sales are ok, if u made commercial stuff, not old pipes or landscape, sales are ok then.

i made scenes,  i need 2 hours to make scene  for two images in basement, but then i expect at least 50dl/image, if i dont have 20dl/image i made loss.

i forgot, dont shoot food, too much food is on SS  8)

But how are you producing 500 images a month? I also spend 2-3 hours on a few images, sometimes it takes me a whole day. That is why I cant produce high volume. It might be easier if I worked more with models, because you can get different scenarious in one afternoon, but still life takes a lot of time.


« Reply #167 on: February 06, 2015, 07:19 »
+3
my SS downloads are still good...nothing changed from november...i had a bad dec. and a bad start in january, but now i'm back to normal downloads (6-7 downloads/day with 700 img/port)

« Reply #168 on: February 06, 2015, 07:33 »
+4

I see that we are becoming more and more people that we complain about the current situation, regardless of the quality or size of our portfolio.
I do not know how this thinks can help us, may be just to see that we are quite many who suffer from the same problems. My guess is this cries will not help us, but even to become increasingly more upset and frustrated.
Why do not try to come up with solutions / ideas, regardless of their nature? I find that we will have much more to gain!

hi Sebalos...this is a good point, and sometime ago i've said the same :)

but in this forum complaining and pessimism is the only welcome thing...in addition one "self proclaimed top photographer" answered (to an intelligent post like your) that he was not going to share his super good revolutionary ideas with his competitors (aka us)  ;D

so don't expect any good answer because the forum is just a whining wall....

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #169 on: February 06, 2015, 07:42 »
0
i suppose if you are a grand-dad and you have children and children's children, you could put them all to slave labor and have them pose for you. much like the old famer who made lots of children so they would have them work in the fields.  ironic, isn't it?  microstock is the one modern (business) where having alot of children pays off ... in pennies  ;D
And then there could be all the fun when your child sues you later on. (where 'you' = 'one', not you specifically)

« Reply #170 on: February 06, 2015, 08:38 »
0

I see that we are becoming more and more people that we complain about the current situation, regardless of the quality or size of our portfolio.
I do not know how this thinks can help us, may be just to see that we are quite many who suffer from the same problems. My guess is this cries will not help us, but even to become increasingly more upset and frustrated.
Why do not try to come up with solutions / ideas, regardless of their nature? I find that we will have much more to gain!

hi Sebalos...this is a good point, and sometime ago i've said the same :)

but in this forum complaining and pessimism is the only welcome thing...in addition one "self proclaimed top photographer" answered (to an intelligent post like your) that he was not going to share his super good revolutionary ideas with his competitors (aka us)  ;D

so don't expect any good answer because the forum is just a whining wall....

Thanks mojaric!
Sad but I get the point ...

« Reply #171 on: February 06, 2015, 15:40 »
0
If "LCV" shots are making money they can't be LCV can they? Customers will buy what they want to buy not what we think they should buy :o

If that was actually the case, shutterstock would not have needed to completely kill off our best selling images so that they could reduce their "Cost Of Sales".

Buyers kept those images there because they chose them over new content that we all added. Shutterstock worked in the past for me because it was merit driven. My good images rose to the top because customers wanted and needed them and the others faded away because they deserved to fade away.


« Reply #172 on: February 06, 2015, 15:50 »
0
If "LCV" shots are making money they can't be LCV can they? Customers will buy what they want to buy not what we think they should buy :o

If that was actually the case, shutterstock would not have needed to completely kill off our best selling images so that they could reduce their "Cost Of Sales".

Buyers kept those images there because they chose them over new content that we all added. Shutterstock worked in the past for me because it was merit driven. My good images rose to the top because customers wanted and needed them and the others faded away because they deserved to fade away.

i am not even sure the reviewers know what is LCV or what is HCV. that is all subjective. if the reviewer(s) know what is HCV, they would not have to work there as reviewers. they would just create images that are HCV and make tons of $$$$ on their own.

BOT, the "customer" still have the last say using keywords properly, as i have been seeing some of my most obscured images earning me the odd SOD of 28 to 100 dollars a shot.
only wish it is more often that we see this happening.

i am still not sure if i believe there is no flip switching whenever we make a big SOD sale . it sure seems like it. even when you just missed payout, the next month seem to die a slow death, as if the switch was flipped to have you stop earning any more once you reach payout in the opening days following.

« Reply #173 on: February 06, 2015, 16:04 »
0

I see that we are becoming more and more people that we complain about the current situation, regardless of the quality or size of our portfolio.
I do not know how this thinks can help us, may be just to see that we are quite many who suffer from the same problems. My guess is this cries will not help us, but even to become increasingly more upset and frustrated.
Why do not try to come up with solutions / ideas, regardless of their nature? I find that we will have much more to gain!

hi Sebalos...this is a good point, and sometime ago i've said the same :)

but in this forum complaining and pessimism is the only welcome thing...in addition one "self proclaimed top photographer" answered (to an intelligent post like your) that he was not going to share his super good revolutionary ideas with his competitors (aka us)  ;D

so don't expect any good answer because the forum is just a whining wall....

Thanks mojaric!
Sad but I get the point ...

What to do?

So we all stop uploading pix, hire developers to make our new platform, all become shareholders. When website ready we withdraw from all other agencies and only upload to ours.
Who is in?  :)

Rinderart

« Reply #174 on: February 06, 2015, 16:17 »
+1
Food for thought......

http://davidduchemin.com/2015/02/commodity-failure-a-rant/


brilliant Piece also the one with Zach Arias.1oo% true.


 

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