Questions about the correct use of cover images/videos in Collections outreach

[James]

Hi Creators, 

I'm creating this thread so we can help with any questions from the outreach for correct/intended use of cover images/videos in a collections media manager. This way, we can collaborate and help each other resolve any questions. 

The email highlighted the misuse of single product images in a Collections Media Manager, which might cause confusion in line with intended use in the Marketplace and Search. 

Please only comment in this thread with questions regarding this subject directly. We all love a chit chat but this can sometimes drown out the genuine concerns of a topic. 😊

Thank you so much

James H. 

[cutencomfy]

I'm also confused by this email.  From my observation/understanding, collections that are not specifically Cross-Sell/Event Suite (specifically Weddings and a couple others) do not show a "Collection Cover Image" on the product pages. Many of the collections I was contacted about are other types of collections, that don't show a collection cover image. Seems like I'd be wasting my time adding collection cover images to collections that don't show the image. It takes a lot of skill, time and effort to create a collection cover image with multiple products at 1480dpi. It's a lot to ask if we have no idea the value or visibility.

[Jermolinaart]

Same issue here. 90% of the collections have cover photos with 3-7 products.

[Tania]

I was so excited to receive an email with personalized insights to enhance visibility of some of my collections.
However, all of the collections listed already have multi-product cover photos and some also have video, like this one:

Whilst I think these images are OK, the system clearly thinks they are single product images and is giving them reduced visibility. So how do we stop them from being deleted? And, at least in the flagged cases, what can we do to enhance visibility?

Is it possible the media images have just not registered with the system (even though they appear on product pages) and we just need to reupload them?

Thank you

[Echo]

I don't understand why I received this email with a list of collections that need updated covers. It's not going to work because they are not "cross-sell" collections. The "primary" cover image only works in cross-sell collections.

[Jstonge]

I think this is one of those situations where a group of people from a company sit down and brainstorm and think they have come up with a good idea when it is not.  We use to call it group think.  I believe Zazzle needs to take a second look at this.  While it's okay to encourage individuals to make cover photos with multiple products, it doesn't warrant an all or nothing policy.  That meaning, if you don't have multiple items on your cover photo then Zazzle is removing the one you do have.  Seems like wasted time and effort.  How can it be preferable to have no cover photo over one that has just one image.  Seems like more of a punitive measure rather than something that would result in more sales.  Removing the existing image serves no purpose.  Some people have so many collections that it would take forever to update.  Others don't have the money to invest in programs that create mockups. Many have reported that they have spent hours trying to comply with Zazzle's changing requirements only to see their sales plumet.  The policy of removing existing cover photos needs to reversed.

[mylittleeden]

I have hundreds sent to me to do I am not a machine! Aside from that the few I have managed to do are listed in with the hundreds I haven't done? Are my covers with multi products not good enough? 😭 I am really struggling with this as I have 12 years worth of products and collections across my two stores (which is another problem still not addressed) it is a complete nightmare... I feel like I am being replaced by those who are just starting out and can get all their store done as you want and then go right on to work on new products and designs (which I crave to do but just can't with all these changes it never ends) for me it is almost impossible unless I never sleep again! Give us older Zazzlers a break, my money has dropped like a stone, I am working longer and longer hours and seeing less and less and I don't have any time left to create new designs which is the most frustrating thing of all. Those of us who have been loyal for many many years need a bit of a break before we break... I don't know maybe you are trying to do that or maybe it is just me I am useless and too slow... 😥  This was just one of my collections affected... on this one I have a photo of my original painting is that ok to add there down the side? Should we remove any other images that are repeated now or will that just happen automatically?
https://www.zazzle.com/collections/red_phaiocalanthe_jewel_orchid_watercolor_wedding-119055545713578...

[PlayfulPixel]

I don't understand what is wrong with this?
You have a cover image with multiple products in. don't you? The large photo on the left.

[Rachel_E]

Same here!!! In my case, the reason why I add only one is because people really just buy for the invitation - any other things are bonus. You cover is absolutely GORGEOUS, miles better than the examples that Zazzle gave us.  They will end up featuring products that are not as pretty, just because they have covers. 

