How to use stock photo websites to promote your brand

We usually think of stock photo platforms as a source of content images. But there's another side: they can be a distribution tool. Media outlets, websites, communities and bloggers often use stock images as illustrations. By uploading the right branded photos, you can naturally integrate your brand into their content and get free (or nearly free) exposure.

Mikael Cho, co-founder and CEO of Unsplash, explains: The typical Unsplash users are individuals ages 18 to 34 in the fields of marketing, design and PR, who earn more than $100k a year. These users tend to be creative influencers, writers and blog posters, and they are coming to our site specifically to find high-quality, unique images to share with their audience.

The overall strategy:

• Choose the right stock platform. Unsplash is a top choice. According to its team, in 2019, Unsplash was used more than paid platforms like Getty Images, Shutterstock, and Adobe combined. Pexels is another good option with a slightly smaller reach.
• Create a brand account. On Unsplash, sign up for a regular account and contact their team at [email protected] for verification. For Pexels, email [email protected] to set up a branded account.
• Plan your photos and upload relevant images. Think about how your product will be used and what scenarios it can illustrate. From the perspective of photo editors, bloggers, and marketers, provide relevant and engaging imagery.

Key considerations

Follow the guidelines. Failure to do so may result in your photos being hidden or rejected. Avoid uploading images that:

• Are low resolution (less than 4 MP for Pexels, 5 MP for Unsplash).
• You don't own the rights to.
• Feature people without their consent.
• Depict violence, nudity, or gore.
• Are overly edited, unclear, or contain watermarks, borders, or text.
• Contain computer graphics such as logos, renders, or banners.

Even if your business doesn't produce physical goods, there's still a way to go. For example, an online bank without plastic cards can display photos of people making purchases via smartphone, with their virtual card naturally highlighted. A real estate aggregator could capture users browsing properties on a computer. The idea is to illustrate scenarios that align with your product or service, making it relatable and useful to media and bloggers looking for contextual visuals.

Photos should be vibrant, neat, yet minimally staged. With thousands of professional photographers contributing, competition is fierce. Media and bloggers want ready-to-use images that require little to no additional editing.

Don't forget to add relevant keywords to descriptions so content creators can easily find your photos.

How to track results

Stock websites provide data on impressions and downloads, which you can use to measure your distribution success. As an addition, use Google's reverse image search to find articles, pages or profiles that feature your materials.