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Pro Tip: Adding Tags To Your Existing Work

Taking care of your metadata is the most critical thing you can do. It is the difference between a buyer discovering and purchasing your content vs. your item appearing on the 10th page. If you feel unsure about the best practices around metadata, check out our Master Your Metadata post.

Add seasonal tags to your work to take advantage of periodic trends. These tags will help surface your relevant content in front of the right buyers. To find inspiration and to think about keywords, see our guide on Keywords and Concepts to find the right ones for your work.

 

Types of events to consider

Seasonal events – A seasonal event is a recurring event that takes place at approximately the same time. Examples include Halloween, 4th of July, Juneteenth, National Cherry Blossom Festival, Superbowl, Met Ball, Oscars, World Cup, or recurring customs, such as Back to School.

  • Examples of tags you can use related to kids playing on a playground:
    kindergarten, preschool, school, summer break, back to school, scholars, pupils, classmates, free time, leisure, family time, education, virtual classroom, distance learning, start of school, start of term, semester, etc.

Current Events – Current events live for a certain period and are highly searched because people talk about them for example, Coronavirus, the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, etc.

  • Examples of tags you can use for healthcare related content:
    COVID, Covid-19, COVID19, Coronavirus, pandemics, Respirators, FFP2, social distancing,…

On the News Events – These events are trending on the news currently, such as economics, cryptocurrencies, and political topics.

  • Examples of tags you can use for news related content:
    Midterms, Politics, Elections, The Congress, Go Vote, but also concrete keywords and special keywords from us, from social media, etc. Midterms2022, US Midterms, USElections2022, Primaries 2022 etc.

Extra Pro Tip: Always remember to update the year for recurring events like EURO, Midterm elections, Presidential elections, Olympics, etc.
Midterms 2018 > Midterms 2022

Location, date, and event are essential, especially when editing editorial footage. While editing the description, titles, and keywords, don’t forget these details.

Example:

  • Title: Vote Center, Indiana, May 3, 2022 – People In Queue, Voting, Primaries, Midterms
  • Description: Acton UMC Vote Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA (May 3, 2022), A queue of people holding ballots in front of the local polling station.
  • Keywords: Midterms, Midterms 2022, US Primaries, May Primaries, Primaries Indiana, Midterms Indiana, Indianapolis, People, Crowd, Ballot, Queue, Elections, Voting, US Congress, Senate, House of Representatives, Go Vote, Politics, Politicians, Democrats, Republicans, Polling, Polling Station, Precinct, etc.

 

When to add current tags to your media?

Utilize Your Pond5 Guide to the Year and Data and Trends for insights on when it’s best to enrich your content with additional tags.

The ideal timing for adding new tags is essential. Our buyers plan their campaigns months in advance, so you should plan at least two months before the event, holiday, or season.
For example, if you have a video of people playing football, add the relevant keywords referring to the finals three months ahead of the event. Also, think of different keywords for different countries – both football and soccer should be there!

Example: A generic close up video of a football player may have different tags throughout the whole year:

The first set of keywords might refer to a local league – Premier League, United Kingdom, Uk Premier League Soccer Association, The Football Association, The FA
Another set of keywords may refer to an upcoming World Cup – 2022 World Cup, FIFA 2022, FIFA Qatar, Now is All, 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, etc.
You can consider specific keywords for UEFA EURO, Champion League, etc.

Soccer Player Makes A Kick by haizon.

 

Think of concepts

The way you look at your work isn’t always the way your potential buyer sees it. Always think of both sides of the story and prepare your metadata for everyone!

Example: If you have a shot of roasted bacon, you can use words like
crispy, yummy, delicious, BBQ, burger, etc.,
but also unhealthy, fat, junk food, obesity, civilization disease, high blood pressure, cancer, etc.

 

How To Add Keywords?

Follow the steps below or visit Your Pond5 Guide to Keywords for a more in-depth guide. Add as many descriptive keywords as possible up to a limit of 50 for each upload.

