Using Stock Photography Effectively: Our 4 Best Tips
Whether you're a real estate agent, an architect, or a small business owner, you should be using stock photography. It draws clients into the world around your listings or projects and gives them a fuller sense of your space.It also sells you, as a polished professional with a clearly established identity.But, buying stock imagery doesn't do much on its own. Once you have good photographs, you've got to put them to use in effective ways that will grow your brand and your business.
What follows are 4 of our best tips for using stock photography to sell spaces and impress potential clients.
- Choose local stock photography. We've addressed this in detail here, and Placester has also written a helpful piece about it. But the quick version is this: stock photography is more effective when it doesn't look generic. Instead of slapping images from anywhere, USA onto your website, fill your marketing materials with photos that tie you to your local area. Recognizable, specific images make you look like a local expert and make your brand more distinctive. They'll also help you stand out in search engines.
- Choose stock that targets your ideal client. Whatever your field, you should be focused on attracting the right clients - ones that don't waste your time and help you to grow! - to your business. Keep those customers in mind when selecting your stock. If you want to sell million dollar homes, for instance, choose stock photos likely to appeal to high end buyers in your area.
- Use stock on your website and social media. Stock looks great on printed materials, but it's also worth using online. Use it to help fill out your website, or to grow a following on Instagram, Houzz, and other attention-getting sites. Put small blocks of text on your site and break them up with images. Switch up your Facebook posts without a lot of effort by sharing nice shots of your sales area.
- Give stock to your clients. Whether it's on a simple holiday card or made into a framed 8x10 of a mountain sunrise, stock photography is so useful as a client gift. It's distinctive and impressive, and when it's local, it's perfectly tied-in to your business. Help a buyer find their new home, gift them a lovely photograph of their new town, and leave them with a strong impression that they'll pass on to friends and colleagues.
Our own gorgeous stock is always searchable and available for purchase online. But, if you're already working with a commercial photographer, ask them to create some for you or give you access to their archives.Got other original, productive uses for stock? Let us know in the comments and we may feature your suggestion in a future post.