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06/17/2003 08:55:23 AM · #1 |
Originally posted by drewmedia:
For what it's worth, cropping a 1.33 aspect to a 1.25 aspect is very often successful -- taking little to nothing away from the print. Of course, this is entirely dependent on the image itself, but it's worth a shot anyway. |
I made up an excel spreadsheet to calculate, based on the 'short side' length, what size the 'long side' will be for all the various aspect ratios, to help guide me in my crops.
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06/17/2003 06:45:06 AM · #2 |
edited : not see the begining of the thread was a month ago
Message edited by author 2003-06-17 06:45:57. |
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06/17/2003 01:40:27 AM · #3 |
| I'd be happy to help you with the marketing. I like DPC, always have, and have lots of traffic to share. |
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03/26/2003 10:00:58 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by Natasha:
It is Mothers Day this Sunday in the UK, I know that in the US it is a bit later, May? I think that this would be a great target. If the site can try and promote prints for presents, and provide framing and gift wrapping, ready to be delivered, I can imagine some sales if promoted to the general public. I would have done this for for my Mother, but I left it a bit late! Maybe a special gallery could be made, with prints that people think that Mothers would like? |
Along this line, you can create temporary (or permanent) galleries for holiday and other topic-specific themes, and feature them at the appropriate time. Maybe we need to allow images to be part of more than two galleries.
Another alternative would be provide a standard list of site keywords we can apply to a photo instead of typing them all in...people can then "create a gallery" via keyword search. |
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03/26/2003 08:21:49 PM · #5 |
It is Mothers Day this Sunday in the UK, I know that in the US it is a bit later, May? I think that this would be a great target. If the site can try and promote prints for presents, and provide framing and gift wrapping, ready to be delivered, I can imagine some sales if promoted to the general public. I would have done this for for my Mother, but I left it a bit late! Maybe a special gallery could be made, with prints that people think that Mothers would like?
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03/26/2003 02:03:14 PM · #6 |
| I was online looking for a place that offered ColorPlak framing. While I was there, I found that every framing site offered prints and artist galleries. I think this might be a good place to go to but I wouldn't know how to approach them.For example |
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03/26/2003 01:37:19 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by Martus:
One thing DPC has a lot of, is good photographs. Why not use these to promote the new site? Why not ask members, who will benefit from the new site, to ´´donate`` a photograph and then build a couple of free screen savers. Something like the screen savers made by //www.screensavershot.com/. You simply insert a DPC Prints ad into the screensaver.
People love free stuff!
I for one would be more than happy to distribute these screen savers to everybody in my address book. I'm sure they would spread like wildfire! |
I think that's a really good idea. A screensaver with a dpcprints ad could work out very nicely. |
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03/26/2003 10:08:31 AM · #8 |
One thing DPC has a lot of, is good photographs. Why not use these to promote the new site? Why not ask members, who will benefit from the new site, to ´´donate`` a photograph and then build a couple of free screen savers. Something like the screen savers made by //www.screensavershot.com/. You simply insert a DPC Prints ad into the screensaver.
People love free stuff!
I for one would be more than happy to distribute these screen savers to everybody in my address book. I'm sure they would spread like wildfire!
Message edited by author 2003-03-26 10:18:32.
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03/26/2003 09:47:56 AM · #9 |
| The new "Winners Gallery" is a good idea...maybe put a link to a rotating "featured gallery" when some good new stuff shows up... |
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03/26/2003 09:46:45 AM · #10 |
| An opt-in customer mailing list, or "notify me about this photographer/gallery" would go along with that idea too. Can people who register just as buyers get the weekly notification? How about a separate mailing for the Prints site? |
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03/26/2003 08:57:45 AM · #11 |
| What about a thingy on your DPC Sell page that says "email this page to a friend". or client, or customer. As a way of notifying past purchasers that you have new work for sale. or is that already there? |
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03/26/2003 01:19:01 AM · #12 |
Most community colleges, some adult schools (and high schools) offer photography classes and should have susceptible folks attending.
