Feedback from 1,000 photo editors and buyers
worldwide is summarized in the 2012 edition of the report “What Buyers Want
from Photographers Guide.” The report was a joint project of PhotoShelter and
Agency Access—two companies dedicated to helping professional photographers succeed
in marketing themselves. The 35-page e-book can be downloaded free from the
PhotoShelter or Agency Access website.
How the Survey Was
Conducted
In March 2012, PhotoShelter and Agency Access sent out a
25-question survey to Agency Access’ database of 90,000 global recipients. All
of the recipients identified themselves as someone who either hires
photographers for commission or assignment work or licenses still photography.
A total of 1,000 buyers responded, providing written responses and anecdotes to
some of the survey’s open-ended questions.
The buyers who responded come from ad agencies (40%), design
agencies (15%), editorial publications (15%). corporations (10%), marketing
agencies (6%), book publishers (3%) non-profits (3%), freelance (2%), and other
(6%). The most common titles of the
photo buyers who responded include art director, creative director, designer,
copywriter, design director, photo editor, graphic designer, and art buyer.
The authors of the 2012 report note that “The consistency
among responses helped us understand that regardless of where photo buyers work
or their particular photographic needs, they share clear similarities on how
they want to be pitched, how they wish to navigate websites, and the personal
characteristics of photographers they seek.
Survey Highlights
The questions addressed a range of topics such as:
-
How photographers should market themselves to photo buyers
- What makes a great website
- The types of video skills buyers need right now
- What obstacles prevent buyers from finding good
photographers
- The personal traits buyers look for (and don’t look for) in
a photographer
After describing the types of photo buyers who participated
in the survey, the guide presents a short summary of how buyers search for
images and photographers and discusses some of the trends photo buyers are
seeing, both in technology and budgets.
For example, one associate creative director at an ad agency
noted that, “Boundaries between still and moving images are becoming blurred.
Interactive books are creating new opportunities for photographers and
filmmakers alike.”
Of the 21.9% of photo buyers who said their budgets were
increasing compared to 2011, the majority were from advertising agencies
(44.5%), design agencies (16.5%), corporations (11.9%), and editorial
publications (9.6%). The majority of respondents (56.5%) said their photography
budgets for 2012 were the same as 2011.
The report is filled with helpful comments and
insights.
For example, a marketing manager for a corporation is annoyed to find
improperly linked photos in an email from a photographer: “You need to tell me
exactly what the link is in your email. Something like, ‘Please click here to
see my latest photos,’ I rarely open.”
A marketing manager for an architecture/interior design firm
observed that: “I feel photographers are too persistent to the point that it
can sometimes be unprofessional. I am happy to make portfolio meetings with new
talent, but when I am e-mailed, called, and sought after on a daily basis, I
choose not to work with this individual or firm.”
An art director for an editorial agency looks for
photographers who care about how their emails are presented: “Show me that you
have attention to detail and great quality photographs with design and text
that match. Make sure there are no typos and the contact information is easy to
find.”
The creative director for an editorial publication said, “A
good website is simple, and makes the work accessible. It doesn’t play music or
sound effects at me; it doesn’t make the work too small to appreciate; it doesn’t
put watermarks on everything; it doesn’t make me agree not to steal images
before letter me look; and it doesn’t take forever to load.”
About the Study Sponsors
Agency Access is
a one-stop provider of marketing services for photographers and illustrators.
Services include access to a global database of thousands of potential clients
and assistance with email, direct mail, cold-calling, design, website portfolio
editing, and marketing campaign consultations.
PhotoShelter is a
leader in portfolio websites and business tools for serious photographers. They
offer powerful features and resources for marketing your photos, such as SEO
and social sharing capabilities and options for licensing photography, selling
prints online, and pro-strength file delivery tools.
LINKS
In addition to accepting proposals, IPA will also be reaching out to artists
with ideas for solo and collaborative installations, said Polichetti. “We are
looking at new printing techniques, three-dimensional installations,
environmental design and much more. Funds will be made available for the
projects we are most excited about.”
