Humans are inherently social creatures who value the opinions of others and seek validation. That’s why using stock photos of people is such a powerful marketing strategy.
When viewed on a computer screen, these pictures evoke emotions and lend authenticity to your brand.
In 2024, companies are particularly focused on leveraging social media for promotion, and incorporating images of people into your creative materials can be pivotal for success. Moreover, if you don’t have the budget for expensive photoshoots, you can find such visual materials on stock content marketplaces like Depositphotos.
This article provides detailed insight into why using stock photos of people on social media is beneficial and offers some tips on sourcing them online. Read on!
Table of Contents
Why You Should Use Stock Pictures of People for Social Media Management
When promoting your business on social media, you need to utilize different images. However, brands often lean towards showcasing their products or using abstract patterns.
You can try a different strategy—incorporate portraits of people into your creative design brief and weave a narrative. Show how your product has positively impacted someone’s life, solved a problem, or met a need.
Stick with this strategy for a while and then assess its effectiveness.
How Do Social Networks Affect People’s Opinions?
Before, people searched for necessary information by googling, but now the paradigm has shifted. More and more users are turning to social media. After all, it’s a place where others share their unique experiences, which generates more trust compared to branded articles.
Besides, photos with people receive a greater reach on professional social networks. For example, research from the Keller Center reveals that images featuring people’s faces can boost engagement on X Twitter by 38% to 291%.
On the flip side, this metric sees a slight increase on Instagram since such visuals are more common and familiar on this social platform.
Now, why do stock images of people work so well with consumers, and how can they enhance your brand’s presence on social media?
Why Stock Photos of People Deliver Trust
There are roughly 500,000 brands spanning across 2,000 product categories, which means intensified competition for consumer attention. Simply running ads on social media isn’t enough; your brand must earn trust.
After all, statistics show that 56% of consumers prefer purchasing from companies they trust, with 67% willing to remain loyal to such businesses.
Social proof, such as customer reviews, is essential to establish trust in your business. However, confidence in testimonials has dwindled as companies can manipulate them.
To tackle this challenge, consider illustrating testimonials using stock photos of people.
Stock Photos Grab Attention
Try experimenting: scroll through your social media feeds and look out for images that catch your eye. While personal results may vary, most people tend to be drawn to pictures featuring other individuals.
This inclination stems from an evolutionary response ingrained in minds. Since humans are social beings accustomed to group dynamics, such images attract more attention.
They Evoke Emotions
You’ve probably experienced moments where you feel through someone else’s emotions. For example, if someone nearby is crying, you might feel sad, while laughter can be contagious.
This phenomenon is linked with mirror neurons, which activate to mimic observed actions.
Just like in face-to-face interactions, people can sense emotions from photos on social media. You can use this tactic to create positive associations with your brand. For example, consider adding a stock image of a smiling person to your banner.
Stock Photos of People Increase Social Media Metrics
This observation builds on the previous points. Social media algorithms track how frequently and for how long users engage with your posts.
Since stock photos featuring people draw the eye and spark interest, they enhance your metrics.
How Does Social Media Influence Young People?
The bulk of social media users consists of Generation Z and Millennials. According to The Influencer Marketing Factory’s Status of Social Commerce Report, 97% of such consumers utilize these platforms to discover products.
For businesses catering to a younger demographic, this underscores the importance of leveraging social media for marketing purposes. However, authenticity is key for Generation Z and Millennials.
Since photos of people inspire trust, your brand is perceived as more genuine and transparent.
5 Tips for Choosing Stock Photos of People
Creating original content can be expensive, especially for newly established brands. At the same time, this strains marketing budgets. That’s why 46.7% of companies prefer using stock materials.
They allow you to access stock photos of people at an affordable price without hiring models. Furthermore, the downloaded materials have all the necessary resolutions and licenses for commercial promotion.
Image banks, also called stock content marketplaces, offer visuals of people for social media promotion. For example, on platforms like Depositphotos, you can use advanced filters to refine your search—look for pictures based on number of people, nationality, age, predominant color, location, and more.
How Do Social Networks Influence People’s Behavior?
Social media shapes people’s behavior by encouraging them to seek information, connect with like-minded individuals, share valuable insights, create content, and buy products.
For businesses, this represents an opportunity to engage with their audience and cultivate a devoted community.
Using stock photos of people is just one aspect of your marketing strategy. It’s also important to know how to select the right visuals. Here are some useful tips.
- Know your target audience. Consider images featuring the type of person that aligns with your brand’s target audience. For instance, if your target audience is business professionals, individuals in strict classical attire would be appropriate.
- Stick to sincere scenes. Some stock photos appear overly staged due to unnatural poses and forced emotions. They can evoke mistrust, so it’s better to opt for genuine-looking scenes.
- Ensure diversity. In your visual communications, showcase people of different nationalities, backgrounds, and ages. Diversity humanizes your brand.
- Search for emotional scenes. Think about the feelings you want to evoke in your consumers. For example, it could be the excitement of a new purchase or a sense of community.
- Use filters. To ensure that your images align with your brand and goals, filter them accordingly. For example, you can choose pictures that match your corporate color palette.
What is Marketing Influence on Social Media?
Marketing has long permeated social media. Nonetheless, it’s these platforms that have reinvented the way businesses promote their products.
Unlike aggressive advertising on websites and paid promotions, social media is geared towards organic content delivery. This means you need to educate, entertain, and share valuable insights with your audience.
Wrapping Up: Best Stock Photos of People
Stock images of people are a smart choice if you’re short on financial resources or time for original content production. Moreover, marketing studies have shown that they can improve your presence on social media.
The key lies in the essence of people, who seek connections, appreciate humanized brands, and trust them.
A Guide to Using Stock Photos of People in Your Social Media Share on X
She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 12 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.
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