Last updated - November 29, 2023
Posts that include images or other visual content get 650% higher engagement than posts that don’t. Similarly, tweets with images receive 35% more retweets. These stats clearly show how using images on social media boosts engagement.
However, not every business has access to professional photographers or a graphic design team. In such cases, stock photos are an accessible and cost-effective solution for enhancing social media content.
But remember: not all stock photos are created equal!
The stock photos available online are often overused, feel generic, and fail to resonate with the targeted audience. It is true that stock photos can boost engagement, but using them effectively for your brand is the real challenge.
If you are facing this issue, worry not; you are not alone.
The good news is that there are proven ways to help you use stock photos correctly in social media marketing.
In this post, we will unveil the secrets to using stock photos and take your social media game to the next level. So let’s get into it.
Familiarize Yourself with Stock Photos Licensing
Before using stock images for social media marketing, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the types of stock photo licenses and their uses. Knowing these terms will come in handy to protect yourself and act professionally when using third-party images.
- Rights-Managed – This license allows the one-time use of visuals only. An additional license is needed if the user wants the photo for other projects or advertising mediums.
- Royalty-Free – This type of image is paid once, after which it can be used unlimited times.
- Creative Commons – Stock images with this license are free to use, provided you follow all the terms and conditions. There are a total of 7 types of Creative Commons licenses (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA, etc.).
- Public Domain – Under this license, stock photos are completely free to download and use. However, it is not deprived of ownership and copyright.
Finding Royalty-Free Images For Social Media
Copyright laws for social media are pretty much similar to other digital platforms. This means you cannot simply Google research a specific image and use it in your posts. Instead, you need to search for pictures that you can use legally.
Royalty-free images are typically recommended for social media, as they can be modified and edited to suit your branding and message. It’s also important to consider that royalty-free images are not free. However, you don’t have to pay royalties for every single use, making them an effective asset for an omnichannel approach.
Many websites have search filters that can help you narrow your choices to find the most relevant images easily. While various stock photo sites have a wide range of royalty-free images, it’s necessary to consider the terms and conditions.
Add Text and Other Brand Elements
If you intend to add text to the stock image, search for photos with “Copy Space” or the area of pictures that is less cluttered. This way, you can easily incorporate small text and elements into the image without too much background noise.
Also, try to stay moderate in adding text and elements. Remember, too much text can clutter the image, which doesn’t look visually appealing. For long texts, you can consider adding a blurb or essential message on the image, while the detailed paragraph can go on the post’s caption.
Customize Stock Photos
The key to using stock photos is to make them fit your existing branding. It is a savvy strategy that reinforces brand recognition and, most of all, enhances audience engagement.
You should tailor the stock images to your brand by changing the colors, adding logos, and integrating overlays. This way, the content is better able to resonate with the audience, thus reinforcing a unique brand identity. The photos look less “stocky” this way, and your audience will begin to recognize your style.
Investing in the customization of stock photos is a wise choice as it ensures your brand stands out. Since users are also 30% more likely to send payment when visuals are involved in marketing, you shouldn’t hesitate to dedicate a significant budget for stock images only.
Maintain Consistency
A study by Lucidpress proves that consistent brand representation across all social media platforms can help increase revenue by 23%. That said, it’s essential to strategically use stock images to build a strong and recognizable brand presence.
To achieve consistency, you should develop brand guidelines for stock photo selection. Define styles, color schemes, messaging, etc. Ensure you do not use images outside your brand’s color schemes and styles.
While it’s impossible to add products to stock photos, you can pick images that are highly relevant to your brand and marketing goals. Thoroughly reflect on the message you are trying to deliver and try finding images that can deliver the message with the need for minimum words.
Use Human and Emotional photos
In order to connect better with the audience, ensure there are genuine emotions and real-world setups in the stock images.
Why settle for pictures that reflect people smiling wide as if they won the lottery in offices that seem too perfect to be true? Instead, go for photos with more candid traits, where the office plants still look alive.
This is because content featuring real people and emotions is more likely to trigger empathy and engagement. Also, such images are more shareable on social media, thereby extending your reach and amplifying your message to a broader audience.
Humanizing your brand this way fosters a sense of reliability and authenticity, hence forming lasting connections with your audience.
Stay Up to Date with Graphic Design and Stock Photography Trends
Apart from maintaining consistency and brand image, you should also be aware of trendy posts on social media. Posts having trendy visuals are more likely to be commented on, liked, and shared, which ultimately leads to an increase in engagement and visibility.
Other than that, you should get familiar with color theory and how it applies to design. Learn how different colors work together and how they evoke human emotions. The art of typography is also important to match the font and style.
Train your design team such that they use stock photos and combine their visual communication skills to make the stock image more appealing to the audience.
Use Images from the Same Photographers
Using stock images from the same photographer is smart, as it helps maintain a cohesive visual style. Once you land on an image that fulfills all your brand criteria, chances are there will be a lot more similar photos set in the gallery by the same photographer.
Consider collaborating with the photographer to build a valuable relationship with the community. This will also help convey your brand’s unique message and style to the audience.
Conclusion
Stock photos can be a goldmine for social media marketers, but you need to learn the art of using them correctly. Visuals have the potential to tap into your audience’s pain points; hence, you really need to invest time and effort in searching for stock images that align with your brands.
By tailoring the stock photos to resonate with your target audience and content, you can elevate your brand’s storytelling and create a genuine connection with the followers. The key is not to just add random images. It’s all about making them count. Good luck!
