Make Your Own Luck

Stock photography is a numbers' game. The more photos you have in stock libraries, the better your luck. Or is it?

80 percent of success is just showing up.

and

I'd rather be lucky than good.

— Woody Allen

Photography is a very seasonal industry. Each season has its own recurring themes. Your job, and mine, is to provide the right photos at the right time. i.e. be lucky.

Buyers

All the photo stock companies have studied their buyers' behavior, and all of them have reported that the most often viewed web page is the "What's New" page.

Your job is to provide these "What's New" with the proper seasonal photos.

Photography seasons

Winter: photo buyers and/or editors are preparing for the spring. The major topics are:

  • Fitness
  • Spring food and diets
  • Spring cleaning and home renovations
  • Gardening
  • Holidays: Spring Break
  • Preparing for the spring

Spring: photo buyers and/or editors are preparing for the summer. The major topics are:

  • Family vacations and trips
  • Summer festivals
  • Pets
  • Outdoors at home [patio/barbecue] or in the wilderness
  • Summer food and diets
  • Cost of energy
  • Holidays: Summer vacation
  • Preparing for the summer

Summer: photo buyers and/or editors are preparing for the fall. The major topics are:

  • Back to School
  • Holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving
  • Fall food and diets
  • Cost of energy
  • Preparing for the fall
  • Back to work after the summer: career issues/financial

Fall: photo buyers and/or editors are preparing for the winter. The major topics are:

  • Holidays: Christmas, New Year
  • Shopping/spending money
  • Travel to warm destinations
  • New Year's resolutions
  • Home Insulation
  • Cold & Natural Remedies
  • Winter food and diets
  • Cost of energy
  • Preparing for the winter

Most of the publishing world lives between 2 and 3 month ahead.

Tags: Biz101 | Competition | Customers | Marketing