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BUYERS WANTPHOTOGRAPHERSPreferences and habits of the most influential image buyers.

presentedapril 2011by

what

from

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contents

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,

scanning or otherwise, without the prior written consent of PhotoShelter, Inc. or Agency Access.

PhotoShelter, Inc. and Agency Access make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifi-

cally disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable

for every situation.

INTRODUCTION

MARKETING

PORTFOLIO WEBSITESSELLING AND DELIVERY

RESOURCES

3

6

1831

37

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WHAT BUYERS WANT FROM PHOTOGRAPHERS |

3 photoshelter.com agencyaccess.com

introductionWhats the best way to understand how toattract and serve your clients better than anyone else?Listen. You need to ask them specific questions.

These questions are not unique to photographers and their clients at ad agencies, publications, andcorporations worldwide in fact theyre universally asked across all businesses. Yet despite living in

the everything social era of hyperconnectivity 24/7, the information gap between photographers

and their commercial and editorial clients continues to loom large. Photography remains a silo-based

industry where little information is shared between the suppliers (photographers) and the buyers

(photo editors, photo buyers, art directors, etc.)

Our 2011 survey aims to break down some of these information barriers and address many of the

questions that photographers really need answers to how to best reach the clients, attract their at-

tention, and serve them in a way that keeps a client coming back for more. Inside youll find powerfuldata and suggestions straight from the minds of buyers. Essentially, its like having a cocktail party

with 500 potential clients and getting a chance to flirt with every one of them.

How do buyers like to receiveinformation?

How often?

Via what medium?

What marketing messages dothey notice more than any other?

Whats the best way to packageand deliver a final product?

INTRODUCTION
http://www.photoshelter.com/http://www.agencyaccess.com/http://www.agencyaccess.com/http://www.photoshelter.com/

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WHAT BUYERS WANT FROM PHOTOGRAPHERS|

4 photoshelter.com agencyaccess.com4

why we do this

Since 2008, PhotoShelter and Agency Access have worked together

to field a survey that helps illuminate the needs of clients who consume

photography, and we provide that information to photographers who aim

to grow their businesses by better understanding the customer.

We recognize that its hard for individual photographers to ask ques-

tions like this on their own (especially to a group of this size), and

the reality is that its not typically information that prospective clients

simply volunteer to share. We invest our own resources in gathering

this information to serve two main purposes. First, to empower our

clients and the greater photographer community with key information

that can help make smarter marketing choices for their photographybusinesses. And second, to continuously stay aware of the needs and

interests of the client community so we can both advise photographers

and optimize our own services.

PhotoShelter provides portfolio websites backed by powerful archiving,

sales and marketing tools that help photographers attract more busi-

ness online. Agency Access provides a one stop resource for photog-

raphers to effectively promote themselves from list memberships

to direct marketing and specialized consulting services. So, gatheringdata like this really helps all of us do our jobs better.

what to expect

Some really juicy information and insights from a diversity of photography

buyers. Respondents included art directors, photo editors, art buyers,

graphic designers, photo buyers, directors of photography, pictureresearchers and other creatives all united by the common thread of

hiring photographers or licensing their work. They told us all about:

Preferred methods for finding photographers

How to capture their attention

What separates good and bad photographer promotions

What they love and hate about photographer websites

If you focus on these insights doing what they appreciate and avoid-ing what they hate, this guide should help you grow your business.

There is, of course, no magic bullet for this stuff. While one photo

buyer may love connecting with emerging photographers on Face-

book, another may prefer rock solid direct mail promotions.

Facebook|Twitter

survey methodology

In March 2011, we sent a 35 question survey via the Agency Access

database to 55,000 global recipients. All of the recipients have self

identified as someone who either hires photographers for commis-

sion/assignment work or licenses still photography. 500 total recipi-

ents responded to the survey.

Facebook |Twitter

INTRODUCTION
http://www.facebook.com/#!/PhotoShelterhttp://twitter.com/photoshelterhttp://www.facebook.com/#!/agencyaccesshttp://twitter.com/agencyaccesshttp://twitter.com/agencyaccesshttp://www.facebook.com/#!/agencyaccesshttp://twitter.com/photoshelterhttp://www.facebook.com/#!/PhotoShelter

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Art Buyer4.5%

Graphic Designer 4.1%

Marketing Manager 4.1%

Associate Creative Director 3.9%

Design Director 3.9%

Designer 3.9%Editor in Chief 3.9%

Picture Researcher 1.9%

Project Manager 1.9%

Director of Photography 1.2%

Senior Designer 1.2%

Art Producer 0.8%

Photo Editor- Advertising 0.4%

Copywriter 0.4%

Artist 0.2%

Public Relations 0.2%

Creative Director 26.0%

Art Director 22.1%

Photo Editor - Editorial 7.6%

job titles

45.1%

42.2%

6.2%

2.5%

4%

Who are the participants?

