In today’s competitive world, a picture is certainly worth a thousand words when it comes to promoting your business. Stock images are a helpful resource for making marketing materials. Thousands of ready-to-use images in a variety of categories are available at your fingertips if you know how to access them. Here are the pros and cons of using stock images for print pieces, presentations, or websites.
What Are Stock Images?
Stock image companies keep large varied collections of photos that are available for purchase via a licensing agreement. Costs vary depending on the type of image and usage. Rights Managed stock images are licensed for a limited amount of usage. For example, if you purchase a license to use a photo in a brochure, you need to renegotiate or purchase a new license if you wish to use it for another project. Another type of stock image is Royalty Free. Although this type of license is less expensive, it is by no means free. For a one-time fee, it may be used for multiple projects.
Benefits of Stock Images
Setting up a photo shoot to create custom images for your marketing materials requires time and an extensive budget. Forget hiring a photographer, finding a location, and scheduling models. Just go online to a well-known stock house and search through shots in your desired category. Images are available for download immediately after purchase. If you know where to look, you’ll find plenty of high-quality images for a fraction of the cost to create your own.
Why Using Stock Images May Not Be for You
Stock images are available for anyone to buy, so you can’t count on your marketing piece being an original. A photo that appears in your company’s brochure may very well appear in a competitor’s. If you are concerned about your brand’s identity or have a campaign idea you want to be uniquely yours, stock images are not for you. Many people think of stock images as cliche. The scenarios are often vague, whereas a custom photo shoot allows you to control all aspects of the shot for the desired look, and often appears more natural.
A big downside to using stock images is the license agreement, which can be very confusing. Read the fine print regarding restrictions! You must use the image in accordance to the agreement. Any misuse may result in a lawsuit.
Call Us
Using images increases effectiveness of marketing materials and provides a professional feel. Stock photo companies make it easy to obtain images quickly and at a lower cost than creating your own images. But use these photos wisely to avoid any licenses issues. Call Disc Hounds at 610-696-8668 with any questions. We offer a variety of services that can help you make a positive and memorable impression.