As a business owner, you know exactly what it is that makes your business unique. Whether it’s a proprietary product, exceptional customer service, or a commitment to giving back to your community, your business likely has at least one thing that sets it apart from your competitors. But how do you showcase that to potential customers? One of the easiest ways to show off what makes your business special is with real images of your business in action. However, it can be challenging to orchestrate professional photography to showcase on your website, Google Business Profile, and other digital platforms. That’s why many businesses lean on stock images to round out their digital presence.

Is it really okay to use stock images for your business’s digital marketing efforts? In some cases, stock images can be useful, such as throughout your website or even in Facebook posts and Google ads. You can always customize these images with unique graphics or by overlaying your company’s logo onto the images.

While stock images aren’t always bad, there are some areas where they can be problematic, such as on your Google Business Profile. Your Google listing is where customers expect to see real images of your business, either uploaded by you or by other customers. Adding stock images here may do more harm than good.

In general, stock imagery can reduce the authenticity of your brand and make your business look generic. You may also find that stock images are used by your competitors as well, so you may end up using some of the same images on your website that they use on their own, and that’s not a good look.

Even if a professional photographer is not in the budget, it’s always a good idea to have some real images of your business to showcase throughout your website and other digital platforms. Fortunately, smartphones can capture high quality images to let you photograph jobs you’ve completed in your community, participation in local events, and members of your team in action serving your customers.

With Plumfun Media, you can build a digital marketing foundation that gives your local community the right impression of your business. Explore our marketing services on our website or request a strategy call to get started with our digital marketing agency in Sacramento.