Hire photographers for assignment

License still photography

Hire photographers for still and video shoots

License video

Other

Editorial

Discover Magazine

Essence

Martha Stewart

The Atlantic

USA Today

Advertising

DDB

DraftFCB

J Walter Thompson

Fallon

Publicis

In-houseDesign

Acquity Brands

Kiehls

Safeway

Toys R Us

Universal Orlando

Wells Fargo

sample companies

what they do

BookPublishing

Harper Colliins

McFarland

McGraw Hill

National Geographic School

Publshing

Random House

INTRODUCTION
http://www.photoshelter.com/http://www.agencyaccess.com/http://discovermagazine.com/http://www.essence.com/http://www.marthastewart.com/http://www.marthastewart.com/http://www.theatlantic.com/http://www.usatoday.com/http://www.ddb.com/http://www.draftfcb.com/home.aspxhttp://www.jwt.com/http://www.jwt.com/http://www.fallon.com/http://publicis.com/#en-GB/homehttp://www.acuitybrands.com/http://www.safeway.com/http://www.toysrus.com/http://www.universalorlando.com/https://www.wellsfargo.com/https://www.wellsfargo.com/http://harpercollins.com/http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/http://ngsp.com/http://www.randomhouse.com/http://www.randomhouse.com/http://ngsp.com/http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/http://harpercollins.com/https://www.wellsfargo.com/http://www.universalorlando.com/http://www.toysrus.com/http://www.safeway.com/http://www.acuitybrands.com/http://publicis.com/#en-GB/homehttp://www.fallon.com/http://www.jwt.com/http://www.draftfcb.com/home.aspxhttp://www.ddb.com/http://www.usatoday.com/http://www.theatlantic.com/http://www.marthastewart.com/http://www.essence.com/http://discovermagazine.com/http://www.agencyaccess.com/http://www.photoshelter.com/

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MARKETING7 What is the best way to get noticed?

8 What gets your attention?

9 What makes a good email?10 Meet the Buyer: Whitney Lawson

11 What makes a good direct mail piece?

12 What do you search for on Google?

13 Do you use social media to find photographers?

14 Meet the Buyer: Alyssa Adams

15 Which social media sites do you prefer?16 Do you use photo contests to find talent?

17 Do you follow photographers blogs?

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key insights

We asked this open-ended question

and received 354 responses. What

is the best method you would sug-

gest a photographer use to capture

your attention, share their work, or

share new work?

Of the 354 responses provided:

134 buyers said email is the best

approach

75 suggested any form of communication but to ensure it is uniquely targeted

to their needs

36 buyers said direct mail is the best

approach

27 buyers suggested an in-person

portfolio visit

81 other responses were provided, from

social media, to personal introductions, to

sourcebooks and directories, to reps andagencies.

Study the agencys clients or the

publications content and only send port-

folios, emails, or direct mail that clearly

relate to their regular work.

What is the best way to get

noticed by a new client?

Customize your pitch

22%

38%Email

MARKET ING

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What gets your attention?

Personalize itwith my name.

Hook me with a goodblog. Tell me stories.

Send a piece thatsinnovative or flashy.

Show samples ofyour work fromother publications.

Connect by LinkedIn and then follow upwith email intro.

Do some really goodwork that stands out.

Present some-thing unusual,out-of-the-box.

Avoid Flashpresentations.

Contact us direct withwork or ideas that arerelevant.

Find out what I need

or dont send anything.

Share recent as wellas historical work.

MARKET ING

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What makes a good email?

DontDo

Images must be beautiful, striking, high quality

State relevance in subject line

Image(s) and copy immediately relevant Unique style or technique

Images truly represent a photographers work

Highly targeted vs. clearly a mass mailing

Simple and direct

Emotionally riveting/ evocative

Demonstrate problem solving

Clever and creative copy/ headlines

Share work in use by other campaigns

Sensible, accessible geographic location

Good self promotional design

Highlight the photographers abilities, specialties

Consistency/ regularity in sending promos

Irrelevant content (dont know the product, market, demographic)

Website inconsistent with sample photos in email

Poor subject lines Boring or over-the-top images

Emails that lack photos (only links to a site)

Image display errors

Too many/ large attachments

No context around the new work being shared

No indication of location

Conversational tone with no prior relationship

Links that dont work, or link to a slow loading site

Repeating the same email/ too frequent

Single image with no copy

Careless errors (e.g. spelling mistakes, agency/publication titleincorrect, photographer or rep name & contact info missing)

MARKET ING

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To get noticed by Whitney Lawson, your best bet is to start thinking like she thinks. It is our job at the

magazine to tell stories, she explains. So a small edit that tells a story is best for me. Of course this is

totally different from advertising, which asks you to sum everything up in one single photo.

