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In the absence of time and the impossibility to dedicate ourselves to reading all the content in detail, photos are one of the crucial factors that will first attract the attention of potential clients and customers. It is simply not possible to imagine any longer text without being accompanied by adequate photos, which are often taken for granted in marketing. However, dedication in finding adequate photos that can add a completely new, creative dimension to your business will certainly not go unnoticed. Good photos are necessary for an online shop and promotion on social networks , and we will advise you how to get them in this text.

How to find photos?

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the quality of the photos. The images you prepare for printing must be 300dpi ( dots per inch ) in a 1:1 ratio. These are mostly photos that you will use for catalogs, posters, books, magazines, etc. On the other hand, such photos can be “too heavy” for a website or social networks, so it is necessary to reduce the photos to 72 or 96 dpi in dimensions adapted to the screen resolution (optimum 1920 x 1080px).

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Make a plan

When you start developing a marketing strategy, it is very important to create a strategy for what kind of photos you need, that is, which photos will best describe your products or services. One of the most common mistakes is choosing photos impulsively and unplanned according to beauty.

That’s why it’s very important to create a database of photos in time that match your style and describe your brand in the best way, so that they clearly “target” your target group. Make sure that the colors in the photos match the colors of your products or corporate identity and that the motifs in the photos are in line with the circumstances at the time of publication (eg seasons, important events and holidays, etc.).

Of course, no database should be final, but it is preferable to continuously update it according to the results of the response it has among your clients or customers.

There are several sources with the help of which you will update or supplement your photo database, and it would be good to know the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.

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Professional photographer

Hiring professional photographers is also the best choice. In addition to the knowledge and experience that will help you create a series of original and personalized photos, I can also help you with your ideas. With the help of professional equipment and technical know-how, they will create photos that best represent your products or services and significantly reduce production time and designer costs. You’ll get natural lifestyle photos that are ready to use right away with minimal use of Photoshop or other graphics programs.

However, what you should take into account is that they already have experience with photographing similar products or services. Find out if they have done documentary or studio photography, because certainly not everyone is equally good at photographing food, glass packaging, jewellery, portraits, atmosphere or fashion collection.

The only downside is that hiring a professional photographer will require you to make a long-term plan and apart from being the best, it is also the most expensive source for your base.

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Stock photos

Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when you start collecting photos is the Internet. We do not recommend that you simply download photos randomly from the Internet. Apart from the fact that they may not be of good enough quality, such photos very often have copyright. That is why it is best to download photos from specialized sites, so-called stock photos.

The only advantage of this photo source is that you can make short-term plans and find a lot of different styles from different authors for a good price, not to mention free .

Like everything that comes from the Internet, these sites have a huge offer, so their price range is also wide. We single out Shutterstock , Adobe stock and 123RF from the sites that have the best offer but are also paid .

On the other hand, there are also sites that have a slightly weaker offer, but you can freely download from them without paying anything. The best sites, at least the ones we recommend from this group, are Unsplash , Pexels , Pixabay and to some extent Freepik .

The latter Freepik is free up to a certain extent. It has a limited number of downloads per day and a somewhat weaker offer than the premium package, which, in addition to a larger selection, also offers an unlimited number of downloads .

Another advantage is that in addition to photos, these sites also offer images in general, which means illustrations, mockups , pictograms and vector works.

The disadvantage of this source is that the photos are not personalized, that is, you will not find photos that specifically relate to your brand. There is a special expression for this phenomenon in professional circles: “They are too stocky “, that is, more informed consumers will know that you did not pay too much for your source, so it is not recommended for larger companies with more serious marketing strategies.

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Mobile phone

The last of the series of sources that we definitely recommend and should not be underestimated is your mobile phone. And if it may not meet all the aesthetic and graphic criteria in terms of marketing, it can be equally useful, especially when it comes to social networks. “Clumsy” lifestyle photos will help your target group identify with your product, and it’s very likely that with that kind of commitment, you’ll gain their trust more easily.

Try to transfer the experience of photographing your family, friends or pets to your business environment.

In the end, creating a photo base can seem daunting, but keep in mind that you can change your strategy at any time, and the more you try, the clearer you’ll get a picture of what gets you the most results.

 

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Made by Sava Spasić – Senior Graphic Designer @Digitizer