[heartlocked]

I am so tired of spending hours upon hours creating hundreds of cover photos and jumping through so many hoops so at the end of the day I can sell a pen and make $0.50

[HeatherM]

I appreciate any communication from Zazzle that helps me to improve my listings and in turn my conversion rate. I think it would be great if Zazzle could incorporate improvement recommendations on the listing and on the Collection setup screen.

Navigating through a list of hyperlinks in an email is not efficient and I am sure adding to the frustration in this thread. Perhaps a zRank (concept) for the collection and listing? A system that alerts us to deficiencies at the time of creation will be much more productive and may improve the quality and profitability of all of our new listings.

[ElizabethR]

May I suggest everybody take a break over the weekend. There may be no response until Monday.

[CrazyMermaid]

We will probably be waiting until Tuesday, because Monday is a holiday.

[ion_teodora_plu]

It's concerning to note that some collections listed in the email already feature multi-product covers. I hope they won't delete those cover images because the system doesn't recognize them as such. Additionally, I'm puzzled by the inclusion of collections not in the cross-selling category while skipping over some of those that are.

[Marcia]

I’ve actually been making new products today & didn’t check out the forum until now. I did not get an email today. Although I have only done 1 collection cover photo at this point. Is this why I didn’t get an email?

I’ve been ignoring making these because I feel my individual product mockups serve customers better. Plus there’re only so many hours in a day to be making product mockups, cover mockups, videos, optimizing hidden products. Not to mention actually designing new products. Give me a break!

Even though I haven’t gotten the email (yet!), I’m extremely freaked out reading all this as my feeling of dread continues to grow. 

[CrazyMermaid]

I agree. I didn't get the dreaded email either, but the result is that I am now terrified. This whole collection thing has been stressful, time-consuming and very expensive. I have done many collection covers and I am too scared to do any more. All of my collection covers contain at least 5 different products from invites to can coolers, but will this be good enough?

[PAZP]

I just happened to see this topic this morning with 92 comments and knew nothing about this issue because I too didn't get an email. I guess should count myself luck. I have made a number of collection media covers with 3 or more products mostly in the cross sell category so I'm hoping what I have done has worked.  

[digizazzleit]

Marcia, I completely agree with your statement! Couldn't have said it any better. "Plus, there are only so many hours in a day to be making product mockups, cover mockups, videos, optimizing hidden products. Not to mention actually designing new products. Give me a break!"

I understand that advertising, social media, etc. is part of the process of selling products on Zazzle. But are we in the business of just creating advertising and social marketing, or creating exciting new products to enrich our customers lives and bring them joy???  Frankly, I just don't have time to do all they are asking either!  I still have a lot of optimizing to do of hidden products and I haven't even begun to do cover mockups for the products. If I take the time to do all of that stuff, I'll miss updating my store with new products for upcoming holidays, never mind evergreen products.   I haven't received an email from them yet, but I'm imagining them saying "well you aren't doing anything we asked, so we're deleting all your collections!"

https://www.zazzle.com/store/digiscrapthat

[Gsallicat]

Exactly.  I have a full time job.  I’m staying up until the wee hours trying to get all they want done and very few of those are actually creating new designs to sell!

[Connie]

What bothers me the most is that they want to force everybody to make collection covers so they can use them in place of PRODUCT cover on the search pages! After we already spent hundreds of hours and dollars on PRODUCT cover images! Not to mention the clutter and confusion on the search pages! I don't understand why they just won't put that little banner at the top of the product image "View matching collection" instead of actually showing the collection image! This way it tells the customers that there is a matching collection if they are interested, but they can see the actual product they are looking for!

[origamiprints]

I like the idea of just adding a small banner that says "view collection". It's clear, simple and easy to navigate. 

[Malissa]

I like the banner idea as well.

[wheresthekarma]

Yes, this! This would be so much simpler for the customer and the designers!

[tsikona]

A lot of my collections have this type cover images, but I still received an email.

 

 

[tsikona]

In most collections I have few items and made cover with 4 images.