Whitney still favors a unique printed promotional piece that features a small series of photos (or maybe

even a set of six cards in a series). Im more inclined to look at anything with a home-made or personal

vibe. One of the best promos I ever got was a little Moleskin book with cut-up contact squares taped to

each page, made from a personal trip. The images were varied: food, scenics, portraits. They were all

very personal and they went very well together. I hired the photographer soon after I got it.

When it comes to getting noticed via email, Whitney says the subject line really determines if an email

gets opened. New Work from [Photographer Name] doesnt compel Whitney to open a message

because it simply isnt very interesting or appealing. It is already implicit that the email is touting some

new work, she says. Rule #1 is to be sure the subject line says the photography is relevant to Travel +

Leisure. Rule #2 is to be as specific as possible.

Whitney often uses Google to find new photographers and individual images. If I am working on a2-page story about nightlife in Croatia, the first thing I will do is use Google to find photographers in

or around Croatia. Then I will contact them to see if they have covered any of the locations that I need.

This in turn may lead to an assignment.

Whitney finds several photo contests helpful in identifying new talent. She includes among her

favorites: PDN 30, American Photography, Hey Hot Shot, New York Photo Festival, National

Portrait Gallery Wessing Portrait Prize (UK), Visa Pour lImage awards (France), and Surface

magazines Avant Guardians award.

BUYER PROFILE

key advice

I need to be able to download a comp of

an image if I am doing photo research for

a story. Its fine if it is low-res or water-

marked. But if your photos are in a Flash

animation that I cant download individually,

I will usually move on.

I also have a soft spot for holiday card

promos, she says. I like to keep them in

a little silver tray on my desk. It is a good

way for you to show your style, and even

your humor.

meet the buyer

Whitney LawsonPhoto Editor, Travel + Leisure

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What makes a good direct mail piece?

DontDo

Striking images

Relevance - specific to our needs/work

Customize/personalize - a personal note helps

Postcards help see the images immediately

Provide information, i.e. include a description offeatured assignment

Produce something unique that shows effort vs. mass produced

Creative production/ paper choice

Creative in presentation but not out of reach

Contact details

Action - include an event, show opening, or request direct meeting

Make it useful (i.e. as notepaper, a calendar)

Great design

Unique size and packaging

Simplicity

Mind the environment - dont overuse paper

Bad photography

Not well researched: content irrelevant to buyers needs

Low production quality photos

Waste of paper/resources

Poorly written, bad grammar and misspelling Complicated to act on, lack of contact information or website

Hard to obtain pricing/ rates

Doesnt exhibit problem solving/ strategic thinking

Poor print quality; especially for postcards

MARKET ING

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What do you search

for on Google?

key insights

We asked two separate questions:

Do you search for PHOTOGRAPHERS

using the major search engines?

Do you search for IMAGES using themajor search engines?

Respondents are regularly using search

engines like Google to find images, less

often to find photographers.

Looking deeper, we learned that respon-

dents at Editorial Publications (38%)

& Book Publishers (39%) use searchengines more regularly to find photogra-

phers than their counterparts at Advertis-

ing (32%) & Design (16%) agencies, and

Corporate In-House designers (23.4%).

Meanwhile, over 75% of book publishers

use search engines to find images (well

above the average).

Images Photographers

61%

30%

MARKET ING

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Do you use social media

to find photographers?

key insights

We asked Do you search for photogra-

phers, or have you discovered new pho-

tographers using social media, includ-

ing Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn?

A majority of respondents dont heavily rely

on social media to find photographers.

Advertising and editorial buyers use social

media a bit more (38%) than the average

survey respondents, while book publishers

and design agencies report using social

media significantly less (less than 22%).

Many buyers told us that they prefer to

use social media to follow photographers

theyre previously worked with, rather

than to find new photographers.

67%

33%

No

Yes

MARKET ING

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Alyssa Adams hires photographers for celebrity portraits to accompany the feature stories that run in

TV Guide Magazine, and also handles licensing celebrity stock photography for the publication.

Alyssa saves photographer emails when they make an impact, and offered some sound advice for pho-

tographers trying to capture her attention using email. Alyssa suggests varying the timing of email sends

according to different weekdays to test when the audience is most receptive, and that sending a new promo

every other month was a reasonable amount of email to receive from a single photographer.

Alyssa will also use search engines to find photographers, for example, who have experience shooting

a particular celebrity. Social media, however, she prefers to use for keeping tabs on photographers

she has worked with previously, or cares about personally.

Contests are useful to Alyssa, not necessarily to motivate Alyssa to hire new talent, but rather they

help her understand trends. She pays particular attention to the PDN 30, the Society of Publication

Designers, and the American Society of Media Photographers annual contests.