  1. Navigate to your My Uploads section by clicking on your avatar and selecting Uploads from the dropdown menu.
  2. Search for the file you want to edit. For a better understanding of your dashboard, check out this guide.
  3. Click on the number on the right in the “TAGS” column.
  4. Add your tags, and once you are finished, click on “Submit”.
  5. Reload the page – you should be able to see the new number of tags.

And that’s it! See? You can always enhance your previously uploaded batches of content so use the advantage of adding new tags and start increasing the sale potential of your existing uploads.

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Buyer Requests: Women in Football, 4th of July, Road Trips

Most Wanted in June

Hot summer days are lurking, and our buyers are getting ready for their summer holiday campaigns. Grab a glass of your favorite summer cocktail and check out the following top topics in demand: Women in Football, 4th of July, and Road Trips!

Women in Football

Women in Football

USE THIS KEYWORD: BRWOMENFOOTBALL2022
With the upcoming UEFA Women’s Euro football tournament in England in July 2022, the demand for media assets with a women’s football theme is increasing. Buyers want footage, photos, illustrations, sound effects, and music tracks. This fun theme is suitable for all artists!

Shot List Thought Starters

  • Women’s referees, Women’s football officials, coaches, medics, etc.
  • Girls playing football in the backyard with their friends, siblings, or parents.
  • Close-up shots of a woman in sports getting ready to play. Slow-motion shots of putting on the protectors, tying the shoelaces, etc.
  • Women at practice running at different angles and speeds taken at various shot sizes. Film slow motion, normal pace, close-ups, full shots, over-the-shoulder shots, etc.
  • POV shots from the player’s perspective as a goalkeeper, defense, offense, or other positions.
  • Sound effects associated with football like whistles, crowds, or cheering.
  • Motivational and high energy music tracks to fit the topic.

Suggested Keywords

Football, women in football, UEFA, UEFA EURO, UEFA Women’s EURO, ​​UEFA Women’s Euro 2022

Target Group

All groups, but specifically ad agencies, corporate clients, non-profit organizations, TV production companies, etc.

PRO TIP

  • Buyers prefer clips cleared for commercial use. To qualify, these shots should never show logos or 3rd party intellectual property. Jerseys with names on them require a signed property release from the owner and a signed model release from the person or people wearing them. Uniquely designed buildings, such as stadiums in England, require a signed property release from the owner. Please avoid logos on stadiums and banners. Any recognizable person in the clip should sign a model release.
  • We highly recommend considering diverse actors or models of all ages, ethnicities, races, religions, genders, or sexual orientations.
  • Choosing proper metadata is crucial for our search algorithm. Never stuff your metadata with irrelevant keywords.
  • Please stay safe! Do not enter any owned land or property without permission.
4th of July

4th of July

USE THIS KEYWORD: BR4THJULY2022
Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence of the United States on July 4, 1776. Celebrations include spectacular fireworks, parades, public events, family gatherings, and BBQs in the backyards. Many agencies and non-profit organizations are already planning their July 4th campaigns, creating a tremendous opportunity for you!

Shot List Thought Starters

  • Commercially cleared footage of friends and families gathering on July 4, spending time outdoors, eating, drinking, barbecuing, etc.
  • Friends, couples, and families enjoying watching the fireworks together.
  • Editorial footage of parades, people in the streets, waving American flags, celebrating the holiday.
  • American flags hung from houses or buildings, and people dressed in patriotic (red, white, and blue) clothing.
  • Local public events and workshops associated with the Independence Day.
  • Editorial footage of your local politicians giving public speeches, shaking hands with the crowds, etc. (use the special code USElections2022 as well!)
  • Music and sound effects such as, patriotic music tracks and the sound of fireworks.

Suggested Keywords

Independence Day, 4th of July, July 4, Patriotic, National holiday, Federal holiday, etc.

Target Group

All groups, but specifically ad agencies, corporate clients, and non-profit organizations.

Road Trips

Road Trips

USE THIS KEYWORD: BRROADTRIPS2022
Summer encourages us to spend time outdoors and take our adventures on the road! If you plan to go on a trip, take a camera with you and share your journey with our buyers! The demand for summer footage is rising.

