With the outcome of COVID, businesses were pushed into making social media a priority to communicate to their audiences. Those who did not take it seriously definitely felt the aftermath in 2020. One of the main ways businesses have established their online presence and brand is through photography. For most establishments, the thought of paying someone to take photos of their place and products isn’t even a thought. They would much rather use stock photos that are on the internet already or take them with their iPhone. What most people don’t realize is that this can cause damage to your brand and social media in the long term. So why are stock photos and iPhone photos considered “bad”?

1. It doesn’t make your brand personable.

Seeing the same stock photos across different websites and platforms leads viewers to question the personality of your brand, who you are, and what you represent. For all they know, you could be just a bot. Using these types of images correlates your brand with being just like everyone else and frankly, stock photos are boring and not authentic. Having faces and real photos that go with your brand ends up going a long way in the consumer's eyes.

2. It leaves your website with bad SEO.

Google can register when the same photo is used across different websites, and repetitive photos can be registered as a form of spam. By detecting the same low-quality image on your site, Google will see your site as less credible, and rank you lower than brands similar to yours. In other words, bad SEO = less traffic. Stock photos are okay every so often, but they should be your last resort and not be used on platforms like your website.

3. Represents the quality of the business.

The first thing customers do when they hear about a location that sounds interesting is to check the socials. If they look you up, and your feed is full of low-res iPhone photos, this can create an idea in their head that your business isn’t anything special, and in return, you won’t receive a good representation of all the assets your business can offer. Remember, your social media is what others show their friends when referring to your business. If you don’t invest in your business, why would they?

4. Branding is a huge part of what attracts customers.

Branding and aesthetic are what attract customers. Replicating a mood and feeling through your photos will draw in customers and allow them to experience that feeling as well. That experience is what will resonate with them, making you memorable. If you’re stuck on figuring out the story you want to tell your customers through your brand, ask yourself some of these questions: “What makes my business different than my competitors?” “If I walked into my business, how would I want to feel?” “What would I want people to say about my business?” “What would I want them to remember?”

5. The content does not bring value.

As we mentioned before, stock photos are generally too broad and are not specific to your brand. These types of photos will make people scroll past your content because it is not different and does not provide any value to them. If your content holds no value to the viewer, they will not care for what you have to say in return. This is why informational and more personal posts go a lot farther than stock images. People prefer to see unique images, and love to learn about topics they may not have a lot of knowledge in. Posting behind-the-scenes images of your process, products, or even customers is a great way to capture someone’s attention while also educating them on what your business is all about.