Help needed testing new photography site

We will soon be launching a new photography web site, aimed at helping photographers use their existing images to add a new stream of passive, residual income to their revenue.

We are looking for two or three photographers (professional or experienced amateur) to help us beta test the site, by going through the sign up process and uploading a few images.

This is not paid work (so please don't ask), but the benefit to you is that you will be one of the first online on this new site, putting you in a good position to generate revenue from it in the near future. If you have a couple of hours free to help us out with this then please drop us a private message stating:

Amateur / professional
How many years experience
Top 2 locations you have photos of that you would be able to upload
Top 2 photographic techniques you have used that you would be able to upload (e.g. I have some great long exposure of sea photos)
Location (country)
Your online portfolio (Flickr/500px etc)

Many thanks

Paul

This seems to be your first visit here, Bappoo. That does not add any level of trust in your proposition.

My first question is what is your initial launch marketing budget?
My second question is what is your annual marketing budget for each of the next three years after launch?

It is always good to have additional revenue streams but no one is going to buy my images if they don't know your site exists, hence the above questions.

Not to mention as somebody completely new and strange to everybody here, you provide no links with more info about your operation but expect people to blindly send (upload) salable hi-res files to you?

One of the newest to join the fray is Crated. They are officially still in beta. I was hesitant to upload files to them at first, but they were much more open about who, what, when, where, and why they were all about.

We know nothing about you, but you want to know everything about us plus you want us to send you negotiable files?

Don't mean to be mean, here. Just honest. To be sure you will get a few PM's, but you probably won't get much from those who are already currently selling successfully on other sites.

I think even new members can be given a chance if they provide information. Explain your idea on how photographers will generate revenue by giving you free images. If the idea is feasible you will get a few beta testers, if not photographers will give you their idea on why they will not be participating.

Many photographers from professional to hobbyists look at there work as personal property, similar to money, If I give this to you what are you doing with it and why?

This reminds me of a poor Dragons Den pitch, yes you might be nice and truthful, and this might actually do me well, but prove it.

It's been four days since the original post. It has become somewhat apparent to me the OP's level of communication in trying to answer the concerns of users in this forum is equal to the sincerity of intent: and that is: non-existent.

My guess is it was somebody who signed into many forums, made posts like this, got what they want for whatever purpose intended, and have no plans on coming back and/or supplying more info. No reason to waste any more time here. I'm gone.

Thanks for your feedback everyone, I hope I can address your concerns. I agree that I am not a known and trusted member, so I appreciate you taking the time to respond and not simply excluding me because of my lack of status.

We do not have large budgets for marketing but we do have some and a fair bit of experience in how to make small budgets go a long way in the world of internet marketing. You are correct that if the site is not known customers will not come, so it is in our interests as well as those of our members to promote the site. We would hope this is not a factor that would lead you to not be involved in our beta test, as that is simply to help check the site functionality.

We are not looking for hi res images here. We believe this is a new model in earning from photography which does not require hi res uploads.

We will not be making the concept of our site public until it is launched because we want to retain our competitive advantage. Anyone involved in the beta test will be asked to maintain confidentiality. We will of course provide full information about the site and how it works to everyone who does get involved in the beta test.

Whilst helping us out with this will not take a huge amount of your time, it will take some and you must be willing to take part simply out of a willingness to help us launch what might turn out to be a useful service for photographers at some point in the future. There are no guarantees and of course, once you have communicated with us and agreed to confidentiality, there is nothing to force you to continue your participation.

Please do let us know if you have any further queries.

Many thanks

Paul

So you do have a budget, but don't want to spend any of it on UAT?

Good luck with that.

Fernando wrote in post #16950120
So you do have a budget, but don't want to spend any of it on UAT?

Good luck with that.

That is correct Fernando, we wish to keep our expenditure to a minimum so that we can reserve as much as possible for marketing. Obviously if we are forced to spend on UAT then we will, but I don't think that will be the case.