Content marketing is one of the hottest trends, as brands are becoming more aware of the need to have an online presence.
This in turn, has massively led to the importance of visual branding, as companies strive to remain authentic. However, what role does the stock photography industry play to ensure brands meet their high content marketing standards?
1. Understanding stock photos and brand storytelling
How often have we seen clothing manufacturing giants relying on original content for brand storytelling?
Stock images has had its fair share of bad rep over the years. And millions of overly staged content has not helped its cause either. But, things are slowly starting to change. Stock photography is making a move to rectify it’s earlier mistakes by producing high quality and diverse content.
Our very own redefining masculinity and cultural appropriation content pieces are part of our effort to reduce whitewashing the media industry and helping companies produce authentic brand storytelling and content marketing.
2. Use photography to evoke emotions
A powerful image never fails to draw the audience towards a brand’s value.
Any skilled marketer would agree that a brand’s content has massive potential to draw customers and drive sales. However, there is a catch; your content marketing needs to evoke emotions in your buyers, because, long gone are the days of hard sales.
There is a reason why companies like Gillette are no longer solely relying on hunky, Beckham-esque dudes to sell their product. Instead, they’re producing content that evokes emotions such as its “we believe the best men can be” ad.
3. Boost content marketing with social causes
Men aren’t the only ones capable of representing the fitness industry.
A social cause is a great way to get on the good side of the public eye. And the stock photography’s aim to produce powerful imagery also brilliantly ties in with this movement. Communities like the LGBT and less able bodied are slowly being rightfully represented.
Meanwhile, negative racial and gender stereotypes are also being tackled in the stock industry. Therefore, companies should jump on the bandwagon and boost their content marketing cause with images that illustrate the world as we know it, instead of the one the media shows us.
4. Learn how stock images relate to a target audience
There’s no point in using a whitewashed image to sell a product that’s based in Asia.
The stock image industry is built upon its contributors from various parts of the world. Therefore, your content marketing strategy should tap into this resource. Brands must aim to make use of stock images that tie in with their brand’s target audience. This ensures your audience can relate towards your message.
So the next time you decide on a content source for your marketing campaign, remember to take a look at stock photos. Alternatively, read up on this piece if you’re looking to earn some extra cash during your spare time.