For photographer websites, Alyssa recommends keeping the website updated frequently with newwork. She echoes the same recurring suggestions about user experience - that photographers should

focus on fast load times, simple design, image viewing and navigation.

BUYER PROFILE

key advice

Dont make me scroll down too far in an

email promo to find your photo, Alyssa

suggests. She also is turned off by emails

when photographers act like they know her

despite never having met or worked to-

gether before. Alyssa is also amazed at how

frequently photographers neglect to include

a link to their website in the email.

Alyssa suggested a different tactic we dont

always hear. Get me to act on something

other than a meeting. Given that most promo

emails do exactly that, Alyssa suggested

sharing some self inspired/initiated work

and an invitation to an event (e.g. a galleryshowing). Further, she suggests photogra-

phers can benefit from working with public

relations pros to help get their work seen in

more places. If I see youve been published

or featured elsewhere and like your work, I

will file it away for inspiration.

meet the buyer

Alyssa AdamsDeputy Photo Editor, TV Guide Magazine

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Which social media sites

do you use most?

key insights

Among buyers who do use social media to

discover and connect with new photogra-

phers, the top choice is LinkedIn.

In one category Editorial respondents

indicated a greater preference for Face-

book (47%) vs. LinkedIn (42%).

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter

54%

36%

10%

MARKETING

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Do you use photo contest

results to find new talent?

key insights

85%

15%

No

Yes

American Photographic Artists

Applied Arts

American Society of Media Photographers

BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Communication Arts

Coupe

Creative Review

D&ADGraphis

Kitcatt Nohr Photo Comp

The Lucie Awards

Lrzers Archive

National Press Photographers AssociationBest of Photojournalism

The One Show

PDN 30, PDN Photo Annual, PDN SelfPromo Awards

Pictures of the Year International

Print Magazine

National Geographic

Travel Photographer of the Year

World Press Photo

Notably, 97% of book publishers said

they do not use photo contests.

MARKET ING

Among buyers who do use photo contests,

the top competitions tend to be the indus-

trys largest awards and those run by top

publications.
http://www.photoshelter.com/http://www.agencyaccess.com/http://www.apanational.com/http://www.appliedartsmag.com/http://asmp.org/http://www.discoverwildlife.com/http://www.commarts.com/http://www.coupe-mag.com/http://www.creativereview.co.uk/http://www.dandad.org/http://www.graphis.com/http://www.kitcattnohr.com/http://www.lucieawards.com/index.phphttp://www.luerzersarchive.us/http://bop.nppa.org/2011/http://bop.nppa.org/2011/http://www.enteroneshow.org/http://www.pdnonline.com/http://www.pdnonline.com/http://www.poyi.org/http://www.printmag.com/http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/?source=NavPhoHomehttp://tpoty.com/http://www.worldpressphoto.org/http://www.worldpressphoto.org/http://tpoty.com/http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/?source=NavPhoHomehttp://www.printmag.com/http://www.poyi.org/http://www.pdnonline.com/http://www.pdnonline.com/http://www.enteroneshow.org/http://bop.nppa.org/2011/http://bop.nppa.org/2011/http://www.luerzersarchive.us/http://www.lucieawards.com/index.phphttp://www.kitcattnohr.com/http://www.graphis.com/http://www.dandad.org/http://www.creativereview.co.uk/http://www.coupe-mag.com/http://www.commarts.com/http://www.discoverwildlife.com/http://asmp.org/http://www.appliedartsmag.com/http://www.apanational.com/http://www.agencyaccess.com/http://www.photoshelter.com/

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Do you follow any

photographers blogs?

key insights

While having a blog may be critical for

optimizing your online presence for

search engines and your fans, the majority

of buyers wont necessarily subscribe orfrequently return to your blog.

However, in the editorial segment, 39%

of buyers do actually frequent/subscribe

to photographer blogs in contrast to the

26% average across all respondents.

74%

26%

No

Yes

MARKET ING

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PORTFOLIO

WEBSITES19 How long will you wait for a website to load?20 At what size do you prefer to view images?

21 Do watermarks impact your decision tohire or license?

22 Meet The Buyer: Kat Dalager23 Which background color works best on a website?

24 What do you look at on a website?

25 What do you hate to see on a website?

26 What features should photographers include?

27 Do you view photographer websites on your mobile?

28 Do you open photographer emails on your mobile?29 How do you like to view a portfolio?

30 Do you like to see video alongside stills?

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How long will you wait for

a website to load?

key insights

For a busy potential client, speed is

essential. Buyers will bail if your website

loads slowly. After 15 seconds youve lost

81% of buyers visiting your site.

5SECS

10SECS

15SECS

30SECS

1MIN

5MINS

anyAMOUNT

19.7% 19.7%

10.9%6.3%

.8% 1.3%

41.3%

PORTFOLIO WEBSITES

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At what size do you prefer

to view images?

key insights

We were surprised that the bigger is better

axiom doesnt always apply for buyers when

viewing a photographers website.

