Stock images are fast and convenient. They can fill empty spaces in your projects in minutes, visualize an opinion. But are they effective now? Today, competition in many areas is such that without a unique, recognizable visual, you can’t get anywhere. Communication channels are built on visuals, remembering brands by color, certain elements or style. That’s why stock photos have begun to lose their popularity. For example,peak of popularityone of the most famous platforms, Getty Images, was in 2006 and has been steadily declining since then. However, the photobank market is still alive and well, and is still popular as a source of content for news formats. And should brands use such images? Let's take a closer look.
Why you shouldn't use stock images?
Unoriginality
Yes, yes, images from photo banks are available not only to you, but also to millions of people around the world. Therefore, if your goal is to show your individuality, to stand out from the crowd, stock images will not help you achieve this. Besides, do you want the same creatives as your competitors? Unlikely. But with stock illustrations, this is possible.
One only has to remember the story of Dell and Gateway, which in 2004 used photos from the same photo shoot in their Back to School advertising campaigns.
However, new photos in campaigns from Dell and Gateway
So when using any image, it's important to ask yourself, does it tell your story and reinforce your message?
Insufficient content compliance
The images you use should be relevant to the context or topic of the message you are trying to convey. This is where the downside of stock photos comes in – they can be generic and not fully relevant to your content. This can lead to your message being misunderstood or incompletely understood.
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Lack of emotionality
Stock images tend jiangxi cell phone number list to be neutral and don’t convey real emotions. They’re also less likely to contain personal experiences. This can lower the level of your audience. People tend to respond better to images that convey emotion and encourage empathy.
Too perfect
Stock photos often look "far from reality". Their heroes exaggerate emotions - they look especially happy or cheerful, and the images themselves look too perfect, polished. Will real users believe such pictures?
Overly ideal people in stock photos
Copyright issues
While most stock platforms have rules for licensing images, there is still a risk of copyright infringement. There are platforms that allow almost anyone to upload images. There are no real checks to ensure that the user has permission to add this content and make it available for free use.
Lack of creative control
Stock images don’t give you full control over the content of the photo. Even if you spend hours searching for the perfect image, you’re choosing someone else’s work, designed to fit into as many places as possible. It’s better if the images are part of your brand. Imagine if Coca-Cola’s ads used a generic image of people holding cups of an unknown brown liquid. It wouldn’t be very effective, would it?
Read also : How to Use Pinterest for Business: Tools and Tips
What problems can stock images solve?
Despite the listed disadvantages, images from photo banks still solve certain problems. In particular:
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quickly visualize an opinion. If it’s not a brand feature, but rather something that’s generally known, stock images can help others understand you better;
attract attention. Yes, such images probably won’t offer anything completely new or surprise your readers/customers. However, if you, for example, write about an update of Instagram or another well-known network, a stock image with its logo will immediately tell you what the text is about;
stock photos for new items
jokes, memes, gifs. Of course, if you just download a well-known picture, it is unlikely to convey your opinion. However, an image from a photo stock can become the basis for a meme. Experiment with them, add new meanings;
stock photos in memes
save your time. When you write informational material that does not represent a certain brand, but represents, for example, a certain instruction or ideas, you do not necessarily need to hire a photographer. You can simply choose a few stock photos, and this will be enough to improve the perception of the material.
What should you consider when searching for stock images?
Subject and content of the photo
What do you want to say with this image? Are you looking for a photo of a product, a person, a landscape, animals, etc.? Be specific in your request, use keywords.
Image quality
If you decide to use a stock image, make sure it is of good quality. It should not be "falling apart on the pixel".
See different sources
There are enough photobank sites to have a choice. Don't stop at the first more or less successful picture. Search several resources, try to choose the most accurate for your needs.
Read also : 15 Product Photography Ideas That Will Help Increase Sales in Your Online Store
Always read the image usage rules
For example, certain resources prohibit the use of their photos for commercial purposes. Try not to violate anything.
Don't upload a stock image until you check the copyright.
We've noted before that there are services that allow virtually anyone to upload images. They don't always do any real checking to make sure the user is the real author of the photo and has permission to make it available for free use. So always pay attention to this.
Conclusions
In fact, sometimes stock images are convenient. If you don’t take the first one that catches your eye, you may actually see something of quality that will help others understand you. However, for marketing purposes, it’s better to use original images that represent your brand and make it recognizable. Stock photos can be just a minor element that will go through more than one stage of processing.