Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why should a photo agency do this?
A. One decision covers a batch of key marketing needs. Stock photography is the first area of implementation of Extreme Niche Marketing (ENM). Three years in development, the ENM process and network have been tested and proven effective for stock photography. ENM satisfies multiple marketing needs for those who license stock photos to image users by balancing, monitoring and evolving cost effective and cohesive marketing methods that leverage results beyond the value of any single component. ENM combines Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Paid Search, Vertical Search and Display Banner Advertising with the extensive search engine experience of StockPhotoFinder.com, the stock photo search engine.
Q. How much does it cost?
A. Because the marketing network for stock photography is already established and proven, initial setup fees to create the network are waived. Only per ad fees apply for stock photography. (For new subject areas, there is a per client set up fee of about $38,000, depending on the subject and customization.)
There are three types of pricing – Marketing Links, Search Boxes, Display Banner Ads.
Marketing Links are priced per web domain and per keyword or multi-word phrase (per subject). For every 100 keywords selected, links are placed in several locations on at least five web pages associated with that subject. Link pricing is based on the following variables:
- The Domain (choose from 30+ domains, such as all-stock-photography.com, all-medical-photos.com, all-animal-photos.com, etc.)
- The Link Type (include multiple links per subject from specific images, free text description in Recommended Resources or Recommended Links sections, or inclusion in the Top Five lists)
- Duration (choose a 6 or 12 months cycle or a customized time frame)
Search Boxes enable users to execute a search directly in your web site from the marketing web site. Live Search Boxes can be placed above or within Top Five lists.
Display Banner Ads come in three sizes for two time periods. For six or twelve months, ad sizes are 120x60 pixels, 468x60 pixels, and 160x600 pixels. Display ads appear across the entire network of 30+ web sites.Pricing of Extreme Niche Marketing Links, Search Boxes and Display Banner Ads.
Q. How can Extreme Niche Marketing cost so little?
A. In major search engines where bidding is concentrated on a few dozen key stock photo subjects, the Cost Per Click (CPC) has reached several dollars per sales lead. By contrast, ENM's marketing network for stock photography has 250,000 subjects. The ENM strategy is to harvest value from large quantities of low-volume subjects. The ENM process is substantially automated so that data gathered can be put into action cost effectively, which allows for lower rates than it would cost to combine similar services from other qualified providers.
See our video to learn more about cost comparisons and functionality of the automated processes:
Video on Search Marketing Costs, Functionality and Strategy.
Q. How do I pick photo keywords to use?
A. The best way to select subjects for Search Marketing is to compare the keywords from your database of images with the keywords actually being searched. By comparing your inventory (the quantity of images you have for each keyword) with what’s being searched, a prioritized list can be created that matches the most searched words with your strongest subjects on file. It maximizes your Return on Investment to market the most popular words for which you have a big selection of images for buyers. You would not want to pay for a word that has no images on file at your agency, even if it is a commonly searched word. You can do this analysis internally with the search statistics of your web site. For an additional fee, we can also provide this service. We can compare millions of searches at the stock photo search engine at StockPhotoFinder.com with all the keywords that you provide us. (Enter your email above for our White Paper, which has more detailed recommendations for determining your subject inventory.)
Q. Why is Extreme Niche Marketing so effective?
A. Extreme Niche Marketing combines customer profile and user habits with internal research to identify the interests of those potential customers who want your product or service. ENM then analyzes and assigns related keywords that are most likely to be searched by this target audience. From this, ENM creates a series of hundreds of web sites that precisely target each subject by keyword or phrase. These sites are super-saturated with text, search and image links to landing pages. Extreme Niche Marketing attracts customers with interests aligned to your product, then guides them to your web site by providing the targeted subject they seek and associating it with your product or service. (For its first market, ENM has built a marketing network of 30+ domains for stock photography.)
Q. Why is this type of marketing different?
A. Few companies offer the comprehensive, cost effective and targeted reach of Extreme Niche Marketing. Any attempt to replicate ENM’s unique marketing approach would require the combined expertise of multiple services, including search engine optimization (SEO), an ad agency, computer programming, keyword analysis and web design. ENM delivers speed of execution at the lowest possible cost in a way that maximizes Return On Investment for your marketing dollars.
Q. Can any product benefit from Extreme Niche Marketing?
A. Yes, Extreme Niche Marketing can be applied to much more than stock photography. However, ENM is selective about the projects it accepts, choosing those that are the most likely to succeed. The most relevant indicator of success is clearly identifying the overlapping subject from which thousands of marketing words can be derived. As of this writing, we are building a marketing community on the subject of “green” renewables. In our evaluation of green subjects, there is an ample supply of over 5,000 related words or phrases, a large quantity of searches for those words (about 180,000 daily), and an explosion of interest in eco-friendly products, services and information. ENM is most effective when it precisely targets the interests and passions of your clients and overlaps user interest in your product or service with a similar interest in clearly defined, related subjects that are frequently sought online in search engines. (Stock Photography is a perfect example.) It is most helpful to know why clients like your product and what emotional triggers drive them to use your product, a discovery process that we can help with. Ask us how ENM can grow web traffic and sales for your product or service. Call us at (212) 929-6965.
Q. How long does it take to see results?
A. For new markets, it requires a few months to study market dynamics, create the automation templates and establish a network of hundreds of marketing web sites. (For existing networks, such as stock photography, this time is already invested.) Search engines then index and rank these web pages at their leisure. Growth in traffic, search engine position, Alexa rankings and qualified sales leads will begin about 30-90 days after initiating a campaign online and grow steadily for many months as natural page rankings of the network sites and of the landing pages evolve. To appreciate the benefits, six months are needed to ramp up traffic. It is recommended to include paid display advertising in the ENM network and via Google Adwords, which our company can also manage for you. (Our free White Paper details why banner ads are important for organic search results).
Q. What do we need to do to benefit from Extreme Niche Marketing?
A. For the stock photography marketing network, you will gain the greatest benefit by including your images in StockPhotoFinder.com, the stock photo search engine. For links to your web site, it is recommended to have specific web pages that best capture and convert traffic from ENM, leading clients to an action. These “landing pages” can serve a range of purposes, such as selling or renting products or services, surveys, information request forms and other customer-targeted activities. You will need to prepare banner ads and provide keywords to target (or, we can help you do this). And, you'll need to pay for the service, of course.
Steps To Participate, Pricing And How It Works.
Q. How can I track results?
A. You will receive automated emails with detailed statistics for your display ad banners that appear in marketing sites, including the quantity of page impressions for that ad and how many times a user clicked on the link to your web site (the “CTR” and “Click Through Rate”). These emails can be sent daily, weekly or monthly at your preference. Tracking of links to your web site can be done by adding referral text to the link URL. (This is explained in the White Paper). And, for links from the StockPhotoFinder Image Search Engine, a variable is passed in the URL that identifies the exact client, so that user actions can be tracked by you until a sale occurs.
Q. How can I get the free White Paper on Search Marketing?
A. Simple. Enter your email address at the top of this page and our free white paper entitled "How To Leverage Search Marketing For Stock Photographers" will be emailed to you. Or, call (212) 929-6965 and we'll be happy to assist you with this and other questions.
Q. How do I order the ENM service?
A. To begin marketing, give us a call at (212) 929-6965. Portions of this unique service are customized to your needs beyond the ENM Pricing and instructions on Get Started With ENM. Upon establishing a plan that best serves your needs, we accept payment by check, bank transfer, Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Monthly payment plans are available for major accounts.
