A Free Picture is Worth More Than a Thousand Words

A Free Picture is Worth More than a Thousand Words

I recently read an article about the popularity of iStockPhoto.com. It’s a site where you can buy royalty free photos, illustrations and videos to use in marketing, on websites, or any way you please. Then, when I was reading John Jantsch’s Duct Tape Marketing Blog, I saw an ad for the website. I get the point. I’ll write about it on my blog.

Being in marketing, I’ve had to wear many hats. While I’m no design guru, I can hold my own in PhotoShop (it just takes me 5 times as long as a designer and frustrates me to no end). At a previous job, we used iStockPhoto. But now that I own a business, I prefer to use FREE photo sites. My favorites include:

• MorgueFile
• Stock.exchng

Most of the photos are of great quality. They’re free because amateur photographers want to get their work out there to as wide an audience as possible. I use these for marketing collateral and to enhance articles I publish on AssociatedContent.com. And now, taking a cue from John Jantsch, I’ll throw some into my blog once in awhile to keep you engaged!

Using a photo from these sites is easy. It’s actually amazing how you can usually find exactly what you had in mind. For instance, I searched for “picture frame” and browsed ’til I found the image here. If you don’t find what you want, don’t be afraid to explore the photos that cost money. They’re typically only $1-5.

Just because you’re a small business doesn’t mean your marketing materials have to show it! Using free royalty free photos is my secret marketing tip for the week!

-Susan