Also music and record stores for flyers. Maybe the flyer design can include a blank area into which we can each drop our own samples as a "featured" photographer. We could do the same with a fill-in "business card" for DPC Prints. |
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03/26/2003 01:05:28 AM · #13 |
| How about a standard print flyer which people can download, print and post on local bulletin boards (cafes, laundromats, bookstores, etc.)? Maybe one B+W, one color version. Printed advertising isn't so expensive if the cost is spread out among a couple hundred people. |
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03/25/2003 09:09:26 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by kandyj:
I hope the links would not be pop up ads or blinking banners on this site. I like it because it so clean and uncommercialized... hope we can sell prints without it changing dramatically because of marketing needs. |
There will be none of those. The whole point of this thread is to try to collaborate on the best ways to market this site out there ... not in here :)
Drew |
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03/25/2003 08:41:11 PM · #15 |
I hope the links would not be pop up ads or blinking banners on this site. I like it because it so clean and uncommercialized... hope we can sell prints without it changing dramatically because of marketing needs.
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03/25/2003 07:54:28 PM · #16 |
Link exchanges on certain websites could be a possibility for some easy/cheap/free advertising. I located the following websites that specialize in home decor how-to information that could be good places to start this process:
//www.decoratorsecrets.com/
//www.free-interior-decorating-ideas.com/
//www.home-decorating-directory.com/
//www.rentaldecorating.com/
//www.1st-in-home-decor.com/
//www.101homeresources.com/
Maybe we could offer a partner system or a special link page on the print site to offer link exchanges with these sites and other sites like them to generate some extra traffic to the site?
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03/25/2003 07:34:56 PM · #17 |
I just posted a suggestion to the thread "what do I do know" but perhaps here would be more appropriate for it...
I think a potential market is friends and family of each person who submits to this site. Surely a challenge topic of "Family Portrait" would create images likely to be sold to multiple people. The challenge can still be creative (you could photograph a family of dogs at the local pound, or birds sitting on a powerline) but it is likely to include faces.
I think this might bring in the family and friends to check the site out, and perhaps they'll even purchase something else while they are there. Of course pricing is important - prices should be aimed at volume sales not profit, unless you have a truly stunning image.
Perhaps there are some other challenge topics which are pre-disposed to sales, but I think one's involving family and friends are the easiest to market - each photographer knows their potential market and can email them personally.
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03/25/2003 07:29:44 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by wingy:
I, along with most college students, can't realistically afford to shell out $15-30 each for some 8x10s to put up. I'd personally love to rack up a bunch of dpc prints.. but my personal budget just doesn't allow for it. I would guess that would be the primary impediment to a strong market of college students. |
I have my 4x6 prints at $2.00 right now for just that reason. You can get decent frames at most thrift stores; I often find a 5x7 or 8x10 wooden frame for $1-2. |
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03/25/2003 07:26:41 PM · #19 |
Find the cheapest frames you're willing to use. Order up a few of your prints.
Using the wallet-size prints would be an easy way to print up a few full-color "business cards" or photo labels which include the DPC Prints URL.
Find someplace which would appreciate art of your style(s) but can't afford it -- nursing homes, schools/day care centers, cafes, medical clinics, etc. Offer to hang the stuff there for a month in exchange for having the contact info posted with the photos.
Some libraries have art available to check out. You can donate a print and take a tax deduction for the retail value. |
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03/25/2003 07:22:51 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by mbardeen:
I think another big market would be college students. They typically are interested in expressing their independence and uniqueness when they first move out of the house. At least I know I was when I moved into my own place. However, I'm not sure how many prints here would have held my interest when I was younger.
I have no idea how to market to them tho...
