When you think of a business, what do you think of? Office spaces, employees in suits, and people working on laptops? While all that is true, a business is also something intangible. It’s the ideas, services or products it provides to its customers. Every company needs visual elements to come to life. That’s where stock images come into play! Stock images are pre-existing digital images that can be licensed for reuse in new creative projects. They are commonly used as representations of objects that cannot be photographed easily or at all, such as aliens, monsters or robots. These images are available in different sizes and resolutions so you can use them for your website, blog posts, social media posts or any other marketing material for your business. Here are some tips on finding the best stock images for your business:
Research Before You Begin
The first step in finding an image for your business is to understand what is available. There are many stock image sites out there, and each one will have a different range of options. You’ll want to take the time to understand what each site offers so you can find the images that best fit your needs. Some of the most popular stock image sites include Depositphotos, Shutterstock, Getty Images, iStock and Adobe Stock. These sites offer hundreds of thousands of images to choose from, so you’re sure to find something that will work for you.
Try Freemium Options
Some stock image sites offer a free or a freemium version of their service. These are great ways to try out the service and see if it’s a good fit for you. These free services will usually have fewer images and fewer features than their paid counterparts. However, it is a great way to get your feet wet and see how the service works. Once you’re comfortable with the site, you can always upgrade to the paid version.
Check For Licensing Conflicts
Before you use an image, you need to make sure you are in compliance with the licensing terms. There are many different types of licenses for various types of stock images. The most common license is called Rights Managed (RM). This is a license that lets you use an image in your commercial project and provides you with the ability to make unlimited copies of the image. One thing to keep in mind is that with RM licenses, you are responsible for making sure that the image you use is not in violation of any copyright laws. In addition to RM licenses, you can also find royalty-free licenses. Royalty-free licenses are licenses that are paid once and then don’t require any further payments.
Be Clear on Your Brand’s Visual Identity
Your brand’s visual identity is a key part of marketing your business. Visual elements such as your logo, colours, fonts, and other design elements are important in helping your customers recognize your brand and remember it. Visual elements are especially important when it comes to the web. Your website needs to be visually appealing and interesting to draw in potential customers. Stock images are a great way to add visual elements to your business. However, you need to make sure that the images you choose fit in with your brand’s visual identity.
Don’t Forget About Video Backgrounds
Stock images are great for stock photos and visual imagery, but what if you need a video background? Video backgrounds are like stock images, but they are a video clip instead of a still image. Video backgrounds are great for website backgrounds, YouTube videos or even your social media posts. You can find a video background that fits your business’s theme and you can also easily edit the video to add your brand’s message.
Conclusion
Stock images are a great way to add visual elements to your business. However, you need to make sure that the images you choose fit in with your brand’s visual identity. Once you have a stock image that works for your business, you can use it across multiple platforms and in different ways. You can use still images on your website, social media posts, blog posts and even on your product packaging or product descriptions. Videos can be used for website backgrounds, YouTube videos or even your social media posts. In conclusion, stock images are a great way to add visual elements to your business. However, you need to make sure that the images you choose fit in with your brand’s visual identity.
