Should You Use Stock Photos in Your Social Media Marketing?

Posted by Adam Zobel | Mon, Jan 7, 2019

Should You Use Stock Photos in Your Social Media Marketing?
I recent­ly got off the phone with a new client, and in the course of the call we dis­cussed social media strat­e­gy, pho­tos, and video con­tent for his com­mer­cial paint­ing company. He raised an awe­some ques­tion: ​“Can’t we just use stock images?” The idea makes sense! Stock images are abun­dant, pret­ty cheap, and can be stun­ning. Con­verse­ly, get­ting pho­tos from your team can be tough, espe­cial­ly when every­one is busy and focused on just get­ting through the day. So, why wouldn’t you make life sim­pler and go stock?

Steer away from stock images, and here’s why

In today’s world, social media is a tool to not only grow your brand, fol­low­ers, and gen­er­ate leads, but also offer a unique win­dow into your com­pa­ny. Prospec­tive buy­ers and clients will use Face­book, Insta­gram, LinkedIn, and oth­ers to get to know YOU and see if you’re worth trusting.  Authen­tic team pho­tos, even if they aren’t always stel­lar, estab­lish trust and con­fi­dence. They also show your company’s cul­ture, capa­bil­i­ties, and personality.  Let’s take a look at a real-life example. 

Which of these pic­tures looks more authen­tic, invit­ing, and trust­wor­thy to you?

This (what is even hap­pen­ing here???): Or, how about this? social media tips for painters It’s pret­ty clear, isn’t it?

What kind of pho­to and video con­tent should you share?

Here are a few ideas:
  • Team pho­tos
  • Pic­tures of meetings
  • Train­ing ses­sions, val­i­dat­ing your indus­try expertise
  • FUN pho­tos (maybe hold a con­test for the best pic of the week from the field, and the win­ner gets a gift card)
  • Equip­ment and prod­ucts that you trust and use (tag the man­u­fac­tur­er too for a pos­si­ble reshare on social media)
  • Demon­strate techniques
  • Show a behind-the-scenes look at a project
Remem­ber, your con­tent doesn’t have to be flaw­less or Ron Howard qual­i­ty. It needs to be authen­tic, reflect well on you, and be shared with con­sis­ten­cy. If you do that, you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of the com­pe­ti­tion in no time.

About Adam Zobel

Adam came to us with a background in teaching, writing, and a work history that included serving numerous small businesses (including assisting with content writing and marketing efforts). He was a natural fit, and enjoys connecting with our clients, creating unique content that reflects their culture and voice. We keep him busy! Adam handles blogging, email campaigns, website content creation, copywriting for print and promotional materials, social media, letters, mailers, and more. He also does a dynamo impression of Nicolas Cage, but you didn’t hear that from us. Adam lives in New Hampshire with his wife and two boys. He is also a 1st cousin of David’s wife!

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