Today I have a new question about watermarks. I noticed that some paysite have a logo as watermark with the name of the site. Some other paysite have the full URL watermarked. Did you ever tested what is working better to protect the clips and to brand the paysite?
Re: Logo or URL watermark?
If you give people your full website URL watermarked on your content - clips and images - then you achieve both the branding and the protection.
Your market is online, so it is more important that they see your web address then your logo.
Especially if your clips are showing up on the tube sites (legal or illegal), the website branding will at least tell those interested where they came from. And, possible lead to some paying traffic.
I go with the web address now - it keeps all your options open and covers your ass at the same time.
Re: Logo or URL watermark?
Mary is totally right! Badpuppy has offered the website url “badpuppy.com” on an outer edge of every model image since the first photo set went online, way back when Al Gore first created the Internet.
Over the years we’ve had past members, present members and fellow business associates alert us to images being used and in many instances, the end result allowed us to point the webmaster in the right direction, teaching them about affiliate programs and working with other companies in exchange for use of their image or video content and make money at the same time.
Additionally we have a drop down box on our subscribe page that lists places we advertise, both in print and online and ask the user to select how they heard about Badpuppy and we also have a field for “other” and we’ve had many write ins to that field over the years where the users says they heard about Badpuppy from a picture on another site, that had our web address on it!
Having at least your site url on the images and video clips is a smart way to go!