MicrostockGroup Sponsors


Author Topic: Ss wake up!!! People are leaving you!!!!  (Read 3634 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

« on: June 05, 2020, 00:43 »
+4
How many peoole needs to close their accounts for ss to understand they made a mistake??
Its ok to say we hear you and we are putting this decision on hold for now
Step down from the tree!!!!
You are playing with people lives.


« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2020, 01:37 »
+5
I've said it before - I don't think Shutterstock cares about people leaving. They have a database with 325.718.566 (!!!) images, more than anyone could possibly ever need. Their database has shrunk by around one million images since the announcement of the new payment structure. One million might sound a lot at first, but really is just 0.3% of their database, so nothing at all to them. The number of images added weekly stays constant.

Their sales reports have shown that their profit as well as the number of images customers have bought stays pretty much constant, while the database grew and grew. The logical conclusion is that customers buy what they need and having 10x the choice of pictures does not make them buy 10x more images than they need. The reverse conclusion is that, even if their database continues to shrink - the number of images bought will stay constant. What will change is Shutterstock's profit thourgh, since they now keep so much more of individual sales. So all in all, this is just a win-win situation for Shutterstock.

Justanotherphotographer

« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2020, 04:16 »
+4
I think they don't care, but customers most definitely will. The market constantly calls for new fresh images. Especially on the illustration side of things. Stuff gets dated soooo quickly and trends change up fast.

The problem is that management is now stubborn and dumb, a very bad combination, so they can't see this...yet.

If you don't believe me google up some footage of Stan the man in discussions. Yeesh talk about failing upwards. See also the China thing to paraphrase "we just make our minds up and plough on regardless of changing circumstances". How shareholders took that as an answer and didn't think to ask "How the f**k is that working out for you in the the fast evolving tech space?" I don't know. They seem to think lack of ability to react, adapt or evolve was an advantage?  ???

« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2020, 04:24 »
0
I think they don't care, but customers most definitely will. The market constantly calls for new fresh images. Especially on the illustration side of things. Stuff gets dated soooo quickly and trends change up fast.

I partly agree, but the fact that I know from many long term contributors that their images from 10 years ago still sell frequently, while their new content doesn't sell much from them (everyone might make different experiences, but that's what some older contributors have told me personally) makes me think that for many customers how much up to date an image is does not matter all that much. 
I am sure that there are areas where having up to date images is very important - technology or city shots for examples are two things where customers will not want to use outdated images, but I think for many very universal topics, the date does not play such a big role.


Also, and that's something I find very noteworthy - if you look at the current numbers on Shutterstock you will see that, as said, while the number of images in the database has gone down, their newly added image count is staying pretty constant, so they are still getting the same number of new images.

Horizon

    This user is banned.
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2020, 05:00 »
+2
Yes they have a database of over 300 million files and sure they can do without a few thousand contributors leaving and replacing us and others with new people and their smatphones BUT they can't replace quality.
Most old timers and fulltime photographers and commision based photographers have already abandoned SS long time ago and for stock gone to other agencies.
Today its more like crap in crap out. They get all these new people with their little phones this and that and in the long run it needs a heck of a lot more to satisfy buyers.

They wont last in the long run without quality nobody does and certainly not a stock-agency!




« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2020, 05:21 »
+1
Just one remark - why you all expect that SS cannot manipulate the database numbers? As this is one of few numbers which can show the impact of any contributors action, it would be clever from them to manipulate this numbers like - "Yes, some small number of old images dissapeared, but the flow of the new content is unchanged - so your actions are worthless".

Some contributors act emocionally - "I will not sell my ART for $0,10."
But others (the bigger ones and fulltimers) do it as business "Price is not so important, overall income is what matters." also "If microstock is dead anyway, in the remaining time I will take all the money I can (even $0.10) and move to do another business.".
So if the impact of contributors actions seems to be too small (like database numbers don't change enough), business contributors do maybe overall nothing.

SpaceStockFootage

  • Space, Sci-Fi and Astronomy Related Stock Footage

« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2020, 05:27 »
+1
Completely agree with Fern... buyers will probably not even notice the drop in files, and even if they do, give it two or three weeks and they'll have more content than before any of this was all announced. I think it's probably a little bit naive to assume that the 0.3% of content that's gone was amazing, and current, and of an exceptional quality... and the remaining 99.7% is outdated, low quality and taken on a smartphone. If that was the case, buyers would have left a long time ago. SS knew exactly what they were doing, they ran the numbers, analysed the potential risks and they'll be just fine... but with a much higher profit margin.

« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2020, 05:50 »
+1
Completely agree with Fern... buyers will probably not even notice the drop in files, and even if they do, give it two or three weeks and they'll have more content than before any of this was all announced. I think it's probably a little bit naive to assume that the 0.3% of content that's gone was amazing, and current, and of an exceptional quality... and the remaining 99.7% is outdated, low quality and taken on a smartphone. If that was the case, buyers would have left a long time ago. SS knew exactly what they were doing, they ran the numbers, analysed the potential risks and they'll be just fine... but with a much higher profit margin.

It matters not if Shutterstock will be just fine, it only matters how contributors come out of this and they will not be just fine.  Shutterstock will use your drop in income to chase market share ensuring a further drop in income you make from other agencies, lose/lose.

SpaceStockFootage

  • Space, Sci-Fi and Astronomy Related Stock Footage

« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2020, 06:23 »
0
True, but but this thread is about Shutterstock being stubborn, dumb and making a mistake. If this does result in SS having a much larger market share then is that a lose/lose for them?

« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2020, 06:26 »
+4
SS might be fine but if you are a creator then you will not be fine there. It's best to educate buyers and promote your work on sites that are fair.

« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2020, 06:34 »
+3
True, but but this thread is about Shutterstock being stubborn, dumb and making a mistake. If this does result in SS having a much larger market share then is that a lose/lose for them?

Come January I don't think any increase in 10cent subs will compensate for the losses of most contributors and they will leave in droves.  To stop the rot you have to remove the limb. They can only compete with your cooperation, it's up to the contributors if they succeed or not.

« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2020, 06:44 »
+2
I've said it before - I don't think Shutterstock cares about people leaving. They have a database with 325.718.566 (!!!) images, more than anyone could possibly ever need. Their database has shrunk by around one million images since the announcement of the new payment structure. One million might sound a lot at first, but really is just 0.3% of their database, so nothing at all to them. The number of images added weekly stays constant.

The Earth has 7.594 billion people. And in 6 months there's 6,727,484 cases of Covid-19. And you think nobody is worry?

Shutterstock has 300million files. And in 5 days 1million files are gone. And you think Shutterstock is not worry?

This effect can snowball. One contributor will affect another. And if the momentum goes on, it will be out of control.

The number of new images added are still constant because these are files/productions that have been created weeks before 1st June. People may upload these final batch and slowdown their production. With such drastic cut, all contributors will slow down production due to demoralization with wait-and-see-approach.

So, I expect new files will slow down by coming weeks.
« Last Edit: June 05, 2020, 06:54 by Charlene »

« Reply #12 on: June 05, 2020, 07:39 »
+2
They don't care what a small group of photographers do, there will still be millions of photos and the buyers will continue. For business is perfect, margins are going up and they still have room to lower subscription prices. At this moment, stocks are up about 6% since the announcement. Just my opinion.

« Reply #13 on: June 05, 2020, 09:42 »
+4
Just one remark - why you all expect that SS cannot manipulate the database numbers? As this is one of few numbers which can show the impact of any contributors action, it would be clever from them to manipulate this numbers like - "Yes, some small number of old images dissapeared, but the flow of the new content is unchanged - so your actions are worthless".

Some contributors act emocionally - "I will not sell my ART for $0,10."
But others (the bigger ones and fulltimers) do it as business "Price is not so important, overall income is what matters." also "If microstock is dead anyway, in the remaining time I will take all the money I can (even $0.10) and move to do another business.".
So if the impact of contributors actions seems to be too small (like database numbers don't change enough), business contributors do maybe overall nothing.

It's not just the overall numbers - although they're down again by ~600,000 since yesterday - but what is leaving. It's the noticeable stuff. I'm just one small producer and this is just one search that used to have 455,000 results. It keeps shrinking, and the new uploads are irrelevant

Yesterday

https://twitter.com/joannsnover/status/1268581431724261377
https://twitter.com/joannsnover/status/1268584287068016641

Today
https://twitter.com/joannsnover/status/1268911279004987392
https://twitter.com/joannsnover/status/1268917256085368834

« Last Edit: June 05, 2020, 09:47 by Jo Ann Snover »


 

Sponsors

Mega Bundle of 5,900+ Professional Lightroom Presets

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors