Comments on: What Works and What Doesn’t Work With Microstock Affiliate Programs http://www.microstockdiaries.com/what-works-and-what-doesnt-work-with-microstock-affiliate-programs.html For People Selling Photos Online Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:26:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Lee Torrens http://www.microstockdiaries.com/what-works-and-what-doesnt-work-with-microstock-affiliate-programs.html/comment-page-1#comment-53229 Lee Torrens Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:50:41 +0000 http://www.microstockdiaries.com/?p=1124#comment-53229 Thanks for your kind words Allen. It seems to me that Crestock are having some issues with time and/or people - hence the delays on reviews and payments (I have a payment pending a few months too), but I'll get in touch and see if I can shed some light on the situation. Their advertising here is fully automated so I don't believe they're 'blowing off' contributors. Anyway, I'll see what they say. -Lee Thanks for your kind words Allen. It seems to me that Crestock are having some issues with time and/or people – hence the delays on reviews and payments (I have a payment pending a few months too), but I’ll get in touch and see if I can shed some light on the situation. Their advertising here is fully automated so I don’t believe they’re ‘blowing off’ contributors. Anyway, I’ll see what they say.

-Lee

]]> By: allen http://www.microstockdiaries.com/what-works-and-what-doesnt-work-with-microstock-affiliate-programs.html/comment-page-1#comment-53224 allen Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:43:32 +0000 http://www.microstockdiaries.com/?p=1124#comment-53224 Lee some good stuff here! I guess we should all try to promote more especially those sites that have programs. Hey I have been looking through the archives and trying to find some info on Crestock. As they still advertise here maybe you can shed some light for many contrib's that are having issues. Review times of up to 4+ months and several people have waited months on payments. I for one am confused as to why they can have contests, pay for advertising and the blow off the people who provide the content. It would be a nice article and get a lot of traffic if you could get to the bottom of this for all of us! =) Good luck on that because when we (many people) ask for support we get nothing from them. Thanks lee, great stuff as always! Lee some good stuff here! I guess we should all try to promote more especially those sites that have programs.

Hey I have been looking through the archives and trying to find some info on Crestock. As they still advertise here maybe you can shed some light for many contrib’s that are having issues. Review times of up to 4+ months and several people have waited months on payments. I for one am confused as to why they can have contests, pay for advertising and the blow off the people who provide the content. It would be a nice article and get a lot of traffic if you could get to the bottom of this for all of us! =) Good luck on that because when we (many people) ask for support we get nothing from them. Thanks lee, great stuff as always!

]]> By: LFChavier http://www.microstockdiaries.com/what-works-and-what-doesnt-work-with-microstock-affiliate-programs.html/comment-page-1#comment-53185 LFChavier Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:06:10 +0000 http://www.microstockdiaries.com/?p=1124#comment-53185 My experience: I have 40 affiliates on Shutterstock where only 2 are active sellers. As I said above, I got lucky and one of them has 10K+ illustrations, so I can make a significant amount of money from this guy only. I think this contributor referral thing depends a lot on this "luck factor". In my opinion, to overcome this the sample needs to be very big - and I mean A LOT of referred contributors. Maybe the time and effort needed are just too big. My experience: I have 40 affiliates on Shutterstock where only 2 are active sellers. As I said above, I got lucky and one of them has 10K+ illustrations, so I can make a significant amount of money from this guy only.

I think this contributor referral thing depends a lot on this “luck factor”. In my opinion, to overcome this the sample needs to be very big – and I mean A LOT of referred contributors. Maybe the time and effort needed are just too big.

]]> By: Claudio http://www.microstockdiaries.com/what-works-and-what-doesnt-work-with-microstock-affiliate-programs.html/comment-page-1#comment-53158 Claudio Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:51:40 +0000 http://www.microstockdiaries.com/?p=1124#comment-53158 Lee Torrens says: "Shutterstock don’t need the generous contributor affiliate program that they have." From my experience, out of about 30 affiliates only 2 are actually selling something, and both were already my friends. The other 28 never even passed the test. Conclusion: casual newbies are not likely to even bother to try the test seriously, while we are happy to help our affiliates - either by posting on the forums or by telling them directly about issues such as noise, lighting, purple fringe, low commercial value which most newbies ignore. I guess some affiliates can be better new photographers for Shutterstock, with a smoother learning curve and quicker returns. Lee Torrens says: “Shutterstock don’t need the generous contributor affiliate program that they have.”

From my experience, out of about 30 affiliates only 2 are actually selling something, and both were already my friends. The other 28 never even passed the test.

Conclusion: casual newbies are not likely to even bother to try the test seriously, while we are happy to help our affiliates – either by posting on the forums or by telling them directly about issues such as noise, lighting, purple fringe, low commercial value which most newbies ignore.

I guess some affiliates can be better new photographers for Shutterstock, with a smoother learning curve and quicker returns.

