Good graphics will increase your engagement, no matter what platform they’re viewed on.
It’s no secret that posts with graphics tend to get more attention than text-only messages.
In fact, according to bufferapp.com, photographic posts get 39 percent more attention than text-only or even video posts. There are a number of reasons for this, and most of them involve the amount of time your customers care to spend on your content while they’re scrolling through their news feed. Text tends to get lost in the shuffle while videos—now that they typically start playing as soon as they pop into view—can get irritating and invasive. According to buffer, 93 percent of the most engaging posts on Facebook are photographic in nature.
Knowing the value of a good photograph isn’t the same as being able to take a good photograph, however. If you own a small business, you probably don’t have the budget to hire your own photographer to create striking visual content. Fortunately, you don’t have to. Here are some sites where you can get quality photos for your content without paying for them:
Pixabay. Pixabay offers a large variety of photos, all released under Creative Commons CC0, which essentially allows artists and other creators to share their work without regard to copyright infringement.
Unsplash is one of the more popular sites, with a good assortment of stock photos. Ten photos are added every 10 days, so even if you don’t find what you’re looking for at first, check back often.
Burst. Burst is affiliated with Spotify and it is a great resource for business owners or social media marketers. Most of the pictures are original photos and are geared toward trending business niches. There is general photography, as well, and all are free to use as you see fit.
Death to Stock Photos. In addition to having a fun name, Death to Stock Photos delivers 10 categorized photos to your email box every month.
Negative Space adds 20 new photos every week to its growing database. They’re searchable, so you have a good chance of finding what you want.
If you have a few bucks to spare and are looking for a paid site, thinkstock is one of the best. It’s huge database of photos is searchable and includes illustrations and cartoons if you’re looking for a lighter touch.
Remember, whichever type of photo you select, make sure it’s relevant to your content. Don’t select a sunrise over the ocean picture to sell oil changes—unless you can think of a creative way to connect the two. Also, keep your brand in mind while you’re searching and selecting photos to use with your content. Keep the colors consistent with your logo, if you can!
Do you use any other free photo sites? Let us know in the comments!