The use of styled stock photos has been around way back since the 1920s, but the world is changing and you need to have near expert skills to effectively use these images. If you want your marketing to be successful, knowing where to find business stock images is not enough, how to use them is more important. Don’t fret, by the time you’re done reading this article, you will have expert skills in using business stock images for effective marketing.
In today’s modern marketing space that’s filled with visuals, you need something to capture your audience’s attention faster to be able to engage with them. You may use stellar content or wording, but may not be enough by itself.
Or, you can couple it with relatable and authentic-looking styled stock images to successfully catch their interest with a chance of getting a new organic audience.
The Power of Styled Stock Images
Going by recent surveys, you could be aware that images boost the potency of any marketing effort by a huge difference.
40% of marketers used business stock photos in their marketing strategy last year and 66% of surveyed businesses will relay on heavily on visuals this year.
Not only do images grab your audience’s attention, but they also have the power to influence their purchasing decision. Meaning the images you use are information just by themselves; they say more than a copy can say.
Styled stock images have the power to elicit just the right emotion when used correctly. You will see how in a bit.
Best Practices for Using Styled Stock Images
Just like any other marketing campaign, using styled stock photos requires you to follow certain best practices in order to thrive:
Authenticity
Stock photo library can be a tricky place and if you’re not careful you might fall for the next pretty image. But a great image should be so authentic as to evoke the right emotions in your audience.
Authenticity is simply being as realistic as possible. People have quickly learned how to filter out staged marketing gimmicks and have known how to tell real authentic content. Use styled stock images that are as real as possible.
These images should be able to show that you believe in your own gospel and it’s not just about selling. Here are a few quick expert tips on picking authentic business stock images:
- Use real people – of course stock libraries are full of real people, but you should be able to identify models from genuine looking people. Avoid the models at all costs. Don’t look for perfect hair and teeth, look out for real life set-ups, pick people that show real character.
- Look out for natural poses – ignore images of people with perfect sitting postures or poses that are so model like. Instead, consider images with people in their most natural posture, look out for natural angles.
Have Clear Goals
Digital marketing works on multiple applications from social media to blogs and websites. Therefore, successful marketing requires you to have clear goals on what you want to achieve from each. And this may mean different approaches for different platforms.
Such knowledge will guide you on the kind of content and styled stock photos to use. For example, you could be targeting brand awareness. As a consequence, the type of content you create and the images choose should communicate more about your brand. What you use to create brand awareness on Instagram perhaps may be different from what you use on your website and so on.
Tell Your Story
An effective story will reach your customers’ emotions and imaginations. When it comes to styled stock images, pick the ones that are consistent with your story line.
Let them add meaning to what you’re trying to communicate. As a matter of fact, when you get the right image and customize it well, it will do all the talking for you. This will not only be good in conveying your message, but it will also boost engagement with your brand.
Run with the Times
You have to pick the freshest business images to stay relevant. Trends are changing every day and you don’t want to be left behind. Consider all the current elements when selecting the images you want to use in your content.
Let the Image Be the Star
Remember the statistics mentioned above? It’s important to let your images do the most for you.
For this reason, consider having a perfect balance between the copy and image ratio. A few keywords are important to help state your message and for optimization. But don’t overdo it with large text. Keep it short, state the precise message, and let the rest come from the image.
Tips for Identifying the Best Business Stock Images
Quality First
When it comes to the quality of the styled stock photos that you use, you can never compromise. You’ve got to pick high-resolution images that are crisp clear. Skip all the blurry and poorly composed or unprofessional images.
If you use high-quality images, you will not only have an easier time customizing them to suit your brand, they will also say so much about the quality of your product and your overall brand.
Peg It on Your Purpose
Your brand must have a certain purpose. What is it about the brand that gets you up in the morning? What do you represent?
You must have a singular voice in your branding about your purpose and the thing to tie it all together is well-selected imagery. When selecting stock photos, ensure to pick relevant images that will convey your message while drawing all the necessary attention and evoking just the right emotions.
Be Different
Besides having a sense of authenticity, you need to stand out. Being original is essential in marketing your brand. So, in a world that is saturated by images and other visual elements, finding a place and style of your own is a priority. When using styled stock images, you can stand out by incorporating your brand color palette in the images that you pick.
