Before I burn any bridges, I want to let you know that as a business owner, I completely understand how attractive the idea of using stock photos can be.
I get it. Free or low cost photos for your website and social media platforms without the hassle of taking and editing your own photos? Heck yeah. The thought of paying a photographer to take brand photos that may or may not understand your vision is almost more anxiety-inducing than grabbing your iPhone and doing the dang thing yourself.
I hate to break it to you, but...
Your stock photos suck.
Truly, they're a scar on the face of the entire marketing industry.
When I witness a tragic use of stock photos, I'm immediately infected with a horrible case of secondhand embarrassment on par with what all of us 2009 MTV Video Music Awards viewers experienced when Kanye interrupted Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech.
Setting overly dramatic comparisons aside, stock photos notoriously depersonalize businesses in the eyes of their consumers and online audience.
I don’t know how many times I have walked into a hair studio or a spa and immediately noticed that the photos presented on the company's website and social media accounts completely contrasts what lies before my eyes. As a consumer, I think to myself, “why isn’t this company confident enough in themselves to take photos of their own space or of their own employees?”.
Companies with an insecure content marketing strategy are easily spotted not only through lousy stock photos, but also through a lack of story, no projected values or mission, and poor social media management. The real scary part is that the majority of consumers are noticing these details and are driven away (and towards competitors) when face-to-face with companies that tout shabby, low-effort branding.
Despite failing Algebra 2 three times during my high school career, the math behind this equation is easy: hiring a local photographer to shoot some brand photos, team headshots, service shots = exposure to 2,000+ new potential customers through the photographer’s social media and website. Using a local modeling agency for models and actors to incorporate into your brand and service shots = 4,000-20,000+ new people exposed to your business through not only the agency’s social media accounts, but the models’ and actors’ audiences as well.
Expanding your reach (& income) is often a collaborative effort.
Dedicating more of your budget to content marketing can inspire a massive impact on your company & network.
Listen up- you don't have to settle for alright, average, and easy.
I'm committed to helping you visualize, create, and flourish. Click here to connect with me + tell me all about your copywriting, digital marketing, content creation needs!
With love,
Sadie Kay