One Image Pricing Strategy for Photo Contributors to maximize revenues

 Advantages, Cutcaster How To, Cutcaster Payment Options  No Responses »
Aug 252009
 

From a Cutcaster contributor in an emai to our support-

“How I price my images on high paying sites? At Cutcaster, we can price our own images. So how do I go about picking a price for my images out of mid-air?? I find the best way to price them is based off of the prices at other agencies (non-subscription – ppd).

Once I have gotten an average of the other agencies pay-per-download prices for my images size, I then undercut the price. I cut the price because Cutcaster pays 40% (non-exclusive) or 50% (exclusive) royalty, as opposed to 20%-35% that other agencies payout. So, not only am I giving a lower price to buyers, but I am also taking in a high income in most cases. I can even take a few of my extras and submit them exclusively to Cutcaster for 50%, which is great.

Since Cutcaster does not have a subscription, I do not have to worry about comparing the prices to other sites that do have subscriptions, as obviously, Cutcaster is not targeting subscription buyers.”

Test it out yourself and see how the strategy works. Let us know what other strategies you have been trying out for selling your images and stock photography.  What’s your strategy for your portfolio and how you sell?

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 Posted by admin at 12:00 am  Tagged with:

Payment Choices at Cutcaster- More flexibility to fit into your workflow

 Cutcaster How To, Cutcaster Payment Options  No Responses »
Aug 212009
 

photo payment choices

Payment Choices

1. Pay as you go (classic micro-payment model)

We accept any major credit card.  Add as many files as you want to your cart and pay for only the images or vectors you need with any major credit card. Downloading is instantaneous.  It is simple and quick.

2. Cutcaster Credits

Buy multiple credits at one time and get a huge discount.  Purchasing credits to download images and illustrations at Cutcaster gives you one more way to manage your accounting and not have to checkout every time.  Checkout is a simple click and your done.

1 Dollar = 1 Credit

3. Cutcaster Invoice System

Our revolutionary, time saving invoice system helps you keep track of all your statements, invoice requests, the rights your purchased and will notify you when payments are about to go due.  You have to see how easy it is to use to believe it.

An invoice can be requested from your “Download Manager” on your studio page or by sending us an email at invoice@cutcaster.com at any time and will be responded to within the hour with your invoice and usage rights included.  We will work tirelessly to make life easier on you.

invoice request

4. Have you ever bid for content? Name your Price is here.

Cutcaster is the only marketplace where you can name your price and negotiate directly with a seller if you choose.  If the content is priced higher than your budget or you have extra time to negotiate the price you want to pay for the royalty free license, then anyone can name their price.

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 Posted by admin at 5:50 pm  Tagged with:

How about additional usage rights and Extended Licenses if you need them?

 Cutcaster How To, Cutcaster Payment Options, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Aug 202009
 

Buying and Extended License opens up a whole new world of possibilities and additional rights available to you.  The affordable Extended License options allow you more flexibility and greater usage freedom.  The licensing options have been simplified, giving you the freedom and piece of mind you require for any sized project.

extended licenses

The options for Extended Licensing are a fixed, flat-rate system that’s easier to use and understand.  It’s the best value and most rights for the greatest freedom over how you use your image.

You can request an Extended License anytime you ask for an invoice or by emailing us at invoice@cutcaster.com with the media ID number or the media files URL as well as the additional rights you would like to purchase.

els

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 Posted by admin at 10:45 am  Tagged with:

Recent survey finds that Designers and creative professionals are using more stock images

 Articles, Industry News  2 Responses »
Aug 192009
 

Great news for those of you selling your photos and buying photos for your latest project. A new survey released by the International Communications Research (ICR) concluded that more than 40% of designers and creative professionals are using more stock photography and stock vector illustrations to lower their images costs in 2009 than compared to 2008.  Is this shift in buyer’s behavior a response to the economic downturn?

Financial Crisis

The report highlighted that designers and creative professionals could save much more money and time when using stock photo agencies. Microstock photography agencies and royalty free photography agencies price their content cheaper than a traditional stock agency.  Agencies have responded by creating more incentives and deals to attract picture buyers.

At Cutcaster users can set their prices or choose a pricing algorithm to find the correct market price.  On the other hand buyers can purchase content at the price shown or if they have more time or have a smaller budget can bid on content and name their price.  Contributors can negotiate pricing with a buyer and get important market pricing information

Key Survey Statistics Highlighted below:

• 40 percent of art directors or art buyers cite budget decreases compared to a year ago.  Will image buyers be attracted to the bidding option and more advanced search features so they can decrease their costs and still get the best images.

• More than one in five art directors and graphic designers (22 percent) are working on more projects for less profit compared to a year ago.  Can cheaper royalty free images help decrease their licensing costs and increase their bottom line?

• Two-thirds (67 percent) of graphic designers/art directors are doing more in-house production as a cost-saving measure. Other cost-saving measures include using online royalty-free stock photography agencies (51 percent) and using traditional stock photography agencies (18 percent).