Another way to ensure you’re unique is by checking out what your competitors or brands within your industry are doing. This will give you inspiration and also give you a clear picture of the kind of images and styles to avoid.
Tips on Getting the Most Out of Business Stock Photos
Drop the Sales Pitch
People know when you’re just trying to sell to them and when you’re trying to offer them solutions. Avoid the sales words and phrases and instead, simply tell them what solutions you’re offering.
Remember even when you’re using the best-styled stock photos, you need to keep them as real and relevant as possible. When you approach your customers with the right solutions, you’ll not have to use cheesy words and phrases. Let the whole brand personality present your ideas in an appealing and attractive way.
Reach to Your Audiences Desires
How can you meet the core human desire of your customers? How can you prove to them that if they bought your product or service their core desire would be met?
Human beings naturally have nine core desires: among them the most important are acceptance, success, admiration, control, mastery, love, and safety. So, which of these are you offering them?
When finding business images to use, ensure to pick an image with elements that speak to their needs.
Every purchase that people make is always driven by a certain underlying motivation and desire. Therefore, if you want to convert or reach your marketing goal, frame your solution in a way that fits the buyer’s core desires.
When you focus on your audience’s desire, you’ll have an easier task compelling them and moving them from prospects to buyers.
Tie Images to Your Brand
In visual marketing, this is the only route that works. Your brand is your true North and everything else you do including selecting your styled stock photos should be referencing it. No matter the campaign you’re doing or the media you’re using, you must always have your brand awareness in mind.
When selecting styled stock photos, consider your target audience, how do you want to appeal to them? Are you a fun brand or a formal serious brand?
When you put all the demographics and other similar factors into consideration, you will then be able to pick an image that resonates with your entire brand, and it will help you deliver what you want your customers to get.
Define Your Tone
Images have a way of speaking silently. Hence, in order for your brand to create useful connections, your tone of voice must be understood by your audience. If this does not happen, you may develop inconsistencies that might pose a serious problem.
Identifying and correctly using styled stock images can enhance your desired tone as you create a cohesive brand tone that blends well with the rest of your brand and campaign efforts.
Customize the Images
Business stock images should not be used as they are, more often than not. It’s best to customize them and make them more like your brand. Personalize them and make them more relevant in order to speak to your target audience.
There are many ways you can personalize an image. You can crop them, use filters or rotate them, and so on. The only important thing before doing this is to ensure the provider allows for these manipulations.
How to Apply Styled Stock Photos in Marketing
Product Images
It’s said that only 20% of your content especially on social media should be direct sales. So, this means only 20% of your content should be promotional. Consequently, how can you ace it in just one image?
Leverage on this by picking the most relevant styled stock image then overlay it with your product. You can then point out the great features that your product offers or announce sales or mention whatever is it you want to say about your product. Remember to customize the business stock images in order to have a cohesive final look.
Brand Announcement
Styled stock images can come in really handy when you’re looking to make a brand announcement. Whether you have an upcoming event or, a sale such as Black Friday or a new product launch, you can boost your visibility, reach your audiences’ emotions and connect more when you overlay your announcement on a fitting styled stock photo.
Styled stock photos will also help you establish a better context of your announcement quicker and it will also be easily sharable and memorable. Creatively overlay your text over the image and let it do the rest.
Seasonal Content
Seasonal content such as during special holidays like Christmas or Valentine’s Day offers you a good opportunity to remind your audience that you value them.
You can pick the ideal business stock photos depending on the season and overlay your goodwill message to spread the good vibes. Sometimes all you need is your logo and a simple ‘‘Happy Holidays” text.
While doing this, always remember to pick images that are within your brand color palette, it will make customizing much easier for you.
For Engagement
Have you come across brands conducting polls or quizzes? Have you ever participated in any? You can leverage something as simple as this to drive engagement, promote your brand and they are a great market research tool.
Using the ideal business stock photos, you can include your quiz questions and have fun with your audience as you subtly promote your brand. You can also overlay two or more of your products on differently styled stock images and ask them which one is their favorite. You can use these on social media, on a blog, or on your website.
Finally
Styled stock photos are going through a shift and they are no longer “stocky”. Take advantage of fresh libraries such as the Biz Styled Stock to enhance your marketing efforts and push your business to the next level without the photo shoot cost but with the quality that you need.