Buyers preferred sizes that fell in the 700

pixel (wide) to 900 pixel range.

Even in the advertising segment, the pref-

erence for +900px was only marginally

greater than average, at 9.6%.

500PX 700PX 900PX +900PX DontCare

11.1%

43%

31.1%

7.8% 6.8%

PORTFOLIO WEBSITES

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Do watermarks impact your

decision to hire or license?

key insights

While many commented that they respect

photographers rights, their guidance on

watermark usage is loud and clear. If

youre going to watermark, make it subtleand ensure a buyer can easily get ahold of

an unwatermarked version for layout and

client presentation.

notes

Dont cover so much of the image that the

feel for it is lost.

Highly distracting watermarks are a deterrentto licensing/ reviewing a portfolio.

When agency clients see the watermark, they

sense the stock image and it is difficult to

convince the client of the images value.

Agency clients often ask to get images with-

out watermarks so they can fully visualize

how an image will look in a layout.

Some watermarks obstruct the image so

badly you cant discern the quality of the image.

Some agencies dont like letting clients know

what the photography source is.

Clients feel that photographers serious about

a working relationship will grant the use of a

watermark-free image for layout purposes

76%

24%

No

Yes

PORTFOLIO WEBSITES

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Kat Dalager handles hiring photographers for Campell Mithuns variety of client projects as well as

licensing stock photography. She suggests that photographers take care to use multiple channels to

promote themselves. What may not reach one audience may reach another.

She prefers email promotion from photographers because they can be processed on her own terms,

rather than more interruptive methods like cold calling. Kat keeps a completely separate email ad-

dress which she gives out to list services, and she files her favorite emails in very specific folders,

generally by specific clients or specialty.

For direct mail promos, Kat takes notice of more substantial pieces, books and other interesting items

like clear or distinctive envelopes, and even smaller mailers.

Kat does use Google and other search engines to find new photographers and their websites. I turn

to the search engines when Im looking for inspiration, usually to find a photographer I dont already

know, outside my normal realm. For example, if Kat needs a photographer in a different country.

Photographers from New Zealand dont typically send me promos.

For photographers who use blogs as their primary website, Kat suggests being very careful that the

navigation includes a very clear link to view a portfolio or direct access images. Sometimes its nearly

impossible to get out of the vortex of commentary to see the work or find the contact info.

In terms of social media, Kat prefers to use LinkedIn to connect with photographers - primarily just

photographers she has worked with in the past. She maintains other social network profiles but uses

them for personal connections only.

BUYER PROFILE

key advice

Kat advises photographers to be very

specific about the email subject line. Tell

me whats featured in the promo, she

instructs. For example Lifestyle Photogra-

phy // On Location in Vancouver or Food

Photography // Seafood for Conde Nast

work well in her system, while URGENT!

Please open immediately is useless for

future reference.

Regarding websites, Kat suggests pho-

tographers keep their websites as simple

and easy to navigate as possible. Were

not looking at your web development skills,

were looking at your work and trying to get

a hold of you! Among pet peeves, Kat lists

roving scroll or next cursors, slow upload

times, loud music, Agree To conditions.

Kat suggests photographers make it very

easy for clients to request and download

hi res images for comping. She points out

that Corbis and Getty do this - thats what

photographers are competing against.

meet the buyer

Kat DalagerArt Producer, Campbell Mithun

S O O OG S PORTFOLIO WEBSITES

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Which background color

works best on a website?

key insights

Buyers loved (and liked) black and white

backgrounds the best. Color and texture

were most hated because they tend to

distract from images. We suggest avoid-ing backgrounds that strive for unique-

ness in favor of simplicity.

Black White DarkGrey

LightGrey

Color Texture

54%

2.4%

39%

3.2%

21%

8%9.6%

17.5%

0.9%

75%

0.2%

92%

= Love = Hate

PORTFOLIO WEBSITES

WHAT BUYERS WANT FROM PHOTOGRAPHERS | PORTFOLIO WEBSITES

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What do you look at on a website?

How many Galleries/ Portfolios? Will you watch slideshows?

0-3 Yes

4-6 No

7-10

10+

35% 35%

42% 65%

11%

12%

PORTFOLIO WEBSITES


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What do you hate to see on a website?

I dont like auto-runningslide shows.

I dont care thata website lookscool if it isntquick.

Too many otherthings on their sitethat arent relatedto their work.

Dont make it too cleveror busy. Im on there tolook at the images.

I hate when the siteopens full screen with-out users control.

Music drivesme nuts. Its annoying when the next

button jumps around andyou have to re-find it aftereach click.

No Flash.Keep it cleanand simple.

