iSyndica

On April 2, we performed a pre-launch Alpha testing and invited a few people to participate and help us polish the last details of our first public release. Quite unexpectedly, on the very first day, our first user pulled out her credit card and also became our first actual customer! Such excitement warranted a little interview with her...

iSyndica: You've been involved with micro-stock photography for a few years now. How long has it been and what got you started?
Katrina Brown: I became involved in micro-stock photography in 2005 when I came across an advertisement for Shutterstock®. I already had a career in photography and I became excited to branch out into other markets. I gave it a shot, became successful fairly quickly and decided that this was perfect for me!

iS: How long was it before you decided to submit to more than one agency?
KB: Within the first month of starting, I signed up to 5 other agencies. As newer agencies popped up over the years, my number of agencies I submit to increased to approximately 13.

iS: Did you see immediate results then?
KB: I saw immediate results, which inspired me to work harder and upload various content.

iS: So, today you upload to 13 agencies, you say. What does your workflow look like?
KB: My workflow starts with importing my images to Aperture, then choosing the shots I want to use and work with. I then edit and place them into an "upload folder" for the various agencies I submit to. Using FTP, I upload using 2 separate computers and 2 separate internet connections. On average, I have 20 images per week to upload which takes 10-16 hours to send to all of the agencies. I spend the time in-between uploads pushing the images through the approval process.

iS: So would you say your biggest bottleneck is post-processing or submission?
KB: Submission is the most challenging for me. Unfortunately, even at 3G upload speeds, my content file size is so large that I spend an entire day just uploading and keeping tabs on the upload process.

iS: You were one of our early adopter as you joined our Alpha testing program. What was your first reaction after using the product?
KB: I just about jumped out of my skin with excitement when I saw most of my content sent to all 13 of sites at almost the exact same time that my upload to iSyndica ended! iSyndica did what I normally spend an entire day going within one upload session. That gives me more time to shoot and it inspires me to create more content without dreading the submission process!

iS: So how many photos did you distribute since you joined?
KB: I distributed 210 photos within the first 3 weeks of testing. I was so energized with the time savings that I was able to edit and keyword almost 4 times the usual amount of content!

iS: Is this more than you would usually submit in, so 3 weeks?
KB: Yes! Normally I would have submitted approximately 60 images. With the time I saved, I was able to put that time into being more productive editing photos which increased my productivity significantly.

iS: Anything "funny" happened as your images started arriving on the agency sites?
KB: Immediately, my sales increased. There were a few agencies I didn't bother submitting to just because I ran out of time or they were a pain to include in my workflow. Since syndicating my content to those sites using your service, my sales have jumped at those sites too!

iS: Did this happen with all your agencies?
KB: Yes, I have experienced an increase in sales on all the sites I submit to!

iS: Beside the direct financial results, how much time do you feel using iSyndica saved you?
KB: This distribution service has saved me at minimum 12 hours a week. I also have no need for my second internet connection, saving me $80.00 per month! Using this service pays for itself with new sales of more content than I would normally be able to submit.

iS: So, for you, and economically speaking, how good of a proposition is this, using iSyndica?
KB: Using iSyndica makes perfect sense for my business, my bottom line and my personal time!

iS: Vectors and videos, assisted submission, reporting, keywording tools and many more features are coming over the next few releases. In your mind, what is the next "big thing" you are eagerly waiting for?
KB: Video distribution would really change my world! I literally spend days submitting my footage to the 5 sites I sell them on. Get to work, will you?!

iS: One last question: we get a lot of concerns about data security. Do you think we adequately addressed those concerns?
KB: Hmmmm I don't know. Maybe it's because they don't know the person behind it. Hmmmm sketchy people BUT those kind of people aren't large uploaders anyways. They can bitch easily rather than improve their business. People who understand business understand your product so don't worry about it.

Distribution allows many photographers to maximize their revenue by not limiting themselves to a single market outlet. Katrina, who is quite a successful microstock contributor, was willing to share her revenue stream chart as an example:

You can visit Katrina Brown's portfolio at: http://katrinabrownphotographer.com/ as well as her client galleries at: http://katrinabrownphotographer.smugmug.com.

iSyndica Photos, the first service of iSyndica, allows a growing number of photographers to easily publish their content in multiple market places and maximize their revenue. With a free trial and subscription plans starting at $12/month, and allowing submission to 14 market places, the service is quickly expanding and aims to provide a centralized product management catalog to drastically simplify the sale workflow, from merchandising to revenue reporting, along with value-added services such as image keywording or photo retouching.

iSyndica Photos went live on April 26, 2009 and offers a discounted introduction offer valid until May 31, 2009, with a promotion of 3 months at 50% off. Use coupon code: 3MONTHHALFOFF at checkout.

For more information or to sign-up with iSyndica Photos, visit our main website at http://isyndi.ca/ or http://www.isyndica.com/