Stock images are being used everywhere by companies across many online channels and in printed materials. They’re used on websites, social media, marketing, etc.
But what are stock images? And what’s the difference between stock images and brand photography?
Brand photography is custom photography specifically created for your brand. Brand photos are taken by a professional photographer and are designed to showcase the brand’s unique personality, values, style and story. They feature the actual people in the business and no two branding images are exactly alike.
Stock images are generic images created by photographers or graphic designers that can be purchased online from stock photography websites. They feature generic models, usually on generic poses, and can be used by anyone for any purpose. They can be cheap and convenient, however…
Here are a few reasons why you might want to think twice before using stock images on your website and social media.
1. YOUR AUDIENCE MAY HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE
We’ve all seen them.
The smiling businesswoman with a laptop.
The perfectly diverse team gathered around a table.
They’re popular because they’re professional images – but they’re also everywhere.
Imagine a potential client visiting your website and seeing an image they’ve already seen on another business’s, or even competitor’s website, LinkedIn profile or social media post.
It can be very confusing and certainly doesn’t show what makes you unique or better!
And nobody wants to discover that their beautifully designed website hero image is also being used by their biggest competitor!
2. GENERIC STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY CAN MAKE YOUR BRAND FEEL LESS AUTHENTIC
People buy from people.
Your audience wants to know, like and trust you.
A photograph of you doing what you actually do is always going to tell your story way better than a photograph of a model pretending to do it.
That’s why I’m a huge advocate for personal brand photography.
Your own images can show your personality, your environment, your process and the people your clients will actually be working with.
Generic stock photography can’t do that.
But not every image needs to feature you. And that’s where carefully chosen stock photography can work really well.
A styled photograph of a notebook, coffee, flowers, a laptop or a workspace can support your message without pretending to be something it isn’t.
3. IT CAN MAKE YOUR VISUAL BRAND FEEL INCOSISTENT
When you’re searching large stock libraries, you’re often choosing images one at a time.
You find one that works for this week’s Instagram post.
Another one for next month’s blog.
Something else for your newsletter.
And before long, you can end up with a collection of images that don’t really look like they belong to the same brand.
Different lighting.
Different colours.
Different styles.
Your content can start to feel a little bit… conflicting.
4. YOUR IMAGES MAY NOT SUPPORT YOUR MARKETING
A generic stock image might look lovely, but does it actually work for the content you’re creating?
When you’re creating marketing or website graphics, you often need something very specific:
Space for a headline.
A particular orientation.
Room for your logo.
An uncluttered background.
A wide image that works as a banner.
The right colour or feel.
Searching through thousands of generic stock photographs to find one that ticks all those boxes can take longer than creating the content itself!
5. STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY IMAGES COMES WITH LICENCES AND RESTRICTIONS
Another thing that’s often overlooked is how you’re actually allowed to use an image.
Buying or downloading an image doesn’t mean you’ve bought the copyright.
Stock images are purchased with a licence to use it under certain conditions.
Those conditions can vary and may restrict things such as commercial use, modification, redistribution or how the image can be incorporated into products and templates.
It’s worth understanding exactly what you’ve purchased before using an image commercially.
So… should you stop using stock images?
Actually….No, not necessarily!
This is where I think the opinion of stock photography can be a little black and white.
Although there are many reasons why stock images can be damaging – they can also be incredibly useful….if used in the right way!
That’s exactly why I created The Brand Story Library.
The Brand Story Library – A different approach to stock photography
I deliberately didn’t want The Brand Story Library to become another collection of photographs of generic business people.
You won’t find rows of business men and women smiling at laptops!
There are actually no people in the images.
Your brand photography should do that!
Instead, I’ve created photographs that can support your content without pretending to be you.
They’re designed specifically with business marketing in mind. I’ve thought about where you’re likely to use these images:
- Social media posts.
- Blog posts.
- Website pages.
- Email newsletters.
- Marketing graphics.
That’s why many of the images include negative space, useful compositions and areas where you can add your own text, logo or branding.
And some can be personalised
I’m also creating selected images that can be edited specifically for your business, with your own branding or personal elements as part of the image.
Check out The Brand Story Library here – or read my blog about what it actually is and why I created it – here
Brand Visibility Support
As mentioned in point number 4, sometimes images need to be a bit more bespoke to really support your marketing. If you’re regularly creating content, launching promotions, running events or want to keep your visual content fresh and relevant, my Brand Visibility Support package could be the answer.
I create images specifically for you and your marketing.
We plan your photography around what you actually have coming up in your business – whether that’s a new service, promotion, upcoming event, social media campaign, blog content, email newsletters or simply the need for some fresh, seasonal, images.
And because I’m a photographer and have a Design & Marketing background, I can help you think about what imagery you actually need – rather than expecting you to come up with all the ideas yourself.
So what’s the best option for your business?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
The Brand Story Library is ideal when you need professional supporting imagery quickly and affordably for social media, websites, blogs and emails. (see more here)
My Brand Visibility Service is ideal if you want a regular supply of completely unique imagery created specifically around your business, marketing and promotions. (see more here)
Bespoke Brand Photography is ideal when you want to showcase the people, personality and story behind your business. (see all my brand photography packages here)
And actually, you can use more than one.
Your own photography, whether through a brand shoot or the Brand Visibility Support package is tells the unique story of your brand, and stock images helps boost your image library with images that support your brand photos.
It’s to make sure every image you use is working for your brand.