Slow loading, Flashheavy, hard-to-navi-gate sites. Just showme the (money) shots!

PORTFOLIO WEBSITES


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What features should photographersinclude on their websites?

DontDo

Fast image loading

Email address always visible

Phone number always visible

Ability to click to view all thumbnails Search all images by keyword

Ability to send or copy a link to a photo or gallery

Showcase a newly added section

Captions below photos or on roll-over

Ability to view at full screen

Ability to create/send a lightbox of select images

Ability to price/purchase/license images right on the site

Navigation menu consistent on all pages

Ability to email a photo

Make browsing easy and logical

Simple navigation

Group photos in logical categories/ galleries/ portfolios

Enable a buyer to request a comp download

Music

Ads (ie Google text ads)

Full-screen intro (e.g. animated photographer name/logo)

that plays before you get to main menu Slideshows as default/slideshow-only galleries

Contact forms instead of listing email address

Slideshow as intro

Photographers recent Facebook/twitter status

Hidden next arrows that move

Long, Flash intros that cant be skipped

Complex, unique navigation

PORTFOLIO WEBSITES


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Do you view photographer

websites on your mobile?

key insights

Despite the massive shift to mobile com-

munications, a surprising majority of buy-

ers most often view photographer websites

from non-mobile devices. Only 4.1% claimto view photographer websites regularly on

a mobile device.

Never

Infrequently

Sometimes

Regularly

Always

50.4%

26.2%

19.1%

4.1%

0.3%

PORTFOLIO WEBSITES


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Do you open photographer

emails on your mobile?

key insights

When viewing photographer emails, buy-

ers tend to follow the same pattern as

photographer websites, with a surprisingly

small segment claiming regular interac-tion on mobile devices.

Never

Infrequently

Sometimes

Regularly

Always

44.8%

26.1%

20.5%

7.9%

0.8%

PORTFOLIO WEBSITES


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How do you like to view a

photographer portfolio?

key insights

We asked What is your preferred

method of photographer portfolio pre-

sentation?

For editorial buyers, the photographers

website stood out as preferred (75%)

more than any other segment. Meanwhile,

advertising agencies indicated all of the

above at 29% (above average) while the

photographers website was less signifi-

cant in this segment, preferred by only

53% of respondents.

Website PDF Printed iPad All

62.6%

7.2% 7.7%

1.3%

21.1%

PORTFOLIO WEBSITES


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Do you like to see video

alongside stills?

key insights

If youve got the skills, youve got to show-

case them.

66.5% of buyers said that for photogra-phers with video skills, they want/expect

to see video as part of the photographers

portfolio and marketing.

33.5%

66.5%

No

Yes

PORTFOLIO WEBSITES

8/7/2019 Buyers Kit

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SELLING&DELIVERY

32 Where do you search for photography to license?

33 Where do you get stock images?

34 How do you prefer to handle pricing?

35 How do you prefer to receive images?36 Meet The Buyer: Lisa Smith

WHAT BUYERS WANT FROM PHOTOGRAPHERS | SELLING & DELIVERY

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|


Where do you search for

photography to license?

key insights

87% of buyers use other stock agencies

beyond the industrys largest names,

Corbis and Getty

55% of buyers use individualphotographers websites

44% of buyers use consumer

sites like Flickr

Corporate in-house designers indicated a

greater than average propensity to strictly

stick to the big stock agencies, with 21%

stating they only license from Getty & Corbis.

Editorial buyers indicated the greatest us-

age of individual photographer websites to

find images, with 64% stating they search

using this method, while 57% of advertis-

ing buyers claim to do so.

Book publishers reported an above average

(55%) use of sites like Flickr to find images.

StockAgencies

PhotographersWebsites

ConsumerSites

87%

55%

44%


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33/40

Stock.xchangStock4BStockFoodStockthat doesnt suck

The Image WorkThe Travel LibraryTophamTrevillionTrunkUS PresswireVIIVisuals Unltd.1Wallace GarrisonWallpaperWikimediaWireimageWorkbookZuma


AlamyAP Images

Dreamstimeage fotostockFlickrFotosearchGallerystock

FotoliaJupiter

MasterfileNational Geographic SocietyPhotos.comPhotoShelterPunchstock

123 RF4CornersAction ImagesAFP

AgstockUSAAPAArdeaArt ResourceAugustAuroraAxiomBigstockBlackBookBloombergBridgemanCamera PressCelebrityCitizenstock

Common GroundComstockCP ImagesCSA Images

CutcasterEricksonstockEurostockEverettFirstLightFoodstockGlowGMAGrangerGrant HeilmanGraphic ObsessionGreatstockIcon SMIIDS

ImagebankImagestateImagezooInmagine

Interiorarchive.comIPNJPIKeystoneLandovLensmodernLibrary of Congress/

US National ArchivesLonely PlanetLoupeMagnumMattonMCT

Media BakeryMedicalRFMillenniumMinden

MorguefileNarratives.comNature Picture LibraryNewscomNoorOseerisPA PhotosPanosPhotographers DirectPhotonicaPhotoshotPhotostockPhotostogo

PhotostogoPhototakePicsearchPictureDesk

Plain PicturesPond5ReduxRetnaReutersRex FeaturesRubberballScience Photo LibrarySipaSmyle MediaSpiderpicSplashSportsshooterStartraks

Photolibrary

SuperstockThinkStock

Where do you get stock images?

