Getting The Right Imagery For Your Business

When your business has an online presence, having the right imagery is very important. There are several rules that you must keep in mind. For example, you cannot plagiarize content, share other’s private information, and cannot use photos and graphics that don’t belong to you. In this blog post, we’ll be discussing how you can follow that last rule. If you use imagery that you don’t have rights to, your business could become the target of legal ramifications, and that’s never what you want. Read on for some tips on getting the right images for your business.

Getting The Right Imagery

Photos

It is never okay to use photos taken from other people’s social media profiles without their express permission. It’s also not smart to just upload images directly from a search engine image search. In addition, many of these kinds of photographs are subject to copyright and should not be used in the public domain for free. Taking photos of strangers without their permission can also backfire unless you’re on public property. 

So what should you do for photography instead? 

Public Domain Image Websites

Many different websites offer free and paid photos that are safe to use for your business’ website and other advertising. Sites like Envato, Pexels, Unsplash, Pixnio, Free Stock Photos, Pixabay, and more are all examples of where you can find quality photos that are safe to use. There are tons more, though, so you should have no trouble finding what you need!

Take Your Own

If you have a good camera and can take quality photos, you can try taking your own photos for your website, ads, and other content. Just make sure you stay within the law when it comes to photographing strangers! Of course, you can also pay a photographer to take photos for you. 

Graphics and Images

Lots of businesses have amazing images and graphics that can be very tempting to use. However, it’s better to have your ideas and branding–and be inspired–rather than copying someone else. In addition to this, you can also get into legal trouble for using graphics and images that you have either copied or taken outright. Sometimes, it can be nice to post about another business by using their images and graphics, so be sure to give credit and link back to it if you do this. 

So what should you do for graphics and images instead?

Make Your Own

No matter your level of experience creating images and graphics, chances are that there is a website, tool, or software that can help you. Canva, Photoshop, PicMonkey, Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, GIMP, and more can allow you to create images and graphics for your business yourself. This can be time-consuming, especially for beginners, but it’s a great way to establish your branding if your business is just starting out.

Hire Out

Hiring someone skilled at creating images and graphics is a great way to get ones that are unique to your business and branding. Simply express what you’re looking for, and the right designer will be able to bring it to life for you. This is a great way to save yourself time and have high-quality work done that will make your business stand out. At AliBelle Creative, our owner is a fabulous graphic designer with over 20 years of experience! 

We hope these tips for getting the right imagery for your business help inspire you to think about how you want your audience to see you! Please contact us if you have any questions or need some help getting fantastic imagery for your business.