Stock photos aren’t fooling anyone.

People know a stock photo when they see one. If you are using stock photos for everything, people will begin to wonder if you’re a real business. Stock imagery also decreases from your business’ credibility. Today’s consumers crave uniqueness and authenticity. They want to do business with people they know. You can’t get to know people that do not exist. Fake photos leave your customers with a lack of trust, therefore they may move on to another company that feels more genuine.

Here are a few tips on how NOT to use stock photography:

Never use stock images: 

1. On social media – Simply because your viewers know it’s not you. It’s better to create custom content. However, if that’s not an option try creating the content in-house or capture something that’s really going on in the company so viewers know your authentic.
2. To communicate your business culture – For example, a team picture that is not your team or employees.
3. That are cliché, overused or dated.

Here are a few examples of what NOT to do!

Using stock images is okay in certain circumstances

1. It’s okay to use stock images when the image complements your message. For example, an inspirational message to your team.
2. Stock photography can be great in power point presentations when relevant to your content, especially when they are more graphic in context and not people related.
3. Try mixing stock images with real images to keep images exciting and fresh. This helps with authenticity and gives you a broader image library.

Here are a few examples:

BEWARE: Grabbing images off the internet could cost you a bundle

If you have ever taken a screenshot or downloaded a photo that did not explicitly say it was free to use, you could be fined. Yup! It happened to a client of mine. She thought it would be no big deal to grab a screenshot of a photo and put it in her blog. Who was ever going to find her tiny little blog in the zillions of pages of content on the web? A year later, when she received a legal letter demanding she remove the photo and pay a fine of $300. She thought it was a scam until she did a little research. She found out it was from a legitimate company that conducts web searches 24/7, looking for unlicensed images by professional photographers. 

Custom photos are Golden

Taking the time to create a custom photo library for your business will help you attract more customers. When people hear information, they’re likely to remember only 10% of that information three days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retained 65% of the information three days later. (Brain Rules). Custom images do a better job of grabbing and holding attention because they tell a story of a real business. Why copy everyone else and get lost in the sea of stock photos when you could be creating custom content that best tells your story.  

Creating custom photos doesn’t have to break the bank

Have you ever priced stock photography? Stock images can cost up to $500 per image or more. Many times custom photography can be created for a far better value. kp studios’ innovative approach seeks to make custom photos affordable. We create a custom quote to meet your budget, then we use our creative talents to compose images that communicate your message. From websites to social media to national print campaigns, we know how to help you get the results you want with your commercial images. Our images keep your customers engaged.

Check out this custom image with brand recognition vs a stock photo. Which image would you rather use to promote your business?

Here’s what to expect when you hire kp studios to create custom images for your brand:

• We help you review your marketing content to create a list of images you will need for the next 3-12 months. 
• Your final list of images to photograph will fit your needs and your budget.
• We use our 20+ years of creative experience and talent to create images that are consistent with your brand and the story that is uniquely your’s.

As the saying goes…A picture is worth 1,000 words. Yours could be worth $1M because it attracts your best customers.