How are photogs doing on this site?

leightonoc

I was wondering if somebody could point
me to the galleries of artists and/or photographers on SmugMug that
are selling a decent amount of prints just from traffic on the SmugMug site.
I've created 15 portfolios and
have over 550 images on SmugMug. It took me about 30 hours between
key wording and adding links to other web sites. I'm not sure how
much time I should invest or how many more
images I should add to SmugMug until I see what kind of results I
get as far as sales.

denisegoldberg

Unfortunately for all of us, just setting photos as available for purchase on your smugmug site isn't going to drive sales for you.

There have been a number of conversations about this. Here are links to a couple of threads might be of interest:
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=86383&highlight=sales
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=88624&highlight=sales

--- Denise

dogwood

Well, it's not as simple as sitting back and waiting for the checks to roll in!

Let me give you a great example of how photography really works. Last year I shot a fashion show on spec but I made sure to hand out business cards. One store owner hired me to shoot an event a month later. He didn't buy a single photo from the fashion show, but the event was worth a couple hundred dollars so that was cool.

Shot the same show (it's an annual show) on spec again this year and that same guy was there again. This time he purchased a couple hundred dollars in digital downloads!

What I'm trying to say is the way to survive as a photographer is to find a hundred folks like that. They may only hire you once a year or buy downloads once a year, but as long as the other 99 people are doing the same thing, you'll stay profitable and busy.

Now I've sold prints from my SM to random folks too-- but the networking and persistance over time are really what pays off.

Markjay

So true!
Dogwood is EXACTLY correct!

I have my SM gallery up and almost where I want it (it's never exactly "there" is it? :-)

I drive visitors to the site by way of direct communication through various business functions, networking, etc. I wouldn't characterize my SM site as super successful but, I would characterize it as EXTREMELY useful and servs it's purpose..... a showcase, a look see place. I have sold VERY few prints from my SM site but, I also am not an "event photographer".

You really DO need to be a walking, talking, marketing / advertisement for yourself everywhere you go, with everyone you talk to. You may find that what you thought you would sell, could end up being something totally different than you END UP selling.


Markjay

dogwood wrote:

Well, it's not as simple as sitting back and waiting for the checks to roll in!

Let me give you a great example of how photography really works. Last year I shot a fashion show on spec but I made sure to hand out business cards. One store owner hired me to shoot an event a month later. He didn't buy a single photo from the fashion show, but the event was worth a couple hundred dollars so that was cool.

Shot the same show (it's an annual show) on spec again this year and that same guy was there again. This time he purchased a couple hundred dollars in digital downloads!

What I'm trying to say is the way to survive as a photographer is to find a hundred folks like that. They may only hire you once a year or buy downloads once a year, but as long as the other 99 people are doing the same thing, you'll stay profitable and busy.

Now I've sold prints from my SM to random folks too-- but the networking and persistance over time are really what pays off.

Gary Peterson Photography

Thoughts

leightonoc wrote:

I was wondering if somebody could point
me to the galleries of artists and/or photographers on SmugMug that
are selling a decent amount of prints just from traffic on the SmugMug site.
I've created 15 portfolios and
have over 550 images on SmugMug. It took me about 30 hours between
key wording and adding links to other web sites. I'm not sure how
much time I should invest or how many more
images I should add to SmugMug until I see what kind of results I
get as far as sales.

I use my Smugmug site as part of a "Total Marketing Plan" and it is amazingly successful for me. I am not sure what is considered successful in terms of "Pro" sales on thesite, but I get a steady check from Andy and Chris that is always useful. Most of gallery's I have are actually used as holding cells for e-delivery of jobs shots for clients, but the open galleries with images from events do a great job of paying for themselves!

I don't think that I have ever felt that I was wasting my time by uploading to SM, as when I considered the available sites to use, the unlimited storeage space afforded by SM was the deciding factor for me. It is part of my complete data protection plan!

Whether or not anyone has ever purchased a print of mine based on a visit to SM and happening upon me is doubtfull. All of my sales are based off of targeting a certain market sector, and directing them to the specific gallery or series of galleries with other marketing methods.

I have to say that the galleries I set up for editorial review get huge play, and have been well received by all that have used them, and subsequently made commercial purchases from them.

jonh68

Think of smugmug as a tool. You will probably make more money networking and getting hired for events than you will from smugmug sales. However, it is a great portfolio tool as future clients can see how their potential web galleries will look online.

Unless you really have a great reputation, I don't think art sales will be that great. You would be better off putting them in art galleries.

dogwood

jonh68 wrote:

Unless you really have a great reputation, I don't think art sales will be that great. You would be better off putting them in art galleries.

Not disagreeing with you but I just had my first art gallery-style exhibit (of landscape photos on stretched canvas) last week and haven't sold anything so far. :cry The photos are on display for the rest of the month though, so who knows?

Just a guess-- but in terms of sales from a SM site, I'll bet events do the best and even then, you can't just expect people to drop by and buy photos. You have to hand out cards, make sure people know where to find the photos, AND only make them available for a limited time. Seriously. Otherwise people will see the photos and say, oh, I'll just buy some prints later... Make it clear there is no "later" option!

It's not hard to take some ideas from the retail industry and apply them to your site. For example, "Two-days only! 10-percent off!" Or "Buy five photos get the sixth free!" Or "This month only, book a shoot and get a free 8x10!" You get the idea. And don't forget those !!! exclamation points!

And just a follow-up on my previous post-- I've been shooting another annual fashion show for the local art design school for the last couple of years on a freelance basis. I contacted the organizers to get permission to shoot the show this year and it turns out their "official" photographer can't shoot the show and they were wondering if I want me to be the "official" photographer this year! Obviously they wouldn't have asked me if they hadn't seen my work from previous years. So again, sometimes sheer persistance and networking are all you need.

But even as the "official" photographer with my website info on the program that everybody will recieve, you can bet I'll still hand out cards and scout out future work. People would much rather buy from or hire someone they have met in person than someone they have only heard about. It's just human nature.

scole

dogwood wrote:

It's not hard to take some ideas from the retail industry and apply them to your site. For example, "Two-days only! 10-percent off!" Or "Buy five photos get the sixth free!" Or "This month only, book a shoot and get a free 8x10!" You get the idea. And don't forget those !!! exclamation points!

I'm just starting out with sales here on SM but I've already adopted this idea. I'm pricing my newest photos at an introductory price for 60 days and then raising them up to my standard pricing after that time. I'm hoping that potential customers will be attracted to the "buy now, save money" logic..

We'll see.

justus

SM Sales
I too, am event driven on SM sales. However, I can't emphasize enough, how much keywording and marketing go to generate site traffic.

I just sold a photo to a national magazine who found this very specific shot on my SM site purely based on keywords! They had my business card and knew what I specialized in and the rest is history.

I am a firm believer in finding your "niche" in photography. Then word of mouth (and thousands of business cards along the way) you'll find your revenue base.

Enter your keywords...hand out your business cards...leave no stone unturned and do ONE THING EVERY DAY to promote your business.