Shutterstock recently created focus groups to enhance the contributors experience and find ways to make the contributing process easier, more rewarding and more profitable. Shutterstock has created a new keyword suggestion tool for contributors that makes keyword use easier, faster and more appealing to contributors.
Keywords are essential if you want your images to be found on stock photo search engines
Shutterstock does know that good keywords on images, designs and videos significantly increases revenue for contributors. Keywords enable buyers to find the right photo for the right subject, emotion or look that they need. The more keywords an image has, the greater the chances buyers will find an image that matches exactly what they are looking for.If they find the right image, they will buy it. If they don't find it, they won't buy.
If you are not a techie, keyword use seems laborious. Keyword determination, uploading, and checking is a lengthy process but it is an essential process. Good news is, Shutterstock's new keyword suggestion tool makes the process easier. And will be more profitable for contributors. This is how it works:
1. Contributors choose an image or clip to keyword.
2. They then search for and select 3 or more images that have subject matter or themes similar to the content you're keywording.
3. Shutterstock's key wording system takes this information and combines them with Shutterstock's customer search history data to generate a list of keywords that would be useful for searching and describes the contributors image. Revenues will not increase if you use popular search terms by buyers but your image does not match what they are looking for.
4. The Keyword suggestion tool preselects some keywords based on relevance of the image and what buyers are searching for. Then a list of suggested keywords will remain that can be used or not used for the image. The contributor can refine the keywords – either removing those that aren't accurate, adding from the additional suggestions or entering their own keywords.
Benefits of the new Shutterstock Keyword Suggestion Tool
The Keyword suggestion tool plays two important roles. It will suggest keywords for an image and attach the much needed keywords to an image within the Shutterstock site. This suggestion of basic keywords will assist contributors in determining more specific and more defining keywords for their images. The second important role of the keyword suggestion tool is the ease of use. Located within Shutterstock, contributors will not need to use external keyword generators that can be difficult to use or overwhelming to understand. The Keyword Suggestions tool is completely integrated into the Content Editor (just click “Suggest Keywords” when you’re submitting images or clips), and the standalone version (found in the Portfolio menu) can be used seamlessly side-by-side with other programs like Lightroom, Photoshop, and Bridge, making it a natural addition to your workflow.
Keywords are intimidating! But not now….
Finding the right keywords is intimidating and perceived as too much work. But keywords are probably the most important part of your selling strategy when selling on stock photo websites.
Keywords enable your images to be found by buyers. When buyers search for images in the search bar, they are using ‘keywords' to search through the massive library of images that are available on any stock photo sight. If you have not used keywords or used keywords that are inappropriate for your image, your images will not be found. If your images are not found, you won'tmake money. Simple. If your keywords are not words that buyers use to find images, your images will be found less. Oddly enough, the words that people use to find images are inherently similar. The Keyword suggestion tool finds those search words for you so your images can be found. Now that is amazing!
Shutterstock just made your life a whole lot easier
Shutterstock just made your life a whole lot easier. The new keyword suggestion tool will increase your revenues (if you use it), takes the guess work out of keyword use and encourages contributors to use more keywords.
Give it a try (just click “Suggest Keywords” when you’re submitting images or clips). It may seem awkward at first but after a few uploads, it will be easy. And you will make more money and your photos and images will be found by buyers.
Thanks for this helpful info.