-Matt |
As a college freshmen I think you're exactly right... sorta. I think a lot of college students would love to have photo prints to post around their rooms and stuff. I happen to have 5 8x10s of my own shots up on my wall right now. However, the thing is, those 5 8x10s cost me $2 each and they are all in $2 walmart frames. I, along with most college students, can't realistically afford to shell out $15-30 each for some 8x10s to put up. I'd personally love to rack up a bunch of dpc prints.. but my personal budget just doesn't allow for it. I would guess that would be the primary impediment to a strong market of college students. |
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03/25/2003 07:17:22 PM · #21 |
Ok, I completely understand now and I will have to comply if I want to sell anything. While I understand the reasoning to have things the way they are I don't agree with it because in the effort to make the process easier for them it limits the purchasers options. We, as sellers can certainly have all sizes of prints available and that certainly is not a bad idea because we have complete control over what the image will look like in print but I just think that the purchaser should still be able to order any print at any aspect ratio. I don't think it is very difficult to provide information on what an image will look like at the size selected and have it understood. This kind of process would need to be considered if someone wanted an 8x10 enlargement from traditional film or when choosing mats and frames. I hope this doesn't come across as a rant. It's just that I have dealt with this issue for quite a while now with my images on other sites and I have finally concluded that I prefer to post one hi res image at the 1:1.33 aspect ratio or other aspect ratio that fits a specific image the best and let the purchaser decide if he likes that or not.
T
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03/25/2003 07:03:46 PM · #22 |
Submit an announcement to the Art Deadlines List and check out other possible ways to get noticed there...he seems to have a lot of art-related links.
How about working out a cross-advertising deal with pBase? We drive traffic there (for additional storage and easy linking) and they can drive folks here (contests and printing capability). Maybe no cash need change hands... |
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03/25/2003 06:47:26 PM · #23 |
There is going to be an ART FESTIVAL here in Celebration, FL ... next weekend .. April 4th-5th .. I'll check it out and see if there are any magazines or print collections or any kind of info that could apply :)
also definitly local colleges and schools are a great target audience :)
I'd also agree with John Setzler .. about the more friendly user webpage addy ...
I can then make vinyl decals saying the website and stick it on my car window for all to see :)
(if anyone else wants one made .. (figure letters are about half inch high - block lettering type and i have all colors) let me know :) - drop me an email and we can get creative!
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03/25/2003 06:27:38 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by timj351:
Ok, it looks like I need to go back to PS and interpolate most of the images up to 18x24 @ 150 dpi. I do not wish to change the aspect ratios of my images by cropping or other means because those ratios are how I feel the images looks best. I generall crop pretty tightly to maximize detail and composition so I don't feel that it is trivial. I figured that the purchasers can either accept the given ratio or change it when they order a print. Other aspect ratios can be selected for a given print, right? thanks for your help, guys. Now I have a bunch of interpolating to do. : /
T |
Prints to the public will only be made available at sizes/ratios which exactly match the file. For example, my 2000x3000 pixel file will be available at 4x6, 8x12, 10x15. At 18x24 it would only be 125 dpi, and not approved.
You can put a white border on there to fill out an image to a desired size. That shouldn't change the look. Customer can mat or trim the print as desired anyway.
For your own, private printing, you can send any image to any size paper you want...
Message edited by author 2003-03-25 18:29:11. |
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03/25/2003 06:24:58 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by timj351:
Other aspect ratios can be selected for a given print, right? |
No, for the same reason I explained before the site went live -- it is entirely up to us to ensure that the buyer gets exactly what he sees on the screen. A buyer who did not understand for whatever reason that his print was going to be cropped (even if shown a preview) will be dissatisfied with his print. And again, I'd much rather put the burden on the seller than the buyer.
For what it's worth, cropping a 1.33 aspect to a 1.25 aspect is very often successful -- taking little to nothing away from the print. Of course, this is entirely dependent on the image itself, but it's worth a shot anyway.
If you're going to upload multiple versions of a print to allow for different aspects of prints, my suggestion would be to upload the one with the most available sizes as the one 'connected' to your challenge entries.
Drew |
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