Best practices for using stock images

You may often need stock images for different purposes. You may be a blogger who wants images to make your content more engaging. You could also be a marketer who needs such for advertising purposes. It can be expensive to take pictures every time, and you will, therefore, need places to find stock images. There are sites such as Shutterstock, unsplash.com, pixabay, among others, that give access to free and paid photographs. There are certain factors you need to be careful about when using stock images. You must do the following:

• Be Careful To Avoid Lawsuits

 You have three levels of stock photography that you need to be aware of.  

• Public domain photographs are free, and you can use them without needing permission. You will find such at websites such as unsplash.com and pixabay.com.
• Royalty-free photographs allow you to make a one-time payment, and you have access to the pictures or whatever medium you want to use them on.Do take note of the terms and conditions with regards to usage. 
• The Right Managed Licenses allow you one-time usage as per the terms of the license. You also have the option of exclusivity so that you avoid seeing the same photograph in other mediums. 
• Choose The Right Stock Photos

 With so many options, you do not have to tie yourself to the common types of pictures. You can get so much attention from your audience by choosing unique, underused photos. Photographs of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Jennifer Aniston, among others, are overused. Think about your target and select those which you know will attract their attention.

• Consider A Budget For Paid Stock Photos

While you have the option of the free photographs, everyone else will be using the same. If you are using them for advertising, for example, you may find a lot of replication from your competitors. To come up with really compelling ads, set aside a budget to buy some of the photographs. It is especially important if you are running a particular campaign where you hopeto stand out. 

• Think About  Relevance

Stock imagery used should be relevant to your messaging.If you are, for example advertising home decor items and you have a cuddly bear as your image, it will not make too much sense. While you may attract the attention of the audience, the disconnect between the message and the picture may put them off. You also want to compel your viewers to look at the message, instead of just concentrating on the image. A scantily dressed woman may attract attention, but you may find that it detracts from the main message. 

Final Thoughts

Stock images are excellent because you avoid having to invest in hiring a photographer to take the pictures for you. Think about your message and choose the right image so that you connect to the audiences. Avoid choosing photographs that everyone else is using because they are free. Remember to run the necessary tests to determine how your audiences are interacting with the photos.