]]> By: Lee Torrens http://www.microstockdiaries.com/what-works-and-what-doesnt-work-with-microstock-affiliate-programs.html/comment-page-1#comment-53090 Lee Torrens Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:31:13 +0000 http://www.microstockdiaries.com/?p=1124#comment-53090 Not yet, John. Not yet. Not yet, John. Not yet.

]]> By: john lund http://www.microstockdiaries.com/what-works-and-what-doesnt-work-with-microstock-affiliate-programs.html/comment-page-1#comment-53089 john lund Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:11:09 +0000 http://www.microstockdiaries.com/?p=1124#comment-53089 Lee, Thanks for the post! Can you suggest any good "buyer" oriented blogs? Thanks! Lee,

Thanks for the post! Can you suggest any good “buyer” oriented blogs?

Thanks!

]]> By: Holgs http://www.microstockdiaries.com/what-works-and-what-doesnt-work-with-microstock-affiliate-programs.html/comment-page-1#comment-53060 Holgs Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:02:54 +0000 http://www.microstockdiaries.com/?p=1124#comment-53060 I was under the impression that its just the contributor affiliations that Fotolia stopped - chances are that you're getting a fair few buyers as well as contributors reading your blog - I think that these days there is a significant overlap between the two. I was under the impression that its just the contributor affiliations that Fotolia stopped – chances are that you’re getting a fair few buyers as well as contributors reading your blog – I think that these days there is a significant overlap between the two.

]]> By: Microstock Photography http://www.microstockdiaries.com/what-works-and-what-doesnt-work-with-microstock-affiliate-programs.html/comment-page-1#comment-53022 Microstock Photography Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:36:07 +0000 http://www.microstockdiaries.com/?p=1124#comment-53022 I read your blog often but do not comment much. Thanks for another great post. I agree that new microstock sites need to figure this out. With the power of the internet you can sell almost anything if you have the right affiliate program (look at all the ebooks on the web that pay 75% affiliate commissions). Fotolia was one of my largest affiliates when they had a good program. Sadly when they thought they did not need us anymore they just broke their contract with many affiliates and dropped them. Blaming it on a “bug” just seems to fit their tactics. I was not greatly affected by this (most of mine are still active on my account); but it still ticked me off. I pulled every link I had to them. I think I have a few to them here and there, but my referrals went from many daily to almost nothing (which I am happy about). Shutterstock and Dreamstime do the best for me. I focus on both buyers and sellers. I read your blog often but do not comment much. Thanks for another great post. I agree that new microstock sites need to figure this out. With the power of the internet you can sell almost anything if you have the right affiliate program (look at all the ebooks on the web that pay 75% affiliate commissions).

Fotolia was one of my largest affiliates when they had a good program. Sadly when they thought they did not need us anymore they just broke their contract with many affiliates and dropped them. Blaming it on a “bug” just seems to fit their tactics. I was not greatly affected by this (most of mine are still active on my account); but it still ticked me off. I pulled every link I had to them. I think I have a few to them here and there, but my referrals went from many daily to almost nothing (which I am happy about).

Shutterstock and Dreamstime do the best for me. I focus on both buyers and sellers.

]]> By: LFChavier http://www.microstockdiaries.com/what-works-and-what-doesnt-work-with-microstock-affiliate-programs.html/comment-page-1#comment-53019 LFChavier Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:59:03 +0000 http://www.microstockdiaries.com/?p=1124#comment-53019 My best results from affiliation are also coming from Shutterstock and Dreamstime, particularly from one big contributor at Shutterstock. I don't have a blog yet, but I have posted links in forum topics and online communities (in portuguese). I have about 130 affiliated contributors on Shutterstock, Dreamstime and Fotolia. Luis Fernando My best results from affiliation are also coming from Shutterstock and Dreamstime, particularly from one big contributor at Shutterstock. I don’t have a blog yet, but I have posted links in forum topics and online communities (in portuguese). I have about 130 affiliated contributors on Shutterstock, Dreamstime and Fotolia.

Luis Fernando

]]> By: mystockphoto http://www.microstockdiaries.com/what-works-and-what-doesnt-work-with-microstock-affiliate-programs.html/comment-page-1#comment-53009 mystockphoto Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:43:06 +0000 http://www.microstockdiaries.com/?p=1124#comment-53009 Hi Lee, hi all, very well-written post, my congrats. With a smaller an shorter story of blogging and affiliation, I can confirm that the best results are coming from Shutterstock and Dreamstime (referring photographers). Also Fotolia at the beginning (when affiliation was for contributors too, now it works only referring buyers) gave me a good result. For our kind of blogs it's a bit difficult to catch buyers... you can't be everywhere ;-) Best, roberto Hi Lee, hi all,
very well-written post, my congrats.
With a smaller an shorter story of blogging and affiliation, I can confirm that the best results are coming from Shutterstock and Dreamstime (referring photographers). Also Fotolia at the beginning (when affiliation was for contributors too, now it works only referring buyers) gave me a good result. For our kind of blogs it’s a bit difficult to catch buyers… you can’t be everywhere ;-)
Best,
roberto

]]>