Building a Global User Community

Michael SmithiStockphoto LP

October 22, 2009

iStockphoto Genesis

• Started in 2000 as small-scale photo sharing site• Connected amateur photographers and provided P2P training

platform. • Server space and bandwidth– not free• Microstock industry is born– $.25/download, contributor gets 25%

• 2003: Digital SLR Camera becomes available for less than $1000/USD– Popularity of digital photography as a hobby increases

Growth

• Collection includes photography, vector illustrations, video clips, and audio clips

• 2005: 4.6 million downloads, 2007: 18.25 million downloads.

• 40,000 new files added to collection every week• 5.6 million files available, with a download initiated

every second, 24/7/365• 2009: $200million projected revenue

Traffic

– Everywhere you look: iStockphoto– http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup.php?id=5503907– http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup.php?id=5213985– http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-450125-business-

group.php – http://www.istockphoto.com/design_spotlight_details.php?ID=26354 – http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-illustration-9928053-bird-life-on-

branches.php – http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-7077589-feeling-caged.php

Production Stats

• 78,000 contributing artists worldwide• $1.2 million in royalties paid every week• Contributors apply, are approved, or

educated.– Anyone is a potential contributor

• Every file is inspected for QA purposes– Approx. 150 worldwide, hand selected– 40,000 files approved every week

Community Building

• Taken from: www.thisisindexed.com

6 Essentials of Community Building

1. Reason– Overall objective/goal/desired outcome for member

agency (behaviour)/activity• Not necessarily stated

– Why does want to be involved?**– iStock: Contributors (Artists)

2. Rules– Your community structure. • Civics. Code of Conduct, including “law enforcement”• Allow for Social Constructivism (feedback)

6 Essentials of Community Building

3. Roles• CLEARLY identify the role of each member– Contributor? Site Admin?– iStock: iconography/Status symbols• Agents of legitimization• Creates perceived hierarchy

– Extrinsic motivation for advancement» People like bling

6 Essentials of Community Building

4. Space• Personalization/Customization– Forums• Customizable avatars, emoticons

• Personification of username– User Profile– Face-to-name makes p2p communication

personal– Blogs

6 Essentials of Community Building5. Activity• Puts the “cult” back in “cultural reproduction”.– Community identity ≈ Corporate identity

• “f5” – iStock community slang– Activity leading to contributor as brand ambassador

• “I’m an iStocker”, “I’m an iStock photographer”• Peer Review/Education• Designer Challenge• Creative Networking• Social Meetups/Workshops (offline)– Contributors host their own photo shoots– iStockalypse

6 Essentials of Community Building

6. Access• Barriers to access to the first five?– Someone to talk to?– Do I understand?– Is my community framework allowing e-

ghettoization?• Are e-ghetto’s effecting global presence online?• Is structure fostering desired agency?

Volks-community

• October 2008: Berlin office opens– Pilot project: Forums auf Deutsch• Global brand already established• English is EVERYWHERE

– Germans already familiar with iStock– Client vs. Contributor– Community access expansion IS localization

» Reproduced user experience = reproduced agency» Passive cultural adaptation of established tradition to

meet regional ethnocultural needs

What do they want?

• German contributors wanted community engagement access

• Problem: Where do we find a self-identified German-iStocker?– Define criteria for forum moderation– Recruit within• Capitalize on bilingualism within existing community

(*2)– Safety in numbers

» Avoid oligarchy

LOTE Forum Success Stories

Within the first month:• P2P education has immediate impacts– Lightbox

• Vetrans become more active in community– Some don’t want to interact in their second language

• Moderators started relaying useful information from the English community, and reporting back to Admins on DE activity (un-prompted)– Volunteers

• Unofficial gatherings Auf Deutsch

Communty/Business Interaction

• Business provides framework• Community self-polices– Ownership of space– Business designates moderator (in case of dispute)

• Advantage of online: selective revocation of access privileges

• Business openly respects and acknowledges value of engaged community members.

• Foster and recognize outstanding contribution

Communty/Business Interaction

The Rewards:• HR without boarders:– Inspectors, moderators, VP, developers, etc.

• Brand Ambassadors– Easy penetration of global markets– Engaged community = Public extension of corporate

culture• Self-identifcation: “I am an iStocker”• Social constructivism/constructionism as by-products of

crowdsourced production– Corporate Cultural Identity and Contributor (Brand) Loyalty

become symbiotic, if not synonymous.

Anthropology ≠ Accounting

• Audience: Expects/wants/demands LOTE forum expansion– Each language group wants to be equal to others– How to quantify/monetize value of community

access to justify this expansion?• “Why do users want to be involved?” – What do they

“get” out of interacting in this community?– All contributors get royalties regardless of forum activity

» User experience has missing element

What’s the buzz?

• Key Themes of DE Forum Communication– Understanding rejections• P2P education for improved production

– Increased time-to-market for locally relevant products

– Social Interaction• Constructivism impacts agency

– “All my friends are…..”, Desired community behavior achieved

– Conduit for non-critical information • (interesting/pertinent staff blog posts)

Missing Link

• P2P education is most readily quantifiable– Reduces contacts– Serves as organic knowledge bank

• Compare P2P impact with other language– Interviews with DE Forum Moderators and JA Staff• Both provide linguistically relevant education to

contributors

Analysis

• Examined:– Contact Volume– Contact duration– Contacts/issue– Labor costs

Findings – the “Haves”• DE community sees increase in forum views/posts. • Increase in posts is approx 50/50 split from new/old

members• Moderators receive “sitemails” (private messages) from

those too shy to ask. Volume remains consistent.• Communication Themes: – Educating/clarifying on rejected uploads messaging– Celebrating/comiserating over individual artist’s sales figures– Site navigation tips– News from iStock EN forum– Networking/organizing offline events.

Findings – the “Have-nots”

• Contacts occur mostly via web support tickets• JA volume in contacts remains consistent.

Contacts usually require multiple interactions for resolution

• Communication themes: – Educating/clarifying on rejected uploads (most)– Site navigation tips

Impacts?

• DE Contributor base: biggest growth year• JA growth rate remains consistent.• DE users arrange native-language events• JA users have no networking opportunities• DE moderators paid small honorarium• JA BD team his salaried staff• “Global” brand?

Thanks for coming!!

Michael Smithmichael.smith@istockphoto.comTwitter: @MichaelAPSmithiStock:

http://www.istockphoto.com/user_view.php?id=3647217