Remember: Customer Referral Promotion!

[Jeff De]

Shutterstock has officially paid out over one billion dollars in contributor earnings. $1,000,000,000!

In recognition of this, for 30 days starting December 10th, 2019, refer a brand new customer to Shutterstock by sharing your referral link to earn 50% of their first image or footage purchase on Shutterstock (up to $200). The same rules apply as with the normal customer referral program, only now we’re sending 30% more money back to you! 

Happy referring! For more information, click here to access your referrals.

[Sari ONeal]

That's really awesome for those who can actually find a customer to refer to!

For the rest of us... not so much

[Fixazh]

'Shutterstock reserves the right to delay payment of your referral earnings for up to 90 days from the date your referred contributor or customer establishes their account'

It's very motivating, very...

[ULD media]

I asked Shutterstock:  " Can I customize my affiliate referral link so that the redirect is not to my portfolio page but to a specific image?
For example, my referral link is: https://www.shutterstock.com/g/photobyUldisAltens?rid=xxxxxxxxx * But I want right away to direct a potential buyer, for example, to this my image: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/xxx-xxx-xx "

The answer was:  "It's a nice idea! But, sorry, it is not possible at this time to customise the referral link and I do not if Shutterstock intend to change that in the future."

* And that's not good

My suggestion: If Shutterstock wants to consider itself an advanced platform in this regard, the ability to refer buyers to specific images on the platform by referral should be provided immediately.

[Phil Lowe]

Just now, ULD media said:

I asked Shutterstock:  " Can I customize my affiliate referral link so that the redirect is not to my portfolio page but to a specific image?
For example, my referral link is: https://www.shutterstock.com/g/photobyUldisAltens?rid=xxxxxxxxx * But I want right away to direct a potential buyer, for example, to this my image: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/xxx-xxx-xx "

The answer was:  "It's a nice idea! But, sorry, it is not possible at this time to customise the referral link and I do not if Shutterstock intend to change that in the future."

* And that's not good

My suggestion: If Shutterstock wants to consider itself an advanced platform in this regard, the ability to refer buyers to specific images on the platform by referral should be provided immediately.

You can make your own link of suggested images for referral.  Just put the images you want into a set, then link to the set.  Or, if you don't want to mess with sets, just copy the "link location" (or image address, whatever it's called) and send it. 

[ULD media]

5 minutes ago, Phil Lowe said:

You can make your own link of suggested images for referral.  Just put the images you want into a set, then link to the set.  Or, if you don't want to mess with sets, just copy the "link location" (or image address, whatever it's called) and send it. 

The point of a referral link is in additional profit opportunities - in that the potential buyer is offered a referral link rather than a regular link to a specific image.

If my image link's normal address, for example, is: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/town-olaine-latvia-23-february-2019-1325883542,- how will look like the referral address specifically to this image? If referral address to my portfolio is:  https://www.shutterstock.com/g/photobyUldisAltens?rid=175512620

 

[GregDPhotos]

6 hours ago, ULD media said:

Can I customize my affiliate referral link so that the redirect is not to my portfolio page but to a specific image?

I don't know if this will actually accomplish the goal, but it might be worth a try:

1. Create a set

2. Get the set's URL (Catalog manager > set > set actions (above the top-right image) > share set (THIS IS DIFFERENT URL than if you copy it from your browser's address bar)

3. Add the following to the set URL:  &utm_medium=email&utm_source=ctrbreferral-link (this is the referral element of the referral link SS provides)

Example: The URL to share my general wildlife set is:  www.shutterstock.com/g/gregordoerr/sets/198377018?rid=189135126

If I add the above referral code, the link I would share is 

www.shutterstock.com/g/gregordoerr/sets/198377018?rid=189135126&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ctrbreferral-link

This link takes you to my general wildlife set AND includes the referral element of the referral link SS provides.

[geogif]

On 12/16/2019 at 5:05 PM, Jeff De said:

Shutterstock has officially paid out over one billion dollars in contributor earnings. $1,000,000,000!

 

Very nice.
But even nicer for SS, because SS gets the main share, not those who took the pictures, tagged them and put them in.
So about $ 3,000,000,000 for SS.
As far as I can remember, one reason for this strange division is that SS invests a lot in marketing and thus ensures sales.
SS. SS does the marketing and promotion. 
Not the Conributor, they have enough to do with the pictures.