Archive notice: This article was originally published on February 3, 2010. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Good news for bloggers: WordPress users can now access the Fotolia image database directly from their blogging software with a new Microstock Photo Plugin. The plugin was developed by microstock insiders Lee Torrens and Amos Struck and can now be downloaded free of charge at http://www.microstockplugin.de.
Based on Fotolia’s API, the open programming interface in the microstock field, bloggers can choose from more than eight million royalty-free images from the European microstock market leader and integrate them directly into their posts - without leaving WordPress. Another highlight: based on the blog tags, the app suggests Fotolia images that match the post’s subject. Selected images are then automatically integrated into the relevant blog posts. Fotolia images are available at prices starting from one euro, include a standard licence and can be used for an unlimited period.
Bloggers also have the opportunity to earn money by participating in the Fotolia affiliate programme: every time one of their readers follows an image link, opens a Fotolia account and downloads an image, the blogger receives a commission. This is immediately credited in the form of credits and is available to purchase further images or can be paid out from a balance of 50 credits. Further information about Fotolia’s affiliate programme is available at http://de.fotolia.com/Info/Affiliation.
“Thanks to our powerful and unique API, the Microstock Photo Plugin offers bloggers two advantages at once: easy integration of attractive image material at unbeatable prices and the opportunity to earn money through the use of Fotolia images,” said Murat Erimel, Director Marketing and Media Relations GSA at Fotolia.
To get started, WordPress users download the plugin free of charge at http://www.microstockplugin.de and install it. They then follow the link and register with Fotolia free of charge. Once the Fotolia account has been set up, they can begin. To participate in the Fotolia affiliate programme and benefit from additional commissions, interested parties simply activate the affiliate programme with one click in the plugin.
