Your brand is one of a kind, so your photography should be too. Here’s why original images beat stock photos and how to put them to work across your marketing.
The Problem With Stock Photography for Businesses
While stock photography can provide a few benefits for the right project, it isn’t doing the job of forming a genuine connection with your audience. Worse, it doesn’t give you the opportunity to show how your organization is the best in your industry. In marketing, it’s true that a picture is worth a thousand words – but a stock photo may not tell the right thousand words.
Generic Images
Someone who regularly browses online or sees advertisements may easily see the same stock photo multiple times, which erodes a brand image. Imagine if Coca-Cola created an ad using a stock photo with a generic soda bottle with no label rather than its iconic Coke-shaped bottle with its red label and script logo. Not only would such an image be inauthentic, it would likely feel pretty confusing and out of place considering Coke’s otherwise top-notch and nostalgia-inducing advertising. It may even leave viewers wondering if the ad was a mistake and if the brand was still creating a trustworthy product.
Repeat Images
Most stock photography is able to be used by anyone with the ability to license photos from a particular stock provider. This means that the image that’s on an ad for your organization may also appear on an ad for another organization or worse, a competing organization. It’s also possible that individuals who spend a lot of time browsing online may see the same image used across multiple marketing materials for different or competing brands. This makes it apparent that the image is unoriginal.
Low Quality Stock Images
Stock photography has a bit of a reputation for being generic, cheesy, or lacking context around the product or service that it may be attempting to represent. While it’s possible to find higher quality stock photography that avoids these pitfalls, it often comes with a significantly higher price tag (images from high-quality stock vendors like Getty Images can cost $500 or more for one image).
No matter the industry, business leaders put a tremendous amount of time, energy, and effort into creating an experience that is unique to their organization. When finding and creating brand assets to carry that through to marketing materials like a website, digital ad, or printed piece, it’s important to consider how that unique approach carries into the visual messaging that’s put in front of prospective customers.
How Original Photography for Businesses Builds Trust
Let’s imagine a scenario that we all have likely encountered: you’re searching for a new healthcare provider.
A website homepage might greet prospective patients with this photo.
Stock Photography Creates an Alternate Reality
With a generic image, you set the expectation that a mystery person in the photo will be who customers are greeted by when entering the facility. It illustrates that there won’t be any clear signage in the facility letting them know they’ve arrived at the correct location. Any recognizable brand elements like your logo, colors, decor, and the general vibe of the space won’t be accurately represented by a stock image.
The Reality
In reality, you’ve taken the time to ensure your employees have a branded polo and name tag. Your real front desk also includes your company logo and warm, inviting decor that makes prospective patients feel more at ease. With an original image, this care and attention to detail become apparent before a patient even steps foot in the door, and your 24/7 marketer (aka: your website) just became a whole lot more valuable.
Where Businesses Can Use Original Photography
One of the best things about investing in custom photography is that it can be used across marketing channels to bring everything in line with your brand – from the new website you’re building to the print poster that gives people a first impression of your brand. You’re in control when using custom photography.
Website
One of the best places to use original photography is your website! Greeting customers with real images, showing off your team in action or highlighting great product photography and case studies builds trust, credibility, and keeps the focus on the value your company provides (not leaving people wondering, “Have I seen that guy somewhere before?”).
Social Media
In a world full of AI-generated images and generic content on social media, having real images or your people, products, and facilities will help your brand to stand out. Social media is all about creating genuine connections with your audience, and you can start the conversation off strong with original content that is unique to your company.
Digital Marketing
When you only have a few seconds to make a great first impression, the content used in those few seconds counts. Putting your real brand front and center will make a lasting impression.
Print Materials
Print materials tend to have a longer lifespan and greater visibility than some other marketing channels. If someone hangs a flyer on the fridge in the office breakroom, an image of your real team or product can go a long way toward establishing your credibility with whoever sees it.
Invest in Photography That Represents Your Brand
The possibilities for original, branded photography are nearly limitless, and the images can be used across a wide range of marketing channels. It’s an investment that showcases the best of your brand wherever people find it. Contact FSM today to see how we can help create a strong portfolio of custom photography for your organization.