7mentions

8-15mentions

16-30mentions

53 mentions81 mentions172 mentions

We asked buyers to tell us each of the websites they visit to license photography beyond the industry giants

Getty & Corbis. Their open-ended results yielded literally dozens of different sources.


8/7/2019 Buyers Kit

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key insights

When licensing an image from a photog-

raphers website, buyers shared mixed

preferences for getting the deal done.

How do you prefer to

handle pricing?44.6%

10.7%

37%

7.8%

Negotiate

DontCare

InstantOnline

Instant &

Negotiate


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How do you prefer to

receive images?

key insights

Buyers had the opportunity to choose their

preferred method of image delivery.

After an image has been licensed, or ashoot has been completed, the busy client

clearly wants the image in their hands as

fast as possible.

*Among other methods, many buyers cited

delivery of a hard drive.

FTP Upload/Download

DVD/CD

Email Other*

72%

53%

31%24%

6%

WHAT BUYERS WANT FROM PHOTOGRAPHERS | BUYER PROFILE

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Lisa Smith primarily handles licensing still photography for Target. Like many of the buyers we

surveyed, to capture Lisas attention and have a chance at working with Target, the promos that

photographers send her must first be relevant - demonstrating strong work that is suitable for

retail advertising - and the images must be extremely strong.

However, Lisa frequently receives promotions that are way off base. Photographers dont send

relevant images for consideration. I work in a retail corporation where we present the photogra-

phers work to our creative directors. If the work is not relevant it can be difficult to sell them in

for consideration.

Lisa does not use search engines, social media, or photography contests to find new talent. So, if a

photographer wants a shot, they need to succeed at the traditional methods of promotion - direct

mail and email, with email (from photographers and reps) being her preferred medium. She sug-

gests sharing recent work that was done for other retailers or publications. Beautiful, unique work

will catch her eye.

Among critical website features and designs, Lisa encourages photographers to focus on achiev-

ing fast website load time, showcase an about/bio page, and give buyers control of viewing both

thumbnail and full screen images. For photographers with multimedia skills, Lisa suggests that it is

essential to display video alongside still photography.

key advice

Lisa does frequent her favorite photogra-

phers blogs and will search their individual

websites for images to license. So, she of-

fers some key points for photographers to

consider: Websites should be simple, Lisa

says. When it gets too slick, it takes too

long to load the images, I move on.

meet the buyer

Lisa SmithArt Buyer, Target Corporation

8/7/2019 Buyers Kit

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RESOURCES38 More Resources

39 About PhotoShelter

40 About Agency Access

WHAT BUYERS WANT FROM PHOTOGRAPHERS | RESOURCES

8/7/2019 Buyers Kit

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In addition to this survey, each of our companies regularly publish photography business content you may find

helpful. Below you will find some sample links:

More Resources

AgencyAccessResources

Create An Estimate That Gets The Job

How @photojack Found Twitter Success

8 Tips For That All-Important Meeting

Is Your Website Marketing Smart?

Is Direct Mail Worth The Investment?

Cold Calling For Artists

Building A Marketing Database That Gets Results

5 Ways To Get More Meetings

PhotoShelterResources

Free Photography Business Reports download more guides like this

Free Photography Business Webinars

Top 13 Ways to Piss Off a Photo Editor

10 Ways to Make a Photo Editor Fall in Love With You

Selling Yourself: 10 Traits of the Master Markete rs

10 Secrets to Successful Online Photo Portfolios

Positive Vs. Negative Photographers: Which Are You?

