[dropcap txtcolor=”#dd3333″ style=”dropcap1″]I[/dropcap]mage sources for website texts
Good texts that address the reader and answer his questions are the heart of every content marketing campaign. But just as important are the related pictures. Man is visual, and an image can often make a fact much easier than any text. Images evoke emotions and posts with visual content are shared much more frequently.
But where do you get pictures for content marketing? This question arises not only for us as an online marketing service provider, but also for our customers.
1. Own pictures for content marketing:
The simplest, the best and the most logical option: own images of your own products, of the production process, of your daily work. So the customer gets an insight into the company, where he should buy something in the best case. Authentic is not possible. In addition, own images offer the opportunity to put your own products in the best possible scene or to present yourself as a service provider perfectly. So you can work on your own image. It is often the case that there is no other way to reproduce your products if you do not photograph them yourself.
It does not always have to be your own photos. Even self-created infographics provide added value for visitors and set you apart from the competition. Make your content unique! In addition to professional tools such as Photoshop, there are also many simpler, free tools, such as Canva , with which you can quickly and easily create the first graphics.
The challenges of photographing
As obvious as this possibility seems, it is often difficult to implement. It requires a certain technical basic equipment and competence, so that in the end really high quality pictures come out. So that especially technical products are well displayed, a cell phone camera is often not enough. Even food or clothing, for example, are not so easy to capture.
But the investment is worthwhile. Once professionally photographed, you have plenty of footage for future activities, whether from your own products or the team at work. Recognition value and uniqueness can lead one ahead of the competition.
2. Stock Photos:
Stock photos are in most cases the easiest way to enrich your posts with pictures. But of course that also applies to all competitors. If possible, you should always use unique images, as this is the only way to stand out from the competition in the industry. With most providers, low-priced subscription contracts can be concluded so that not every single picture has to be paid. However, always pay close attention to the legal requirements: How must the image source be specified? May the image be used for commercial purposes? Can you edit the picture? As a rule, one finds such information at the provider.
Here is a selection of common platforms:
Tip: So that you do not use the same picture as anyone who writes on this topic, you should think about your search input. Is it perhaps more specific or is it worthwhile to think more around the corner? Maybe another picture fits the theme and you can stand out. In some cases, a post also works with a humorous picture. Likewise, pictures can also make you curious if the subject is unexpected.
Also Read: 4 Best WordPress watermarking plugins to protect your blog images
3. Free platforms:
If you do not find what you are looking for on paid platforms, you can also search on the many free image platforms. Again, observe: Legal requirements. On some platforms, you may find images with limited usage rights in addition to images that may be used without restrictions. So pay close attention to what images you want to use for your content marketing activities.
Here is a selection of well-known free image databases:
4. What do Creative Commons (CC) licenses mean?
It is a non-profit organization that wants to provide the public with images for use. Also for content marketing purposes, such images can be used very well. Wikipedia, for example, often uses CC licenses. The organization CC offers different licenses, some of which are very different.
- NC: Non-commercial
- BY: attribution
- ND: No processing (non-derivatives)
- SA: Dissemination under these conditions (Share alike)
The combination of these licenses then gives the conditions under which these images can be used. Example: CC-BY-NC-ND (attribution, non-commercial, no processing)
Also Read: Importance Of Video In Marketing For Your Business
5. YouTube:
It does not always have to be pictures. Also matching YouTube videos can be easily incorporated into posts. Through the automatically created thumbnail of the embed feature, YouTube videos also appear in the text like images. Nice side effect: Watching embedded videos ensures that visitors stay longer on your side.
