Imagery is such a powerful tool for brand communication. . .
A picture is worth 1000 words, after all. ✨
So how can you choose branding imagery from stock sites, without making your brand seem 'stocky' 🙈
Firstly, a stock photo is a photo that is pre-taken and can come in any scene, activity and creative style.
You use stock photos across your website, social channels and any other platform / physical marketing collateral until you can organise a branding shoot of your own! When you’re selecting your stock photos, make sure they are in line with your brand guidelines - that means they need to portray the right tone and vibe and they also need to be relevant to your business and your target audience. Make sure you select images that are in your brand colour palette, for instance if your branding is lots of neutral, boho, earthy colours don’t pick a stock image that has a bright red and yellow background.
You can find stock photos EVERYWHERE these days, but some of my personal favourites are:
Free Stock Photos:
• www.pexels.com
• www.unsplash.com
• www.pixabay.com
Paid Stock Photos:
• www.socialsquares.com
• www.freepik.com
So, how can you use these photos? Anywhere and everywhere! I like to use them sparingly through out my social media feed amongst actual images I’ve taken or work I’ve created, i think a 60/40 balance is perfect. A lot of my clients when setting up a website don’t have professional photos ready to go so we use relevant stock images to fill any gaps. This is only a temporary solution and I always recommend professional photography as a crucial investment in your business!
If you use free stock images, it is nice to give credit to the artist behind the photos (this is shown on the platform before you download!) - but is not legally required.
Use stock imagery as you get started as placeholders or even throughout your businesses life to fill in gaps missing in your own branding photography!
I like using stock images to make an every day ‘text’ post look much more on brand - you can do this on a free software program like Canva.