4 Photographers Describe Their Social Media Workflow


RESOURCESRESOURCES
http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/create-an-estimate-that-gets-the-job/http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/how-photojack-found-twitter-success/http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/8-tips-for-that-all-important-meeting/http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/is-your-website-marketing-smart/http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/is-direct-mail-worth-the-investment/http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/cold-calling-for-artists/http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/building-a-marketing-database-that-gets-results/http://agencyaccess.com/index.cfm?go=home.NewsDetail&NewsID=18http://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/http://www.photoshelter.com/about/webinarhttp://blog.photoshelter.com/2010/05/top-13-ways-to-piss-off-a-photo-editor.htmlhttp://blog.photoshelter.com/2010/05/top-10-ways-to-make-a-photo-editor-fall-in-love-wi.htmlhttp://blog.photoshelter.com/2010/08/selling-yourself-10-traits-of-the-master-marke.htmlhttp://blog.photoshelter.com/2011/01/10-secrets-to-successful-online-photo-portfolios.htmlhttp://blog.photoshelter.com/2011/03/positive-vs-negative-photographers-which-are-you.htmlhttp://blog.photoshelter.com/2010/11/4-photographers-describe-their-social-media-workfl.htmlhttp://blog.photoshelter.com/2010/11/4-photographers-describe-their-social-media-workfl.htmlhttp://blog.photoshelter.com/2011/03/positive-vs-negative-photographers-which-are-you.htmlhttp://blog.photoshelter.com/2011/01/10-secrets-to-successful-online-photo-portfolios.htmlhttp://blog.photoshelter.com/2010/08/selling-yourself-10-traits-of-the-master-marke.htmlhttp://blog.photoshelter.com/2010/05/top-10-ways-to-make-a-photo-editor-fall-in-love-wi.htmlhttp://blog.photoshelter.com/2010/05/top-13-ways-to-piss-off-a-photo-editor.htmlhttp://www.photoshelter.com/about/webinarhttp://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/http://agencyaccess.com/index.cfm?go=home.NewsDetail&NewsID=18http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/building-a-marketing-database-that-gets-results/http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/cold-calling-for-artists/http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/is-direct-mail-worth-the-investment/http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/is-your-website-marketing-smart/http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/8-tips-for-that-all-important-meeting/http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/how-photojack-found-twitter-success/http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/create-an-estimate-that-gets-the-job/http://campaigns.agencyaccess.com/create-an-estimate-that-gets-the-job/

8/7/2019 Buyers Kit

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39

PhotoShelter is the leader in portfolio websites

and business tools for serious photographers.

With PhotoShelter, you also get powerful features and resources to market your photos, like

SEO and social sharing capabilities, the most options for licensing photography and selling

prints online, and pro-strength file delivery tools to please your clients.

Visit Photoshelter.com/tour and let PhotoShelter power your business online!

About PhotoShelterSPECIAL OFFERSet Up Your Website,Get $10 Back!

Build a stronger photo business with a

PhotoShelter website. You can now try

PhotoShelter for only $1 for 14 days.

And, if you join by April 29, youll earn a

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site set up during the trial. Launching your

new PhotoShelter website is so simple,

you can get it live in a matter of minutes.

GetStarted

Learn more &join PhotoSheltertoday!

Or, visit Photoshelter.com/signup and enter

Questions? Contact us anytime at

212-206-0808 or [email protected].

Offer only valid for new paid PhotoShelter users.

COUPON CODE 2011GET10

WHAT BUYERS WANT FROM PHOTOGRAPHERS | RESOURCES
http://www.photoshelter.com/tourhttp://bit.ly/hquQqfhttp://bit.ly/hquQqfhttp://www.photoshelter.com/signupmailto:support%40photoshelter.com?subject=mailto:support%40photoshelter.com?subject=http://www.photoshelter.com/signuphttp://bit.ly/hquQqfhttp://bit.ly/hquQqfhttp://www.photoshelter.com/tour

8/7/2019 Buyers Kit

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Agency Access was created in 1996 because we saw that photographers, commercialartists and their reps needed a single source for promotional mailing lists and mailing

services. Before Agency Access, no one offered that kind of convenient, professional

service. Today, no one else does.

As the art of marketing grew and technologies changed, so did we. We added a com-

prehensive suite of email solutions and services, quarterly membership payment plans,

and postcard printing services. And now that the Internets made global business easy,

weve also expanded our list to include contacts from across the world.

Our latest program, Campaign Manager Pro, is a complete marketing program for the

busy photographer. We take care of everything for a whole year, leaving the artist to

focus on what they do best. Watch Erik Rank talk about how we helped him here.

Agency Access CEO Keith Gentile was recently interviewed by Thomas James over at

Escape From Illustration Island. Listen to thepodcast as Keith discusses how to main-

tain a database, build relationships, branding and much more.

To learn more about Agency Access and our marketing services, contact usanytime. Webuild strong, personal relationships with our members because thats the way we like to do

business. Let us know how we can help you.

To sign up for the new Agency Access newsletter The Lab, click here.

[email protected]

About Agency Access

Save 20% on anyAgency AccessDatabase Membership

Questions? Call us anytime at1-800-704-9817 or email us [email protected]

275-S Marcus BoulevardHauppauge, NY 11788

www.agencyaccess.com

USE COUPON CODEAXS51511

offer expires May 13, 2011 Learn More

This offer expires May 13, 2011 and is available to new

Agency Access members only on the purchase of a

North American database package.

GET A FREE3-Day TRIAL
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