Top microstock trends for fall–winter
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What wish would a microstock contributor make for the coming Christmas? Probably that all that’s needed is a plain old fortune‑teller’s crystal ball. After all, if we knew exactly what Shutterstock buyers and other microstock customers would be searching for this year, working with stock sites would be much easier, and more money would trickle in to spend on gifts for family and friends.
Unfortunately, predicting the future is impossible, but there are a few useful tools that help form assumptions about which stock images will be most popular over the next few months of this year.
Naturally, the most logical assumption is that Christmas and New Year imagery is and will remain in demand. According to the Shutterstock keyword trends tool, which reveals keyword dynamics, searches for “Christmas” consistently rise throughout fall, with last year’s peak landing in the fourth week of November.
So if there is a plan to upload some images to Shutterstock for the coming winter holidays, now is the time!
But what else can be anticipated for the popular stock search list besides Christmas content? Using the keyword trend tool and Google search statistics, and based on the gathered data, here is a forecast of what else may trend this year.
5 fall-winter upload trends
Here are 5 forecasts for contributors indicating what buyers want for the holidays.
Humor
Related queries: jokes, laughter, reindeer, elves
Shutterstock buyer searches for “humor” and “funny” peak in December.
And according to Google statistics, searches for “Christmas images” are strongly semantically related to “Christmas humor”.
Gold
Related queries: bells, ornaments, candles, wrapping paper
It can be assumed (quite correctly) that searches for “red” and “green” rise toward the holiday season. But did you know the same happens with “gold”?
It is a festive color signaling style and sophistication – a stock trend set by leading decor magazines. So go ahead and gild the lily, or whatever is currently in production.
Greeting cards
Related queries: square vector graphic with room for copy
“Greeting card” is another December leader every year. To better understand what buyers want, search Shutterstock for “Christmas Card” and sort by popularity.
The most popular are square vector graphics, clear and elegant, easy to adapt to a buyer’s needs. This is when buyers seek a quick way to greet clients, friends, and family with a beautiful holiday card in print or digital form.
Nature
Related queries: trees, snow, winter animals
No matter where someone is from or which holidays are celebrated, beautiful nature photography is appreciated by everyone. Scenic landscapes are a great way to convey the season’s mood with a universal, international visual language that needs no translation.
Images and photos of stunning winter scenes are traditionally popular on Shutterstock and other stock photography sites.
Also popular: snowflakes, penguins, polar bears, and illustrations with bare tree branches.
DIY crafts
Related queries: DIY, knitting, baking, handmade
Due to the economic downturn over the past few years, searches for “homemade Christmas” and “cheap Christmas” have increased, which is also reflected in Google Trends.
Unsurprisingly, people are looking for affordable crafts they can make at home with their families.
Images of simple handmade wreaths, home baking, gingerbread houses, knitted sweaters and mittens, and other homemade art will remain popular this year.
Source: www.shutterstock.com/buzz/5-holiday-image-trends-for-2012
This article is available in the following categories: About Microstocks, 123RF, Depositphotos, Dreamstime, Fotolia, Istockphoto, Shutterstock
I couldn’t find a contact form on your site. That’s why I’m writing in the comments. This is not related to the article above. Please tell me. I bought several photos on Fotolia.ru. Why did I see these photos on three other sites via the service https://www.tineye.com/? Doesn’t the exclusive right transfer to me when I buy photos from a stock agency? Please reply.
Oleg, please read the contract between the buyer and the service carefully and pay attention to the type of license under which the purchase is made. Almost all sales on microstocks are conducted under terms that differ from exclusive ones. Images under exclusive licenses are significantly more expensive and are not sold on all stocks (you can find such on Dreamstime and on midstocks). You might have confused an exclusive image (one sold only on this stock) with an exclusive license (essentially, an exclusive right to use).
Moreover, unfortunately, not all buyers are conscientious; there are those who use pirated content. If you suspect that other sites are using stolen images, you can write to the support of the stock where you bought it or ask the site owner directly.
Also, services like “Tineye” are mainly intended for image authors. This way, we can track those pirates, protecting the rights of our buyers. Or see clearly how a particular image was used.
Good luck!