| A photobuyer is searching for a photo of a jack oak | | | | thousands of picture suppliers, with files totaling millions |
| (Quercus ellipsoidalis), taken in late fall or early winter, | | | | of images, you might surmise your marketing approach |
| before the leaves have fallen. People should be in the | | | | should be to take pictures of everything in sight, and |
| picture, including teenagers (13-19 years old), animated | | | | enter them onto a website of your own. Big |
| and enjoying the outdoors.Get used to it.The old | | | | mistake.Put yourself in the photobuyer's shoes. She will |
| adage, "once you've seen a tree, you've seen 'em all," | | | | seek out an Internet site(s) that provides strong |
| doesn't work anymore. Photobuyers are no longer | | | | coverage of "trees" (there are 66 species of oak |
| satisfied with catalog shots of trees. For their project in | | | | trees alone).If you keep this in mind, and specialize, the |
| progress, your image will have to complement the | | | | Internet is going to make you a valuable resource to |
| message of the text. If you haven't traveled through | | | | photobuyers in the coming decade. They will be able to |
| Minnesota, Wisconsin, or the upper peninsula of | | | | easily contact you directly, but they'll contact you |
| Michigan, you're not going to have this image in your | | | | because they'll be seeking content-specific pictures. |
| file. Get used to it.PICKY-PICKY PICSPhotobuyers in | | | | Start now to begin building your stock photo files in a |
| the 80's and 90's weren't picky-picky. They were | | | | few choice vertical categories that have attraction for |
| usually satisfied with "something nearly on-target," | | | | you (fly fishing, orangutans, the Chesapeake Bay, |
| because readers didn't expect on-target illustrations. | | | | rodeos, gliders, oak trees) -- whatever subjects wild |
| Besides, a decade ago the methods available to try to | | | | horses couldn't pull you away from.As for those |
| locate a highly-specific picture were labor-intensive and | | | | general-category pictures in your files? If they are high |
| costly. Today, photobuyers are more selective. They | | | | quality, you can place them with one of the micro |
| know they can tap easily into highly specialized | | | | stock agencies and figure on receiving a check once |
| collections of photos, thanks to the Internet. If you don't | | | | in a while.A good rule to remember when marketing |
| have the exact picture they need, they'll quickly find | | | | your pictures: Photobuyers buy pictures, not because |
| someone who does.The photobuyer looking for a | | | | they like them, but because they need them.Rohn |
| picture of Quercus ellipsoidalis, may need such a | | | | Engh is director of PhotoSource International and |
| picture just once. But if the photobuyer can find you, as | | | | publisher of PhotoStockNotes. Pine Lake Farm, 1910 |
| a tree specialist, on the Internet, and you have the | | | | 35th Road, Osceola, WI 54020 USA. Telephone: 1 800 |
| picture, you've captured that sale. YOUR MARKETING | | | | 624 0266 Fax: 1 715 248 7394. |
| APPROACHSince the Internet offers access to | | | | |