Struggling to make money with your stock photos? You’re not alone. Many creators face the challenge of standing out and generating consistent income. This post shares four unique tips to boost your stock photo sales. These aren’t the usual tips you’ll find elsewhere. They’re based on real experience, designed to help you see tangible results. Plus, we’ll answer some of the most pressing questions from our audience, addressing common concerns and offering practical solutions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBV7coSJkyo

Debunking Stock Photo Myths

A common belief is that you need vectors and transparent PNGs to succeed in stock photography. While these formats have their place, they aren’t the only path to success. Focusing solely on them can waste time, especially when you’re starting out.

Tip #1: JPEGs are Your Friend (and Can Be Highly Profitable)

High-quality JPEGs and regular PNGs can be just as effective as more complex formats. I have uploaded tens of thousands of images that are neither vectors nor transparent PNGs. In fact, these make up the vast majority of my successful uploads! Instead of wrestling with complex formats, concentrate on creating great content and getting your images online. Prioritize quality over complexity.

Here’s a quick look at different image formats:

• JPEG: Great for photos, smaller file size.
• PNG: Good for graphics, supports transparency.
• Vector: Scalable graphics, often used for logos.

Goal Setting

Tip #2: Structure Your Goals with Analytics

Most people set goals wrong. Goals should be based on effort, not outcome. Aiming to make $10,000 isn’t an effective goal because you can’t fully control the outcome. You can control your effort.

Think of LeBron James. He can’t guarantee every shot will go in. But he can control how many shots he practices, increasing his chances of success during a game. We can apply the same principle to stock photography.

Actionable Steps: Analyzing Your Accounts

Let’s say you have two accounts on Adobe Stock.

Account 1: You uploaded 217 images in 30 days and got one download.
Account 2: You uploaded 217 images in 30 days and got two downloads.

Account 2 is already performing better. If your goal is to get one download per day, you need to multiply the effort in Account 1 by 30. Sales don’t magically appear. You need to put in the work.

Here are steps you can take to analyze your accounts and improve your results:

1. Track uploads and downloads for each account over a 30-day period.
2. Calculate the ratio of uploads to downloads.
3. Set a goal to improve that ratio (e.g., increase downloads by 10% in the next 30 days).
4. Adjust your effort (number of uploads, quality of images, etc.) to achieve your goal.
5. Re-evaluate your progress after 30 days and adjust your strategy as needed.

Breaking Down Variables and Improving Conversion Rates

Think of stock photo sales like a math problem. List all the variables, such as image creation, tagging, and submission. Then, figure out which ones you can change to improve your conversion rate.

Here are a few variables and how to improve them:

• Image Creation:
  • Improve software quality.
  • Use better prompts.
• Tagging:
  • Improve tag accuracy.
  • Automate the process.
• Submission:
  • Title improvements.

Time Management and Automation

Tip #3: Don’t Spend Unnecessary Time on This Business

This might sound crazy, but the stock photo business shouldn’t consume your life. If you’re spending 5-8 hours a day on it, you’re either producing an enormous amount of content or wasting time. Aim for minimal input and maximum output. I use machines to create images, increase their quality, and automate tags and titles. This takes me about 10 minutes a day but produces hundreds, even thousands, of images.

To make this happen, you’ll need to invest in the right tools. An AI image generator and multiple accounts are key.

Delegation, Automation, Segmentation: Your Time-Saving Trinity

• Delegation: Pass off tasks to others, whether people or software. If you’re creating images manually or editing photos, find ways to delegate those tasks.
• Automation: Automate processes like image creation, tagging, and titling. You can automate image creation, tagging, and titling.
• Segmentation: Segment your time to focus on specific tasks. Spend 30 days creating images, then 30 days submitting them.

Your goal should be to free up time for other income sources. This business shouldn’t take a lot of time. If it is, you’re not doing it right.

Automation is Key

Tip #4: Automation is a Must

Automation is no longer optional, it’s essential. If you’re not using software and AI tools, you’re slowing yourself down dramatically and won’t be competitive. For every minute you spend working manually, a machine can do 100 times the effort. When you sleep, the machine works. When you eat, the machine works.

Automating Creation and Submission

• Creation: Automate image creation with AI tools. The fastest & easiest tagging process is to use AI.
• Submission: Automate tagging and titling with software tools.

If you can’t automate both right away, start with one.

Audience Q&A

• Lan Puma’s Question: Uploading videos vs. vectors.

  Videos can generate more income, but the quality and cost of automation aren’t quite there yet for me. When the cost decreases and quality improves, I’ll jump in.

• New’s Question: Average percentage of sales for 1,000 images.

  The longer images are online, the higher the chance they’ll be downloaded.

• Lulu’s Question: Blog and ebook course.

  I don’t have a course yet because there’s so much content to cover. Maybe in the future!

• Lovely Hernandez’s Question: Tax deductions.

  Tax deductions aren’t only for LLCs. If you’re a sole proprietor, you can still deduct business expenses.

• Abdullah’s Question: Low sales with 11,000 images.

  $20 a month for 11,000 images is too low. It’s likely an issue with your tags, titles, or image quality. Customers are willing to pay for images, so you need to make sure they are great.

Closing

Do you have any more questions? Leave them in the comments below! I’m happy to answer questions about taxes, LLCs, ebooks, or anything related to passive income. Let’s make 2025 a year of financial success.