Here’s a question clients sometimes ask: Why should I hire a WRL photographer for custom photography to showcase my business on my website and social media instead of using stock footage?
I’m Tyler Ullman, and I’m a photographer and videographer at WRL. When clients ask this question, I’m happy to discuss it with them. There are many great reasons to use your own photography on your website and in your social media (and other marketing).
Keep It Real
Stock imagery has a place, but when you want to connect with your audience and make an impression – keeping it real is the best way to accomplish those goals.
In my role as photographer at WRL, I meet a wide variety of our clients and capture images our creative team uses to craft memorable, targeted and intentional marketing. A photo shoot is an opportunity to use what I see through my lens to help tell each client’s story.
Stock imagery is available – and, let’s face it, not many people enjoy having their photo taken, so it’s tempting to rely on that for your marketing needs. While stock imagery can have a place in marketing, it can’t compete with actual photography of your people and places for many reasons. Here are a few reasons to choose custom photography over stock imagery:
Authenticity and Brand Identity
One of the main goals of marketing is establishing and maintaining your brand identity. Custom photography, unlike stock photography, showcases what makes your brand unique. It features your actual products and your team. It conveys your brand’s personality in a way that is truly authentic.
Custom photography helps you make a genuine connection with your audience. Stock photos, by contrast, can seem generic and lacking in personality.
When you show people who you are, it builds trust.
Visual Storytelling
With WRL professional photography, we go in with direction from you and our team, so you get exactly the photos you need. The right vibe, feel or environment is baked right in! This allows your imagery to do the work needed when conveying your story, products, services and people.
When using stock imagery, you can waste valuable time trying to find an image that fits – or just settle for one that’s remotely close to what you want.
Custom photography from a skilled marketing agency gives you what you need for use on many different platforms, all with your brand identity intact.
Consistency
You want a consistent visual style for your photography. Whether you use it on your website, in social media, email marketing or other digital channels, it should help communicate your brand. With stock imagery, that’s much harder to do. If you use too much stock imagery in your marketing, it can look “fake,” off-brand and disjointed.
Improved Engagement and Conversion Rates
Original photos generate higher engagement rates on social media and better conversion rates on websites and other platforms than stock imagery. The reason? Audiences are more likely to interact with authentic, relatable content. They prefer to see actual photos, actual people at your business – faces they may know from their community. What posts do you usually like or share? Probably posts that feature someone you know. Or posts that show you real people. Those posts feel authentic because they are authentic. You can’t easily replicate that feeling through the use of stock imagery.
SEO and Search Visibility
One of the benefits of using your own photography on your website is often overlooked. Did you know that original photography can help play a role in improving your SEO and search visibility?
Google’s guidance says using visual assets that are unique or original to your website plays a part in achieving high EEAT (experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness). This means Google has stated that original and authentic visual assets can help support high-ranking web content.
Need Professional Custom Photography?
If you want to give your marketing a real upgrade, talk to WRL about custom photography. Whether on-location or in our in-house studio, our team handles professional photography shoots with ease. We can capture complex industrial processes, take photos of your team in action or stage perfect product shots, food styling, professional headshots and more. We also offer licensed drone photography for cinematic images that make an impression!
Learn more about our extensive photography services.