Microstock can be a great way for photographers, illustrators and videographers to earn money by selling their work online. But with so much competition, what does it really take to succeed with microstock?
In this complete guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know, from choosing the right agencies to upload to, creating content that sells, optimizing your work to get found, and maintaining a routine to build your passive income over time.
What is Microstock?
Microstock involves selling your stock photos, illustrations, video clips and other visual content through online agencies. Customers, usually businesses, pay to download your work and use it for commercial purposes like websites, ads, magazines, presentations and more.
As a contributor, you earn royalties each time your work gets downloaded. While each sale may only earn pennies, they can add up over thousands of downloads. Top microstockers earn thousands per month passively on work created years ago.
How to Choose the Best Microstock Agencies
With dozens of microstock agencies out there, where should you focus your efforts in 2023? After 5 years in microstock, I’ve found a few that provide the highest returns:
- Adobe Stock
- Shutterstock
- Envanto Elements
- Eyeem
- Storyblocks (video only)
I also upload to a couple other agencies like DepositPhotos and Dreamstime that provide a nice stream of extra earnings. But I’d recommend focusing most of your efforts on the top paying agencies above to maximize your return on investment.
What Type of Content Sells Best?
To succeed in microstock you need to create high commercial value content that customers actually want to buy and use. Some tips:
- Focus on topics like business concepts, technology, healthcare, diversity, finance.
- Avoid overdone topics like pets, flowers, landscapes, family vacation photos.
- Check agency website for guidance on needed content types.
- Imagine your content used in ads and presentations. Will it help businesses connect with customers?
Keywording Properly to Get Found
You need to make sure customers can easily find your content when searching the agencies. Use all 50 available keywords, with the most important ones first.
- Research similar top selling content for keyword ideas.
- Use AI tools like ChatGPT to generate additional keyword suggestions.
- But review the keywords for accuracy. Don’t spam unrelated words.
Uploading and Meeting Technical Requirements
Follow each agency’s specific guidelines for file resolutions, formats, sizes etc. Otherwise your work may get rejected.
- Only upload your very best images. Don’t overload with near duplicates.
Establishing an Uploading Routine
Consistencyis key. Aim to upload a few new pieces of content daily to steadily build your portfolio.
- Find a time of day that you can stick to as a routine.
- Before vacations, build up a backlog of content to upload daily while away.
Leveraging AI to Enhance Your Work
AI platforms like Midjourney allow you to generate unique images to sell. Upscale the resolution before uploading.
AI chatbots like ChatGPT can provide keyword suggestions to help optimize your titles and tags. But carefully review for accuracy.
In summary, succeeding with microstock requires understanding customer needs, focusing on in-demand topics, constantly improving your skills, and diligently maintaining an uploading routine. Do those things and your microstock earnings have the potential to become a significant passive income stream.
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