• When asked what most influences their decision to use online royalty-free microstock photography, most respondents answered limited budget

Shrinking Dollars

Other top reasons included:

- To combine elements into a new design (41 percent)

- Using images for an indefinite period of time (40 percent)

- Using images in a combination of communications mediums (37 percent)

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 Posted by admin at 4:27 pm  Tagged with:

The Advantages of using Cutcaster photos and vectors for your next project

 Advantages, Cutcaster How To  No Responses »
Aug 182009
 

Part 1.

1. Exclusive and Authentic Looking Images

Cutcaster offers royalty free stock photos, user generated images and vector illustrations for use in advertising, publishing, web design or whatever need you may have for our unique content. We are an untapped source of user-generated photos and vectors that can be licensed royalty-free for between $5-$15.

2. Flexible Ways to Pay and Buy

Buyers have multiple options to purchase content immediately at the listed price using any major credit card, Cutcaster Credits (discounts offered on multiple credit purchases) or by requesting invoices through our simple to use purchase order system (we can send the invoice by snail mail or email, whatever you need). If a buyer chooses, they have the option to “name their price” by bidding on content, which a seller can quickly accept, reject or re-submit a new offer back to the interested content buyer. It’s your choice.  You can pay the price that is listed for any file or “name your price.

3. The Most Relevant and Reliable Search Results

Stop wasting your time.  Try a search on our site and then try a search on one of your “regulars” and then let us know which one is better, faster and saves you more time.

4. Provide Guaranteed Rights and Fully Cleared Content

All files at Cutcaster have the required model and property releases, been scoured at 100% for copyright or trademark headaches and reviewed once and most times twice by our experienced photo editors in our review queue.

We’re always listening to your needs and have made our Corporate Accounts one of the most flexible and streamlined purchasing system in the content licensing marketplace today.  All of Cutcasters’ clients have special needs that we are happy to meet and customize our “Download Manager” display to best meet your expectations, tight schedules and lean budgets. Our Download Manager gives you the easy to use features and structure necessary to get the most bang for your buck and save time across your whole organization all in one neatly organized account.

Ladies and Gentlemen…Start your engines

Starting a corporate account at Cutcaster is completely free and takes only a few steps.  Go to our corporate accounts page at and complete the quick registration process.  If you need help, email help AT cutcaster.com. When you sign up you will get an email to verify your account, which you will need to activate by clicking on the link within that email. Cutcaster will monitor all corporate account signups and there is an approval process that takes a few hours.

Cutcaster has a dedicated Corporate Accounts team that is ready to answer any questions you have or assist in creating your account.

Email – corporateaccounts@cutcaster.com

Business phone – (215)-688-2751

Skype contact – johnnywgriffin

Twitter – @cutcaster

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 Posted by admin at 4:23 pm

Update on “Betta” name change to Crescendo and what happened behind the scenes

 Uncategorized  6 Responses »
Aug 112009
 

So last Friday I was asked by an istock lawyer, to remove the BTV title for our “Betta” collection, which I immediately removed any mention of it on our site upon istocks email request.  Here is the new premium photo collection. http://www.cutcaster.com/Betta

I have removed some of the letters i received and legal back and forth with their lawyers because it is not necessary to see. I will not post the

“Betta than Vetta cease and desist Letta”

I did a bunch of my research on the Vetta trademark and istock in fact did NOT have it registered anywhere in the world but had a claim to it (according to them) due to common law.  Since then they have gone to actually register the Vetta mark. I completely respect their right to the name and have ceased using Vetta within our collections name.

I liked the “playful” name which a few of you got (Sean L. an istock exclusive, thank you, among others) and only called it that because I thought it was a playful name that people would get and a lot of people/customers that I spoke to thought it was a great new collection and was in fact better on a few levels so I was telling the truth by calling it that.

CONCLUSION

To be completely honest, I found the whole process of creating a collection and the legal tussle that ensued to be very interesting, a bit fun, a bit scary due to some perceived threats and appreciate everyone’s posts, whether in support or calling me a dumb idiot or an embarrassment for choosing that name. I have to say that I was once told that “what would embarrass me would cause a normal person to emigrate from their country,” so I don’t get embarrassed that easily but had a bit of a chuckle when a few of you felt embarrassed for me. It’s ok ;-) I listen to everyone’s opinion very seriously and I have to say that I am just trying to help our Cutcaster photographers get more sales, help our customers find the best images and make Cutcaster work fairly for everyone, myself included.

I will keep fighting for photographers and buyers so everyone gets a fair shake.  I will keep fighting to improve sales at our site so photographers have more choices and aren’t stuck with the status quo. I understand sales and revenue are at the top of the importance list for many of you and that is why it is my main focus.  I need your best content and support as I build something that can be better for everyone.

I have changed the collection to just “Betta.” I hope istock isn’t going to try to have a monopoly on all words that rhyme with Vetta ;-)

I’m open to criticism, reactions to the letters above and any legal opinions.

UPDATE- The BTV photo and vector collection that was changed to Cutcaster Betta collection was changed again to The Crescendo Collection after a second cease and desist letter.  The Crescendo collection will be the same images as the old Betta and BTV collection but from this point forward will be known as the Crescendo Collection.

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 Posted by admin at 2:13 pm
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