Shot List Thought Starters

  • Commercially cleared shots of friends packing for their holiday trips on the road.
  • Take shots of vans, large cars, and even buses remodeled for sleeping. Capture the car’s interior, the sleeping area, the dining area, etc.
  • POV shots of the driver on a highway – stay safe, please!
  • People gathered around a bonfire playing the guitar, singing, sleeping, etc., with a car in the background.
  • Shots of people looking at the map and planning their road trip.
  • Shots of a person changing a tire or repairing the car.
  • Families on a road trip.

Suggested Keywords

Roadtrip, caravan, rebuilt van, on the road, summer trip, summer vacation, etc.

Target Group

All groups, especially ad agencies and TV productions.

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Everything You Need To Know About Pond5 + Shutterstock

Pond5 is now a Shutterstock company! We’re thrilled to become part of the Shutterstock family. Along with previous Shutterstock acquisitions – such as PremiumBeat, Turbosquid, and PicMonkey – we form an unrivaled creative platform with unprecedented reach.

 

Why is Pond5 being acquired by Shutterstock?

With more than 31 million licensable video clips – and 15,000 new videos uploaded every day – and a best-in-class search experience, Pond5 is uniquely positioned to meet the content needs of multimedia creators. Additionally, Shutterstock recognizes what an amazing community and brand we have built – thanks to our remarkable artists – and they want to support us in the next phase of our journey.

 

Is Pond5 being rebranded as Shutterstock or some other name?

The Pond5 brand stands for something special – a one-of-a-kind community of millions of buyers and sellers interacting, transacting, and creating together. There are no plans to change that – Pond5 will continue to operate as a standalone marketplace for the foreseeable future, under the same brand and team.

 

What if I’m already licensing my content through both sites? Will my accounts be merged?

Nope, your accounts will not be connected – your content will exist on both Pond5 and Shutterstock and you will continue to receive payouts from both companies as you currently do. In time, we’ll find ways to simplify the experience for you but nothing is imminent.

 

Should I continue uploading new content to Pond5?

Yes! Pond5 isn’t going anywhere – keep uploading content and referring traffic as you normally would! If you also contribute to Shutterstock, continue to upload new content to that marketplace as you would normally.

 

Has the Pond5 Contributor Agreement changed?

Nope.

 

Has my Pond5 royalty rate changed?

Your Pond5 royalty rate remains unchanged. If you happen to license on Shutterstock as well, your royalty rate there also remains unchanged.

 

Will my content now appear on Shutterstock?

We expect to distribute some content through Shutterstock’s marketplace. If your Pond5 content is distributed through Shutterstock, you will still receive payment through Pond5 (the same way our other reseller partnerships function).

 

Do I need to take any action?

You don’t need to take any action whatsoever. Your experience on Pond5 remains the same, and we will continue to operate in the same way that we do now.

 

Do I now contact Shutterstock instead of Pond5 when I have questions or issues?

Nope, you should continue to contact Pond5. If you have any further questions, please reach out to Customer Support at support@pond5.com .

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Juneteenth Call Out For Artists

On June 19th this year, Pond5 will be celebrating our third-annual Juneteenth fundraiser. To honor the anniversary of the final announcement of the end of slavery, each year we raise funds for two organizations whose mission matches our own; to support the marginalized and empower the underrepresented through creative expression. Over the past few years we’ve supported organizations like National Black Arts Festival, Second Chance Studios, and Queer|Art. We’re excited to announce our partner organizations in June.

In addition to cultivating relationships outside of Pond5, support of our own creative community is paramount to our mission. We partner with a diverse range of artists to give opportunities for exposure within the marketplace, and surface inclusive content that creators need to tell their stories.

As we celebrate Juneteenth, we’re excited to put together a collection of clips and tracks by diverse artists in our community. We’d love to hear from you if you’d like to be featured in this collection! Please share your storefront with us and a collection of content that is most representative of your background and culture, and we’ll do our best to include them in this celebratory collection.

Share your work with us