[Rachel_E]

I am sure it is better to have multiple products but I do not have time at all to create these covers - I either create content or the covers.  It is better to have one cover featuring ONE beautiful image than noneCan we please not remove the covers that have only one product?  I went in a lot of trouble to create them already and will be very frustrating to see it being removed.  Thank you, Rachel

[Pixelan]

Thanks for the update @James I have a question:

Are collection cover images shown and used for collection types other than "Cross-Sell / Event Suite"? 
Just want to make sure before I spend days creating new collection cover images for other types.

Most of the links I received in the email are correctly identified as having a single product in the collection image, but there are some false positives that already show multiple products and I found several links leading to non existing collections. Again if only "Cross-Sell / Event Suite" will use the multiple product collection cover image, I rather remove these collection images from other types instead of spending time on something that's not going to be used.

I do worry, just like others in this thread, that images that already show multiple products And are flagged will be removed automatically.

Thanks.

[Pixelan]

Just adding extra context, in other collection types like "Similar Style / Theme" it is not possible to choose which products are in the collection cover so the system also doesn't know where to add this image.

So if only the "Cross-Sell / Event Suite" type uses it, then it would be great to get confirmation on this.

BTW. to make it even more 'complex' there are cases where you select "Cross-Sell / Event Suite" and a certain event such as "Business & Corporate" which also doesn't allow you to choose which products are in the collection cover.

[sitnica]

I've received an email with these six collections:

https://www.zazzle.com/collections/119001572369549257,

https://www.zazzle.com/collections/119269986033766995,

https://www.zazzle.com/collections/119498730511825922,

https://www.zazzle.com/collections/119523511737678425,

https://www.zazzle.com/collections/119859989010680243,

https://www.zazzle.com/collections/119944250271569992

But every link is taking me to a generic collections page: https://www.zazzle.com/collections

So... What is happening here?

Edited to add: All of my collections have more than one product on cover image.

[CreativeLeahG]

Questions for Zazzle Administration

Please note: The questions outlined here are not personal inquiries but rather a consolidated summary of the concerns raised by the Zazzle creator community. This compilation is intended to streamline communication and save Zazzle administrators the time it would take to sift through several pages of comments and concerns expressed by the community.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Specific Criteria Clarification:

• Can you provide a detailed explanation of what specifically constitutes a compliant versus non-compliant collection cover image under the new guidelines? Given some of those identified DO already have more than one product image.
  

How can we be reassured COMPLIANT covers will NOT be auto-deleted?

• What system is in place to guarantee this given many collections have already been identified incorrectly by whatever automated system is in operation.

Impact on Collection Visibility:

• How will the removal of non-compliant cover images affect the visibility and searchability of those collections in the marketplace? Will they be penalized in search rankings or visibility?

Editor's Picks:

• Will ANY of the things we are doing re covers, media images, collections increase visibility when many niches are pages deep in editor's picks?

Deadline Extension Possibility:

• Given the extensive workload faced by creators with large numbers of collections, is there a possibility of extending the deadline for updating collection cover images?

Support for Creators:

• What kind of assistance or tools is Zazzle offering or can offer, to help creators efficiently update their collection cover images to meet the new guidelines? Can anything be introduced to automate the creation of covers based on collection products.

Criteria for Automated Detection:

• How does Zazzle’s system identify non-compliant collection covers? It appears to be flagging compliant covers as non-compliant?

Process for Addressing Mistakes:

• If a creator’s collection is mistakenly identified as non-compliant, what is the process for contesting this, and how quickly can it be resolved?

Clarification on Video and Animation Content:

• Are there specific guidelines or preferences for using videos or animations as cover images, and how do they impact collection visibility and engagement?

Feedback and Collaboration:

• How will Zazzle incorporate creator feedback into the ongoing development and refinement of platform guidelines and policies?

Transparency in Policy Changes:

• What measures is Zazzle taking to ensure greater transparency and advance notice regarding future policy changes or guideline updates?

Alternative Solutions for Compliance:

• For creators who may struggle to meet the new requirements due to resource constraints, are there alternative solutions or support available to help them comply without compromising their presence on the platform?

Understanding the Rationale:

Can Zazzle elaborate on the rationale behind this specific update to collection cover images and how it aligns with the platform's broader goals for the marketplace and creator community?

Given the email confirms the auto-deletion is intended to HELP us, can we reject it if WE deem it to be unhelpful?

Thank you

[CreativeLeahG]

@James Detailed summary above

[Malissa]

I've only had time to make a couple of collection cover photos so all but a couple of my collections have no media images.  The one collection that I had single product cover photos stuck in the media section was the one that got flagged in the email I received.  Obviously, for me the reason I only had one collection flagged is because I have not had a chance to add covers at all to my collections and had not even bothered to add the single image covers either so my media section was actually blank.

Which got me to wondering, and, I think that some of the collections flagged that have a "compliant" cover photo possibly got flagged because there are images in the media section with single products.  It seems that the only images Z recommends/wants in the collection media section are images with multiple products and a video.  Possibly work in progress pictures or images of the art on a desk or something might be appropriate too, but who knows at this point.

Maybe deleting all the single product images from your collection media sections (if there are any) will do the trick so there are not covers repeated twice within the pod on the product page.  I am spitballing and trying to come up with a possible reason so I may be completely wrong.

James- Is this possibly why many people have collections flagged that seem to have the required image? 

[tiffjamaica]

That was a good thought!  I just rechecked my flagged collections to see if this may be true, but found several where all my media images have multiple items in them. I dunno!

[Malissa]

Well that theory is out. lol  Thanks for checking Tiff.   I am actually glad at the moment that I am so far behind until we find out what is flagging the collections that seem to be done correctly.

[Cat]

"Possibly work in progress pictures or images of the art on a desk or something might be appropriate too, but who knows at this point." I'd love to get clarification on this point. I haven't done any of those yet, but I've seen some used as collection covers and I thought they were wonderful!

[JLynnW]

Yes, clarification is needed. If that type is used on both the collection and individual product level will that be considered duplicating and then be removed...

[tiffjamaica]

Yes -I'd love clarification on process pictures and videos as well!  I'm going to piggyback on your comment and add a few other types of media I'd love clarification on... 

- I sometimes add a media image to a collection or product that's a "meet your artist" or "artist-made" square with info about the design or myself. These feature zero products, just text and maybe a pic of the design or myself. Is this ok? 

- Are process videos of art-making (when they feature no products) allowed? Encouraged? 

- At one point, Zazzle said - don't put text in your covers.  The "correct use" example in the collection update email did have text, so I'm assuming text is ok now?  Only for collection covers? What's the guidance on this?

- When I get multiple chats from customers that highlight a problem or confusion with customizing a product, I have made a short video or a media image "how to" about customizing that specific product. Hoping to help future confused customers before they order to prevent returns. Is this okay?

I actually am not upset about this specific collection update (I understand why single product collection covers are a problem on the actual product pages), but to send these emails with links to collections that have the appropriate covers and have already been updated is confusing. We now don't know if that was just a mistake or if our covers and media that we worked hard on will all be deleted.  And in my case at least, I use the same multiple product cover image for all of my updated collections and some were flagged and some were not. I can't find a rhyme or reason to it yet. 

[Malissa]

I hope the meet the artist type and work in progress videos/photos will be allowed in addition to the product covers. That’s what I was hoping to do for mine to help show the uniqueness of my original art as a selling point. I love how you did yours. I think it was Cat I’ve seen that did a meet the artist type image too and I love hers as well. 

[tsikona]

One more question about mockups, this example shows basic mockups provided by zazzle. Many of us payed lot of money for proffessional mockups and can’t we use them in new cover photos? Please give us detailed infotmation. 

 

[Malissa]

You absolutely can use your mockups in the cover photos.  I don't think they meant to imply this was the only or best way to do it, just one example of a cover photo with multiple images and a video in the media section and no single product covers specifically in the collection media section. 

[Sandra-]

I think I’d come to the same conclusion as you @Malissa - I believe that any collections where we have previously added ANY cover image/images to the collection media section, whether they be with a single product on them or multiple products, have all been flagged to us regardless, in order that we can check them, and those which have a  cover with only one image, we remove and subsequently replace with a new cover image meeting the requirements. From James’ comments, my understanding is only the covers with a single product on in the collection media section will be removed after the deadline if we haven’t had chance to do so in the meantime.