Stock photography can be an invaluable resource as branding and marketing tool. When used correctly, the message and ethos conveyed to the consumer can be a powerful persuader in putting you ahead of the competition. At Ingimage, we work with a huge range of stock photos on a daily basis, and want to share a few key tips that we’ve learned over the years on how to select the very best imagery for your brand.
1 – Know Your Business AND your Client
Everyone knows the acronym KYC (Know Your Client), and for good reason. If you know who your audience are you can target them with more relevant and engaging content that provides value to their audience type. But knowing your business can be of equal value. Knowing exactly where you stand in the market, your USP, your value add and what message you want to convey can really solidify your message and branding. Why is this relevant to stock images? Because if you know all of these factors, you can choose images, styling, color and theme that give a strong message behind this and match up with the message you want to send.
2 – Have a Strong Brand Identity
If you already have strong branding in place (ie. Color scheme, fonts, layout) then you already have a clear set of guidelines to adhere to and can choose images or illustrations in line with these. If you are just starting out and don’t yet have a concrete brand identity, no problem! Now is a great time to start, and you can forge your identity with the help of stock images.
3 – Steer Clear of ‘Cheesy’ Images
Stock photography, like any other industry, changes and evolves over time. As such, the style of images that are popular and modern change as well. What was once popular branded content can now be seen as ‘stocky’, and people generally don’t use it. Image styles that are popular now include aerial shots, images that show diversity and inclusivity, and geometric designs.
4 – Consider Conceptual
Although conceptual images can be seen as arty, abstract and opaque in meaning, that does not mean that they have no place in branding campaigns. This rings particularly true if you have a modern or unusual product or service that you sell. Aside from being very powerful and winning large amounts of consumer approval if done well, they also often leave large amounts of copy space available for further branding.
5 – Be Authentic
Arguably the most popular and genuine form of photography making an appearance at the moment is ‘Authenticity’. This is pictures of real people in real world situations. Take a look at any large companies’ website and you will most likely see this form of photography used somewhere. There is good reason for you to jump on this trend as well, as authentic images can build trust and a sense of reliability for your brand.
With a bit of planning and preparation, you can choose the best stock images for your brand that will put you leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. For more tips on marketing and branding, see our post on how to build a great content strategy.
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